Netflix is currently in the process of planning a new docuseries that is all about BuzzFeed News. This weekly series will follow the work and lives of the journalists from this popular news website and is set to be called ‘Follow This’; a clever title considering the connection with social media following and the fact that the cameras will follow the team of journalists.
It is one of the first short-form series that the streaming service is set to launch over the next few months. ‘Follow This’ will premiere on July 9 and consists of more than 20 episodes that are just 15-minutes long each.
Ben Smith, the Editor-in-Chief for BuzzFeed News, has said that they are delighted that Netflix could see the potential for a series about the work and could recognize the drama in their journalism and the stories they tell. They are looking forward to bringing what they have learned to the Netflix audience.
The series will begin by following Scaachi Koul, one of the reporters. In the first episode, she discusses her reporting of the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). There are many other staffers from BuzzFeed News who will feature throughout the series. Some of these include John Stanton, who is a senior national correspondent, and Bim Adewunni, a senior culture writer. Others who will make appearances are the BuzzFeed India editor-in-chief Rega Jha, science reporter Azeen Ghorayshi, podcast host and reporter Ahmed Ali Akbar, and Charlie Warzel, a senior tech writer for the website.
The fact that they are having a docuseries made about them clearly is not enough for the team at BuzzFeed News as BuzzFeed is also co-producing the series with Netflix. Jessica Harrop is the showrunner and an executive producer. Other executive producers for ‘Follow This’ are Cindy Vanegas-Gesuale, Linzee Troubh, and Shani Hilton. Representing Netflix in the team of executive producers are Lisa Nishimura, Kate Townsend, and Jason Spingarn-Koff.
The fact that Netflix is now launching ‘Follow This’ and other docuseries and short-form series is just one indicator of how Netflix is changing the type of content they are presenting that content to their audiences. Over recent months, they have been experimenting with new distribution and format strategies.
Another example of their experimentation is ‘The Joel McHale Show’, which is being rolled out weekly. On the other hand, the new David Letterman talk show ‘My Guest Needs No Introduction’ will have episodes that are released monthly.
The length of their shows is another aspect of their content that Netflix has shown they are willing to change. Instead of always streaming series which have episodes that are half an hour or an hour in length, they are also planning to include a series of stand-up specials that are just 15-minutes long in their upcoming schedule.
There are still a few months to wait before fans of docuseries can begin watching ‘Follow This’. However, considering the popularity of BuzzFeed News and the number of views it gets on a daily basis, the docuseries about the work of the time is likely to become popular with viewers.
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