News / TV

Kevin Smith helps launch Rivit TV with his “Hollyweed” pilot

First came Channel 101. Screening 5-minute shorts, and asking audiences to vote for their favorites to return for new episodes since 2003.

Then came Amazon Prime, which started making originals by allowing consumers to view all of the potential pilots first and weigh in with votes and comments.

Now comes Rivit TV, a new TV platform allowing viewers to decide which all-new TV pilots they’d like to greenlight to series, and how much they’d be willing to spend per episode should that happen. The more people who decide to pitch in, the more likely the show gets made and the less episodes would cost.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith has helped Rivit TV launch with his stoner comedy HOLLYWEED, which stars himself along with Ashley Greene, Ralph Garman, Adam Brody, Jason Mewes, Frankie Shaw, and Donnell Rawlings.

“Two years ago we shot a pilot for a show called HOLLYWEED and tried to take it out the traditional way but had no luck. Cut to now, and we get to bring it back to life. Thanks to the good folks at Rivit TV, we raised it from the dead, it’s crazy. Rivit TV was smart enough to take this show and leave it up to my fans,” said Smith.

Heading up original content programming for Rivit TV is Chief Content Officer, Marcus Wiley, who was co-head of comedy development at Fox Broadcasting Company. “This platform allows our industry’s top creators like Kevin Smith to focus on passion projects that resonate with their fans without worrying about a committee of executives or advertisers. Our goal is to directly connect creators with their fans, liberate the creative process and invite the audience to greenlight shows from their favorite storytellers,” Wiley said.

Each Rivit TV pilot is free to sample, and is up for a 45-day voting period.

Watch the full pilot, then stick around after the credits to find out how Rivit TV works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSwv39eWMws

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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