LOS ANGELES -- Netflix just nabbed a YouTube star.
The Los Gatos-based streaming giant announced Thursday that Colleen Ballinger-Evans, known to her 5.7 million YouTube subscribers as Miranda Sings, will star in an eight-episode scripted streaming series called Haters Back Off.
We're expecting! #MirandaSingsOnNetflix #HatersBackOff https://t.co/wDT2MBTs6D— Netflix US (@netflix) January 14, 2016
The series will follow Miranda Sings' family life. Ballinger-Evans and her brother Chris Ballinger developed the show with Perry Rein and Gigi McCreery (both known for See Dad Run and Wizards of Waverly Place). They will all serve as executive producers.
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Ballinger-Evans created her Miranda persona -- a quirky, tone-deaf wannabe singer -- in 2008. Since then, Miranda has appeared as a guest on Crackle’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld and on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. Her book -- Selp-Helf -- became a New York Times bestseller after being released in July of 2015.
She is the latest YouTube star to get her own show. Last year, Grace Helbig and Todrick Hall got their own television series on E! and MTV, respectively. Hulu also gave Freddie Wong's RocketJump a series on its platform last year. Rachel Bloom, who recently won a Golden Globe for The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, also started on YouTube.
The news is indicative of Netflix's push into attracting younger viewers. Less than an hour after publishing her announcement video, Sing had already racked up almost 100,000 views. She has been blasting the news on her Twitter account ever since.
Orange is the new Miranda #MirandaSingsOnNetflix— Miranda Sings (@MirandaSings) January 14, 2016
House of Miranda #MirandaSingsOnNetflix— Miranda Sings (@MirandaSings) January 14, 2016
Unbreakable Miranda Schmidt #MirandaSingsOnNetflix— Miranda Sings (@MirandaSings) January 14, 2016
Netflix has not yet set a release date for the series, but fans are already excited.
When your favourite youtuber now has a netflix show @MirandaSings @ColleenB123 #MirandaSingsOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/KhuEvFbb3N— stephanie (@stephanieem_) January 14, 2016
ORANGE IS THE NEW MIRANDA @MirandaSings @netflix #MirandaSingsOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/9pCigd0A8A— Shuayb Hassim (@shuaybhassim786) January 14, 2016