Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Thursday, February 1, 2007 at 11:00 AM PT

YouTube’s LisaNova Joins MADtv Cast

Well, it appears YouTube’s posturing toward paying its creators is coming a little too late for some of the site’s stars, who are already making the leap to television. Yesterday FOX announced YouTube star LisaNova is joining its MADtv cast (we first heard about this on Mashable).

LisaNova, whose given name is Lisa Donovan, started posting satirical videos to YouTube about eight months ago. To date, her 28 videos have been viewed 8,624,372 times. She’s the eleventh-most subscribed-to director on the site.

According to FOX, Donovan had previously auditioned for MADtv after leaving the University of Colorado-Boulder to pursue an acting career. When she didn’t make the cut, she formed her own production company, Zappin Productions, eventually finding an audience on YouTube.

Act II. Like what seems like every talent agent and casting director in Hollywood, MADtv’s casting director was apparently trolling YouTube and “found” Donovan. They asked her to audition again, and she got the part. Donovan’s first episode airs February 17.

Sphere Tweet This

Topic: Networks & Studios, Online Video, Shows & Stars

Comments (3)

Now if only someone would give Brookers her own show …

Janko Roettgers — 11:12 AM on February 1, 2007 Reply
Wasn’t that Carson Daly’s job? What’s up with that?

Liz Gannes, NewTeeVee — 11:14 AM on February 1, 2007 Reply
Right, forgot about that …

Janko Roettgers — 11:20 AM on February 1, 2007 Reply

Linkbacks (3)

[…] Once again, the future seems to hold a convergence of old media and new media. Julie said that on their visit to NATPE it was apparent that broadband was the topic of the day; as LisaNova’s move to MadTV and UTA brokering the rich deal for Ask a Ninja demonstrates, Hollywood is beginning to step onto web video’s turf. […]

NewTeeVee » Lunching in LA: Almost… — 2:51 PM on February 1, 2007
[…] Donovan’s online videos at YouTube become very popular, in fact, she is the eleventh-most subscribed-to director on the site and for this, she got the attention of the late-night sketch show staff and got invited again for audition. Luckily and probably because of her YouTube fame, she made it this time! Lisa Donovan’s pioneer MADtv appearance will start on February 17. […]

Video Blogger Made It To The Big Screen … — 7:36 AM on February 4, 2007
[...] Over the weekend, Lisa Donovan, better known by YouTubers as LisaNova, made her network television debut on FOX’s MADtv. [...]

NewTeeVee » LisaNova Debuts on MADtv — 6:38 AM on February 20, 2007