EXCLUSIVE: The UK is getting in on the microdrama act.
Tattle TV, which calls itself Britain’s “first dedicated vertical drama app,” has launched with a pilot reality series, an MMA sports drama and a desire to repurpose classic British shows for the world’s hottest viewing craze.
Launching late last year, Tattle is the brainchild of EMC Productions and its founders Philip McGoldrick and Marina Elderton. It kicks off with originals including Dog Dates, a pilot reality series following British singletons finding love on dates with their dogs, and Tramp, a sports drama following a British-Polish MMA fighter whose meteoric rise is abruptly halted. Tattle is also developing a thriller series titled The Escape Rooms and a romantic comedy called Nerdy Natalie.
Tattle is looking to build out its library with more UK content, which could be produced in house at EMC or by third parties. Furthermore, the team will license content and is looking into repurposing classic British shows for the vertical video format. Plans are afoot to transform existing IP from landscape to vertical with Tattle’s AI-powered systems. More info on this will be revealed in due course.
“Tattle TV is the UK’s first dedicated vertical drama app, a hybrid streaming platform revolutionising British entertainment for the mobile-first generation,” the company said. “We’re not just another short-form video app focused on billionaire romance stories. We’re a premium, hybrid streaming service in your pocket, offering a compelling alternative to the US and Chinese-dominated market by introducing diverse genres and uniquely British reality TV.”
Since release, Tattle said it is “already drawing attention from a global audience,” although it didn’t reveal numbers.
Microdramas, which first emerged in Asia, reached Hollywood towards the backend of last year, with Fox, Access Entertainment and a new outfit backed by Cineverse and Lloyd Braun’s Banyan all making plays. Fox invested in Holywater, the Ukrainian outfit that operates platforms such as My Drama, My Passion and My Muse and has more than 55 million users. Audiences can watch a few short microdrama episodes before paying for more, and content budgets are extremely low compared to traditional TV. “Tattle TV offers a sustainable, scalable model that revitalises the UK creative industry,” the company said.
