Formation | 2012 |
---|---|
Location | |
Owner | PBS Distribution |
Key people | Noel C. Bloom |
Parent organization | WETA-TV |
Affiliations | PBS |
Website | www |
PBS Digital Studios is a non-profit organization through which PBS distributes original educational web video content. Based in Arlington, Virginia, it comprises both original series and partnerships with existing YouTube channels. Most of the series are about science, popular culture, art, food, news, and music.
PBS Digital Studios was founded by Jason Seiken in June 2012. [1] They had their first viral hit with a "remix" of autotuned vocals from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood titled "Garden of Your Mind." [2]
The PBS Digital Studios network has received more than 500 million views and has over 7 million subscribers. Popular series found on their channels include Crash Course, Blank on Blank, It’s Okay To Be Smart, and the multiple Webby Award–winning PBS Idea Channel. [3] Each month, the shows average more than 5 million streams. [4]
Its first scripted series, Frankenstein, MD , launched on August 19, 2014, and ran until October 31, 2014. [5] [6]
In 2015, PBS Digital Studios partnered with the Green brothers' series Crash Course, commissioning three courses in astronomy, U.S. government, and philosophy. [7] Crash Course Astronomy launched January 15, 2015, Crash Course U.S. Government & Politics launched January 23, 2015, and Crash Course Philosophy launched February 8, 2016.
In addition to commissioning series, PBS Digital Studios have partnered with existing YouTube channels. They partnered with BrainCraft in June, 2014 [8] and Physics Girl in August, 2015. [9]
In 2017, the network cancelled a slew of its shows, including popular channels like PBS Game/Show & the PBS Idea Channel. [10]
As of December 2020, [update] PBS Digital Studios lists the following as "past" series:
Evan Desimone of NewMediaRockstars wrote, "Brilliant...takes you somewhere you didn’t expect." [11] Sam Gutelle of Tubefilter called Idea Channel show, "Nothing short of superb." [12]
William Henry Green II is an American YouTuber, science communicator, novelist, stand-up comedian, and entrepreneur. He produces the YouTube channel Vlogbrothers with his older brother, author John Green, and hosts the educational YouTube channels Crash Course and SciShow. He has advocated for and organized social activism, created and hosted a number of other YouTube channels and podcasts, released music albums, and amassed a large following on TikTok.
Raymond "Ray" William Johnson is an American internet celebrity best known for his eponymous YouTube channel and his web series on that channel, Equals Three. In 2013, the channel surpassed 10 million subscribers and had over 2 billion views, making it one of the most watched and subscribed to channels at the time. For a 564 day period from June 2011 to January 2013 the channel was the most-subscribed YouTube channel, during which it also became the first channel to reach 5 million subscribers. Johnson left the series in March 2014 but continued to produce it and other web series like Booze Lightyear, Comedians On, and Top 6, the first two of which were later cancelled.
DeStorm Power is an American Internet personality, actor and rapper who began his career on YouTube.
Ashley Rose Newton, known professionally as Lee Newton, is an American actress, comedian and Web personality. She is a former co-host of the YouTube news channel SourceFed, as well as a regular performer of The Gym Comedy group. Newton studied theatre in college, and is an alumna of The Groundlings Sunday Company. Newton was a founding member of the production company and web-series known as The Valleyfolk, in which she was a co-host alongside fellow former SourceFed hosts Joe Bereta, Elliott Morgan, and Steve Zaragoza.
SourceFed was a YouTube channel and news website created by Philip DeFranco in January 2012 as part of YouTube's original channel initiative, and was originally produced by James Haffner.
React Media, LLC is an American digital media and entertainment company founded by brothers Benny Fine and Rafi Fine. The Fines began creating content in 2003 and in 2011, founded their eponymous Fine Brothers Productions, Inc. Now known as React Media, the company produces the React video series, their several timed-spoiler series, narrative web series, and created a "transmedia" sitcom on YouTube, MyMusic.
Disney Digital Network was an American multi-channel network located in Culver City, California. It was originally the successor to Maker Studios, co-founded by Lisa Donovan, Danny Zappin, Scott Katz, Kassem Gharaibeh, Shay Carl, Rawn Erickson II, Ben Donovan, Philip DeFranco, Glasgow Phillips, Michael Gallagher, Matthew Clawson, and Paul Ballon in 2009. Maker Studios was originally conceived as an incubator for YouTube talent through the use of Super Channels like The Station. Maker Studios adopted the multi-channel network (MCN) model after the initial model failed to take root. Maker Studios was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2014 for $500 million, and was absorbed into the newly formed Disney Digital Network in 2017.
