MTV is getting into the studio game to capitalize on 35 years worth of built up content.
The Viacom-owned network announced Thursday it is launching MTV Studios, a new production arm it will utilize to reboot old series like “Daria” and the already-in-the-works return of “The Real World,” to sell to other networks and streaming platforms.
The initial slate includes those two series, along with a revival of coming of age unscripted series “Made” and the previously-announced live-action reboot of sci-fi series “Aeon Flux,” from “Teen Wolf” creator Jeff Davis.
The new studio will also produce a pair of fresh series: “The Valley” (working title), a coming of age docuseries in the spirit of “The Hills” and “Siesta Key” which follows a group of young friends growing up in the valley town of Nogales, Arizona, a city split in half, with one side in the United States and the other in Mexico; and “MTV’s Straight Up Ghosted,” which follows young people trying to reconnect with lost friends, lovers and family members and confront them about why they have been ghosted.
“MTV has the biggest collection of hit youth franchises that spans more than three decades of content and over 200 titles, part of which have fueled our resurgence,” said Chris McCarthy, president of MTV. “With MTV Studios, we are for the first time ever opening up this vault beyond our own platforms to reimagine the franchises with new partners.”
MTV is looking to use sift through that library of 200 titles to shop new series and re-imaginations of its hits for partners across SVOD and Linear.