YouTube’s first original shows will premiere on February 10

It’s been along time coming, but YouTube is finally ready to release its first original shows and films.

YouTube Red Originals will premiere on February 10, and are included in your YouTube Red membership. So far, the Alphabet-owned company has four shows lined up; here are the official descriptions from the announcement blog post:

• A Trip to Unicorn Island: From the team at Astronauts Wanted, this feature-length movie gives fans an extraordinary look inside the life and journey of Lilly Singh as she embarks on a challenging 26-city global tour where she has to remember to practice what she preaches: happiness is the only thing worth fighting for.
• Dance Camp: This feature film from AwesomenessTV weaves an amazing story of unlikely friendships, unleashing passions and discovering yourself all through the power of dance.
• Lazer Team: In this feature-length action-comedy from Rooster Teeth and Fullscreen Films, four small-town losers stumble upon an alien ship carrying a mysterious cargo, leading to a battle to save Earth from an all-powerful enemy.
• Scare PewDiePie: In this reality-adventure series from the creator and executive producers of “The Walking Dead” at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios, experience thrills, chills and laughter as PewDiePieencounters terrifying situations inspired by his favorite video games.

It’s interesting to see that the first shows lined up are direct products from some of YouTube’s biggest channels, just with bigger budgets. The aim, at least for right now, doesn’t seem to be taking on cable shows – or even Netflix ones – for content. There are no big-name cast and crew members, as the company is focusing on the popularity  of its existing celebrities to drive views.

While that likely makes the transition into original content easier, it also means you probably shouldn’t expect the kind of critical acclaim shows on services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have recieved. It’s a distinctly YouTube spin on original content.

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Still, the company says that we can expect much more from YouTube stars later this year. If you want to keep up with the latest updates, you can follow the official YouTube Red Originals channel.

➤ Roll out the YouTube Red carpet! Our first YouTube Red Originals premiere February 10 [YouTube Official Blog]