Crash Course is an educational YouTube channel started by John Green and Hank Green, who became known on YouTube through their Vlogbrothers channel.
Philip James DeFranco, commonly known by his online nickname PhillyD, and formerly known as sxephil, is an American media host and YouTube personality. He is best known for The Philip DeFranco Show, a news commentary show centered on current events in politics and pop culture.
Smosh Games is a YouTube channel owned by Smosh, initially launched in 2012. An amalgamation between Smosh and ClevverGames by then joint owner Alloy Digital, the original members consisted of Smosh cast members Anthony Padilla, Ian Hecox, and Mari Takahashi along with ClevverGames members David "Lasercorn" Moss, Joshua "Jovenshire" Ovenshire, and Matt Sohinki.
SciShow is a collection of YouTube channels that focuses on science news. The program is hosted by Hank Green along with a rotating cast of co-hosts. SciShow was launched as an original channel. The series has been consistently releasing new material since it was created in 2012.
Elliott Christopher Morgan is an American comedian, actor, writer, host, producer and YouTube personality. Morgan is best known for being a co-host of the YouTube channel SourceFed. Morgan attended the University of Florida.
Esteban "Steve" Zaragoza is an American online personality, singer-songwriter, musician and web series host, notable for his work on the current events and news series SourceFed. Zaragoza became a host on the series in 2012. The following year, Zaragoza became a host on its spin-off channel, SourceFedNERD. On his personal YouTube channel, Zaragoza frequently combines or crosses between dark, deadpan, surreal, character, and sketch comedy in a non-sequitur fashion.
Frankenstein, MD is a 2014 American Gothic horror comedy webseries with transmedia elements. Produced in partnership between Pemberley Digital and PBS Digital Studios, the show is a modern adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, replacing the eponymous character with Victoria Frankenstein, a medical student near graduation. The show, which represents PBS Digital's first foray into scripted content, was created by Bernie Su, Brett Register, and Lon Harris. It ran on YouTube from August 19 through October 31, 2014, and was generally well-received by critics.
YouTube is the official YouTube channel for the American video-sharing platform YouTube, spotlighting videos and events on the platform. Events shown on the channel include YouTube Comedy Week and the YouTube Music Awards. Additionally, the channel uploaded annual installments of YouTube Rewind between 2010 and 2019. For two brief periods of 36 and 11 days in late 2013, this channel was ranked as the most-subscribed on the platform. As of March 2024, the channel has earned 39.8 million subscribers and 3.05 billion video views.
The Green brothers, John and Hank, are two American entrepreneurs, social activists, authors, and YouTube vloggers. The two have collaborated extensively throughout their public careers, beginning with a daily vlog project in 2007 titled "Brotherhood 2.0", in which they only communicated in vlogs posted to YouTube for a year. The Greens' portfolio of online work now includes their main Vlogbrothers channel, Crash Course, SciShow, their podcast Dear Hank & John, and several other projects spanning several forms of media.
BrainCraft is an educational video series on YouTube created by Australian science communicator Vanessa Hill. Hill's videos use stop motion and paper craft animation to explain neuroscience, psychology and human behavior. BrainCraft is part of the PBS Digital Studios network.
Bart Baker is an American social media personality, singer, and comedian. He is best known for making parody videos of notable songs, for which Billboard dubbed him one of the most prolific makers of music parodies.
Complexly is an American online video and audio production company, based in Missoula, Montana, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Its founders are brothers John and Hank Green, who began their Vlogbrothers YouTube channel in 2007. In 2012, the Greens began producing educational video content with the YouTube channels Crash Course and SciShow, and in the years since have created many other channels and podcasts which have been folded into the company. Originally named EcoGeek LLC, it was founded by Hank Green to support his blog on environmental and science issues and was renamed in 2016. Also associated with the Green brothers, but separate from Complexly's operations, are DFTBA Records, the Project for Awesome, VidCon, and Subbable. The company's strengths in educational content has led to production funding from Google, PBS, and the Poetry Foundation among other corporations and charitable foundations.
SourceFed Studios was an American digital media company and multi-channel network created by Philip DeFranco in 2011. After finding success during the early years of YouTube with his eponymous news show, DeFranco secured funding from YouTube and launched SourceFed as part of the YouTube Original Channel Initiative in 2012.