The FIZZ
Encyclopedia
The FIZZ was a half-hour weekly television program
hosted by Cory "Mr. Safety" Williams
and Jessica "JP" Payne. It was created by Andrew Kobliska for DirecTV
Original Entertainment. The show features video bloggers, aspiring hosts, online videos and indie music videos.
The program premiered in November 2006 on The 101 Network on DirecTV. The entertainment trade publication Variety
called The FIZZ "easily consumed... a liberating approach to TV programming." Eric Shanks, Executive Vice President of DirecTV Original Entertainment said in a recent ITV
interview, "The FIZZ will essentially be the video bloggers show. Everyone has tried to find a way to bring the internet to television and we think we've cracked the code with this show."
The FIZZ has made such a strong impact on DirecTV subscribers that it later expanded to include a special Newzz edition hosted by Peter Zottolo and dramatically raised the profile of the video bloggers who appeared on air as hosts. One of the program's videoblogger contributors, Pittsburgh native Digital Soul began his career as a video blogger who chronicled his weight loss in Internet videos viewed more than 2 million times . His popularity earned him a guest host spot on The FIZZ. Each week, The FIZZ featured some of the best-known vloggers including Thewinekone, TheHill88, spricket24, Mark Day Comedy, Jay Lamont, Boh3m3, Blunty3000, The Angry Aussie, Beth and Val and the program's main host, Cory Williams. Travis and Johnathan, longtime contributors to The FIZZ through the Red State Update comedy vlog were featured on the YouTube
/CNN
presidential debates.
The American version of the show led to a Spanish version that ran once on DirecTV Latin America titled "El Fizz".
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
hosted by Cory "Mr. Safety" Williams
Cory Williams
Cory Williams , also known as "Mr. Safety" from SMP Films, is an actor and YouTube personality who lives in Thousand Oaks, California.-Biography:...
and Jessica "JP" Payne. It was created by Andrew Kobliska for DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
Original Entertainment. The show features video bloggers, aspiring hosts, online videos and indie music videos.
The program premiered in November 2006 on The 101 Network on DirecTV. The entertainment trade publication Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called The FIZZ "easily consumed... a liberating approach to TV programming." Eric Shanks, Executive Vice President of DirecTV Original Entertainment said in a recent ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
interview, "The FIZZ will essentially be the video bloggers show. Everyone has tried to find a way to bring the internet to television and we think we've cracked the code with this show."
The FIZZ has made such a strong impact on DirecTV subscribers that it later expanded to include a special Newzz edition hosted by Peter Zottolo and dramatically raised the profile of the video bloggers who appeared on air as hosts. One of the program's videoblogger contributors, Pittsburgh native Digital Soul began his career as a video blogger who chronicled his weight loss in Internet videos viewed more than 2 million times . His popularity earned him a guest host spot on The FIZZ. Each week, The FIZZ featured some of the best-known vloggers including Thewinekone, TheHill88, spricket24, Mark Day Comedy, Jay Lamont, Boh3m3, Blunty3000, The Angry Aussie, Beth and Val and the program's main host, Cory Williams. Travis and Johnathan, longtime contributors to The FIZZ through the Red State Update comedy vlog were featured on the YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
/CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
presidential debates.
The American version of the show led to a Spanish version that ran once on DirecTV Latin America titled "El Fizz".
Trivia
- The FIZZ regularly posts episodic teasers on YouTube.
- The first episode of The FIZZ was roughly 11 minutes long. It was used to fill out a concert to make it an even hour.
- The first TV show made by videobloggers.
- The spin off Spanish version, titled El Fizz, airs throughout Latin America.
- Was the first place on TV to air Randy NewmanRandy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
's performance of "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" - Was the first place on TV to air Cory Williams' music video "Mean Kitty" At the time of writing this article this clip has over 58 million views online. http://www.toacorn.com/news/2007/0913/Community/021.html
Links to articles about The FIZZ
- Turlock Journal Wednesday March 21, 2007
- Variety December 3, 2006
- THE INSIDER - DirecTV Access Magazine, April 2007
- The FIZZ is featured in DirecTV VOD Rollout Release
External links
- www. TheFizz.tv The FIZZ Official website