Freeform Launches Short-Form Original Series ‘Party Girl’ From New Form and Maker Studios
“Party Girl,” an exclusive 10-episode original short-form series co-created by actress, writer and comedian Lisa Schwartz (aka LisBug) and television writer Lacey Friedman (“The Goldbergs”), is live now on Freeform.com and the Freeform app for mobile and connected TV devices.
Loosely based on Schwartz’s experiences, “Party Girl” follows a twenty-something (Schwartz) as she navigates adulthood while working with a band of quirky co-workers at a Los Angeles party company that specializes in themed birthdays. The series features a cast of characters including Fay, the slightly off, mama bear leader (Beverly D’Angelo, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”); Philip, the mediocre magician (Ed Begley Jr., “Pineapple Express”); and Clive, the client that literally takes the cake as the weirdest party hero ever (Adam Busch, “Men at Work”), among others.
Schwartz is best known for her widely popular YouTube channel that has over 2 million followers and her musical parodies that have amassed millions of views.
“We are thrilled to premiere our show on the Freeform app and are glad to be a part of their family,” said Schwartz and Friedman. “’Party Girl’ is a twisted homage to birthday party entertainers, based on Lisa’s personal experience, and a nod to all of us who try to maintain our dignity in a world set up for us to have none.”
“We love working with emerging talent like Lisa, who has such an authentic and fresh point of view. “’Party Girl’ is a hilarious show that beautifully portrays the emotional highs and lows of being in your twenties,” said Karey Burke, executive vice president, Programming and Development, Freeform.
The series is produced by digital studios New Form and Maker Studios. The “Party Girl’ pilot first emerged during the New Form incubator program last year and was further developed into a series project premiering at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.
JC Cangilla, senior vice president of Business Development at New Form, commented, “Freeform is a great platform for a dynamic show like ‘Party Girl’ and we’re excited to work with our second traditional network on their digital offerings.”
The Freeform app reaches a highly engaged millennial audience, making it the perfect platform for this series.” Kendra Johnson, head of Distribution and Strategic Partnerships at Maker Studios, added, “Lisa and this playful, funny series are a great complement to the Freeform voice.”
The deal marks New Form’s second licensing deal with a major linear television brand. New Form original series are available across a variety of global platforms including CW’s The Seed, Fullscreen, Refinery29 and Verizon’s go90. Maker Studios creator content and original series are also available across global platforms including ABCd on the ABC app, CanalPlay, Comcast’s Watchable, Fullscreen, Globe Telecom, Netflix, 9Now, Spotify, TVB, Verizon’s go90, YouTube Red and more, as well as linear television including Disney Channel, HISTORY and truTV.