Acclaimed YouTube series “Sex Ed” surpasses 50 million international views in under a year with viewers demanding more. This Webby- and Streamy-nominated show was selected by TV Guide Magazine in their weekly Top 10 “What’s Worth Watching.”
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“Why isn’t this show on TV?” asks a commenter on YouTube, on the last episode of the web series SEX ED: THE SERIES.
“Why did you stop?” asks another. “Please make more.”
Another YouTube viewer commented that the show’s ending brought her “to tears.”
Ernie Vecchione, creator and producer of SEX ED: THE SERIES, refreshes his YouTube analytics page. “Last night we picked up a million views.”
SEX ED is an American comedy web series created, written and co-produced by Ernie Vecchione and directed and co-produced by Tamela D’Amico of La Strega Entertainment. It was originally conceived as a television pilot and later made into a six part web series on its official YouTube channel.
“By 2013, we had a little over a million views for the entire show,” Vecchione says, who has written screenplays for HBO and Miramax. “Now we’ve surpassed 50 million viewers with 100,000 subscribers from all over the world. In just under a year, we found 49 million viewers.”
While the United States consists of the majority of viewers, viewership has reached countries from the United Kingdom to India to the United Emirates.
Mr. Vecchione adds, “It has yet to plateau.”
SEX ED revolves around the lives of eight college students and their manic professor, portrayed by Emmy nominated and Golden Globe winner Joanna Cassidy (SIX FEET UNDER, BLADE RUNNER). The students get more than they bargained for when their professor forces the students to pair up and make clay sculptures of each other’s genitals.
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“In just under a year, we found 49 million viewers.”
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The show also stars Matt Barr (SLEEPY HOLLOW), Angela Sarafyan (THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN) and Andra Fuller (BLACK JESUS).
The show received a Webby nomination for Best Drama, where it competed against shows from HBO, Sony and the Sundance Channel. It also scored a Streamy nomination for Joanna Cassidy. TV Guide magazine placed the show in the top 10 of notable television shows worth watching.
With no publicity, marketing or social media on hand, SEX ED landed an international following.
“It’s been very heartening to see there is an audience out there,” says Vecchione. “They’re demanding more. They want this to be a continuing series on television.”
SOUTH PARK and IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA were two self-made pilots turned into long running successful television series. PORTLANDIA and GARFUNKEL & OATES are two current examples of web series going to cable.
“We’ve been taking many meetings about the future of the show,” Vecchione explains. “It’s been very exciting.”
SEX ED can be viewed on YouTube.
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