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YouTube Original Picked Up by 200 ABC Affiliates

October 9, 2012
By Greg Franzese

Remember when Google poured $100 million to produce high-quality originals for YouTube? Well, one of those Web shows will soon head to a television near you.

Almost 200 ABC affiliates will begin airing "Recipe Rehab" as part of its Saturday morning programming, an FCC mandated block of educational programming. The show, one of nine from the Everyday Health YouTube channel, is produced by Trium Entertainment, known better for reality shows such as "The Biggest Loser."
 
“We did not expect this,” Jared Tobman, the show's executive producer, told AdWeek. “YouTube wants to be in the premium content business, and we were creating content for their audience where they live.”
 
The premise of "Recipe Rehab" is to have celebrity chefs provide "nutritional makeovers" on family recipe favorites. This isn't the first time an online show is heading to the small screen. Over the summer, Hulu's original "Spoilers with Kevin Smith" was picked up for broadcast in Canada. Showtime brought "Web Therapy" starring Lisa Kudrow to TV after the show already won a Webby. SyFy's "Sanctuary," which premiere on TV with an audience of more than 3 million, also has its roots in the Internet. 
 
Now, the question is if "Recipe Rehab" and the others are a sign of things to come. Since Web shows are typically cheaper to produce than TV originals, greenlighting a show that has proven successful online and already has a built-in fan base could steer more networks to look to the Internet for fresh TV content. Alternatively, before committing to a full run, smart studios and networks can test pilots in front of an online audience eager to find quality video content. Instead or producing for TV and movies -- and only streaming online after the initial release -- this alters the typical release timeline, emphasizing the value of content, regardless of business and distribution models.
Posted in Online Video News
Tags online video, original content, youtube
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