Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at 9:32 AM PT

 

G’night Burbank Scores HBO Online Pilot

Hayden Black, the creator of mock news show Goodnight Burbank, has signed a deal to create a pilot for the new HBO Online, according to an anonymous source.

The source tells us the new show’s working title is “Abigail’s X-Rated Teen Vlog” and Black will be writing, starring, producing, and directing it — oh, and also delivering it by late next week. Black is still in talks with HBO Online regarding picking up his first show, Goodnight Burbank.

Here’s an old favorite Goodnight Burbank episode. The full story, below the jump.


Click To Play

Black, a long-time producer of on-air promos, didn’t “get a break” into showbiz; he made his own break. While taking an improv class, Black heard about a market research report saying podcasting listeners would grow to 60 million people from 11 million people over the next four years. We remember that report; it was by the Diffusion Group, and at the time we said it was “seriously over-optimistic.”

Black had an entirely different reaction. Corralling people from his improv class, he started a video podcast using a free online tutorial.

The show mimics nightly newscasts and the personalities behind them, albeit in compressed 6-minute-long form. Black describes his sense of humor as “not beholden to focus groups.”

“The nightmare I’ve always wanted has finally come true,” Black had told us a few weeks ago, when the opportunities started phoning in. “When I started I said it’d be great to build an audience but I really want to go into television. Now, as the year has progressed, I would be happy to monetize on the internet — or ultimately, both.”

Black joins a group of online video stars that are succeeding on mostly their own terms. Amanda Congdon is also working on a show for HBO Online. Ask a Ninja just signed a deal to monetize its website in a deal worth at least $300K rather than having to take its creativity elsewhere. Former Congdon collaborator Andrew Michael Baron says his Rocketboom made nearly $250K this year.

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Topic: Money & Power, Online Video, Shows & Stars

Comments (5)

Linkbacks (7)

  • […] Online. New show’s working title – “Abigail’s X-Rated Teen Vlog” No comments Share/Send Sphere Topic: Reporter’s Log Tags: HBO,Valleywag […]

    GigaOM » G’Night Burbank going… — 9:42 AM on January 31, 2007

  • […] More coverage of Black’s deal at NewTeeVee. Watch Now:      Goodnight Burbank [5:00m]: Play Now | Download document.getElementById(‘podPressPlayerSpace1639labelvideoPlayer16390′).innerHTML=’Hide Player’; document.getElementById(‘podPressPlayerSpace1639′).title = ‘videoPlayer16390′; Rate This Post: Bookmarking links:       Related Topics: Goodnight Burbank, HBO, Making Money with Podcasts, podcaster success stories, podcasting trends, video podcasting Related articles: Ask A Ninja How To Make $300K, Amanda Congdon Moves To ABC, Feeds On The Way, Why Are These People So Happy?, TNC New Media Announces Sale Of EndurancePlanet.com Podcast, More Than 1 in 3 Want Internet TV Now […]

    Podcasting News » Podcaster Goes XXX… — 1:45 PM on January 31, 2007

  • […] More info about Hayden Black’s deal can be read here. Technorati tags: Podcaster, Podcasting, Video Podcaster, HBO Online, New Media […]

    Podcaster Bags An HBO Online Contract | Podcast… — 7:55 AM on February 2, 2007

  • […] NewTeeVee » G’night Burbank Scores HBO Online Pilot […]

    The Otterman Empire » Goodnight Burbank… — 1:46 PM on February 7, 2007

  • [...] divergent series called Abigail’s “X-Rated” Teen Diary. This is the show we reported Black was developing for HBO, but the current incarnation does not appear to be affiliated with [...]

    Goodnight Burbank Creator Launches Teen Show… — 6:20 PM on September 28, 2007

  • [...] tool, Tom Markiewicz’ post about Tips for Publishing RSS Feeds, Goodnight Burbank scores HBO Online pilot, YouTube.com to share revenue with content creators, SD Times article about supposed security [...]

    Travel blog » Blog Archive »… — 10:49 AM on October 6, 2007

  • [...] Originally developed for HBO’s failed This Just In, Abigail is the daily vlog of a young girl dealing with, in her own words, “boyz, school, my ‘rents, & living w/ Bloombergers Syndrome. Thats this genetic thing that effex your DNNA so it makes me look a little older than I really am.” By “a little older,” she means she looks like star/creator Hayden Black, who, if the online video thing doesn’t work out, could look into part-time work as a Ricky Gervais impersonator. Not that that’s likely to happen — Black’s comic abilities are second only to his promotional skills and marketing savvy, as Kara Swisher recently covered as part of her Boomtown series. [...]

    Abigail’s Teen Diary: For All Her BFFs… — 9:09 AM on June 22, 2008

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