The Disney+ streaming video service that’s set to launch just after Apple TV+ next month has signed a deal with Jim Henson Co. for a comedy talk show that will further bolster its programming.
With its huge library of content, Disney+ will launch with broad appeal for both kids and adults. But as highlighted by The Chicago Tribune recently, children’s content is a key area of focus for streaming services.
Children’s fare is “incredibly important” to entertainment platforms, says Sesame Workshop president of media & education and chief operating officer Steve Youngwood. “The broadest services with the greatest [number of] subscribers are going to be the ones that have something for everyone in the family — and kids are one of the biggest drivers of usage in the family.”
Disney+ already has a leg up on the competition like Netflix and Apple with its huge library of iconic content that appeals to kids and it won’t have to jockey for rights like Netflix does for many shows and movies. And now, as detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ is set to gain another program that kids could love (adults, too!) thanks to a partnership with the Jim Henson Co.
Disney+ has handed out a straight-to-series order for Earth to Ned, a comedic half-hour talk show in which an alien (and his lieutenant!) interview celebrity guests. The series will exclusively stream on Disney+, the subscription streaming platform set to launch Nov. 12 and compete with Netflix.
Here’s how Disney+ summarizes Earth to Ned:
the comedy follows Ned, a blue-skinned alien, and his lieutenant Cornelius, who were sent to scout Earth for an eventual invasion — but instead became obsessed with popular culture. Now they host a talk show, broadcast from the bridge of their spaceship hidden deep underground, where they interview our most precious commodity — celebrities — to talk about Ned’s current pop culture obsessions. Ned will be bringing real-life celebrity guests to his ship from across the known universe and interviewing them, late-night talk show style, in hopes of producing the ultimate talk show — making Ned a celebrity and putting him further off-mission. And the more Ned learns about our human culture, the more obsessed he becomes.
Disney+ is set to launch on November 12. The company offered a compelling deal that brought the yearly price down to under $4/month and Verizon is giving a free year of the service to its customers (notably eligible customers can take advantage of both).
Related:
- Bob Iger not worried about Apple TV+ undercutting Disney+ on price
- Disney+ video service matches Apple TV+ free year promo through Verizon
- Bob Iger resigns from Apple’s board of directors ahead of Apple TV+ and Disney+ launches
Top image via THR
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