Bell Media-owned MCN Much Digital Studios will debut its first-ever original series Dan For a Week this spring. The six-episode series, which features Much creator Dan James (known to fans as TheDanocracy) attempting to live a normal life while adapting to bizarre limitations and extreme situations.

Justin Stockman, VP of pay and OTT services with Bell Media told Playback‘s sister publication Media in Canada that the network’s intention was always to get into in-house content production when it launched two years ago, and that choosing James (pictured) to be the centre of its first series was a natural fit because of the comedy vlogger’s noteworthy uptick in subscribers in the last two years.

“He’s seen massive growth since joining the network,” said Stockman. James currently boasts more than 365,000 subscribers, representing an increase of about 230% since signing with Much in 2015.

Much Digital Studios’ creators have previously worked on branded series such as Far and Wide, a travel-centered docuseries for Destination Canada, however Dan For a Week marks the first series that is produced by Much and where there was no advertising client from the outset.

“We’re looking forward to actually embracing the ‘studio’ part of Much Digital Studio, and that means showcasing our production power,” said Stockman.

Production for the series is currently underway in Toronto. Much’s Jason Ford will serve as executive producer with Ryan Kalinka working as a producer. The series is set to launch on YouTube and Much.com this spring.

The network currently boasts 42 creators, with 6.4 million combined subscribers between them. The core of the network’s content is centered around YouTube, although some creators such as Zak Longo and JusReign create content for multiple platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat.

From Media in Canada