YouTube creates four original shows just for its Kids app
A 'Fruit Ninja' series is just the beginning.
Now that YouTube has dipped its toes into the wild world of original programming, the company has plans to launch four new shows this spring aimed at children and pre-teens. The YouTube Kids app will get two live-action and two animated series starring some popular YouTube creators including DanTDM and the hosts of TheAtlanticCraft, with more series scheduled to debut throughout the year.
The first round of original YouTube Kids programming features Hyperlinked, DanTDM Creates A Big Scene, The Kings of Atlantis and Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force. Hyperlinked is a live-action scripted series starring the young ladies of L2M, a real-life tween music group, as they attempt to "create their own website by girls for girls."
The second (partially) live-action offering comes from DanTDM, a gaming-focused YouTube creator whose channel has more than 14 million subscribers. DanTDM Creates A Big Scene follows DanTDM and his animated friends as they take their live show on the road, running into plenty of mischief along the way.
The two fully animated shows come from Minecraft YouTubers Joe and Cody of TheAtlanticCraft, and Fruit Ninja studio Halfbrick. Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force is about a group of four friends who are secret fruit ninjas dedicated to fighting malicious forces like Durian Grey and the Deep Fried Sensei. Meanwhile, The Kings of Atlantis is a royal power struggle set under the sea, featuring two young monarchs on a mission to reclaim their throne from a cruel king.
"This marks the first time YouTube Red has invested in creators who are producing original programming for family audiences," YouTube's global head of family and learning Malik Ducard says.
It's been two years since YouTube launched the standalone Kids app and it's since picked up more than 30 billion overall video views, with 8 million active viewers each week. The company plans to launch the YouTube Kids app on smart TVs, including internet-connected LG and Samsung models, sometime soon.
Keep in mind that YouTube Red, the subscription service that enables offline and ad-free viewing, applies to the Kids app. Red is also where YouTube's existing original programming resides.
