It’s a bit shocking how little direct crossover there’s been between apps and parts of the entertainment industry. There’s the Angry Birds movies, and that’s pretty much it. Where is the animated Twitter comedy? The grim Postmates gig economy drama? The Slack horror movie? (The Emoji Movie only sort of counts.) But there’s about to be at least one more: As per Deadline, Grindr, the dating service for LGBTQ+ people, is getting into the TV game — or whatever you want to call short, original scripted episodes that will bow on YouTube.
It’s called Bridesman, and it will follow a gay man who, as Deadline puts it, “undermines his best friend’s wedding.” Each episode will run between six and 10 minutes, and they’ll be viewable both on YouTube and on the Grindr app itself. (This does make it sound a bit like Quibi, which will someday inspire one hell of an HBO doc series.) How Grindr will be incorporated into the show is still under wraps, but there will presumably be a fair amount of farcical wedding hook-ups.
It’s the latest attempt by the app to think outside the box and to get its users involved in more than just scrolling for potential dates. Last June there was Pride Perseveres, in which they attempted to help people celebrate Pride Month in the middle of a pandemic, setting up events that prioritized safety while maintaining some level of social closeness. There was also Fright Now Fest in October, in which Grindr dedicated itself to all things Halloween.
(Via Deadline)