UKTV has announced five new short-form comedy commissions for its Dave branded social channels in a bid to boost engagement with younger audiences.
Coming to its YouTube channel is Big Zuu’s Wrap Clash, a spin-off from the broadcaster’s BAFTA & RTS-nominated TV series Big Zuu’s Big Eats, which debuts today and sees grime artist turned TV chef Big Zuu challenge some of the UK’s hottest social media personalities to create a better wrap than him.
Also headed to YouTube is Who Cares? in which Amelia Dimoldenberg poses questions to members of the public on burning issues – be it political, social, celebrity or fast-fashion – using her unique interview style.
Three further new shows – The Comedy Guide to Life, which sees stand-up comics offering “witty and punchy” observations on modern life, comedy talk radio show BackChat, and chat show Bad Advice with Olga Koch – are destined for Facebook.
The broadcaster is also recruiting a new team of social media experts to oversee Dave’s Facebook and YouTube channels and increase engagement with viewers and fans.
Erina Jones, UKTV’s head of social and online said: “Creating unique short-form series for Dave’s social platforms will increase our offering of entertaining, funny and relatable content in the online world.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to test out new formats, work with a new generation of talent and extend the enjoyment of our popular Dave Originals for existing fans, and hopefully entice a wave of new fans too.
“Dave’s mission is to be as funny on social media as it is on air and we want people to enjoy spending time with us wherever they are. Our followers can now look forward to these new and exclusive shows on a weekly basis over the coming months.”
Andrea Amey, who joined the broadcaster in December to lead its digital strategy added: “UKTV’s channels are incredibly strong but it’s important we have something on offer for viewers who might not watch our shows in the traditional way, on linear TV.
“Younger audiences are spending increasing amounts of time on social media, so by creating bespoke and bite-sized shows online, I hope they’ll find something they enjoy featuring Dave’s well-known witty tone.
“When editorially appropriate, we’ll also premiere the best of Dave’s short-form content on our on-demand service, UKTV Play.”