Schenck, Barnholtz, Sullivan enter microdrama fray with studio and app VertTV

Hybrid’s titles for Netflix include Secret Obsession

Veteran US producers Jeffrey Schenck, Barry Barnholtz and Peter Sullivan are launching a microdrama-focused studio and app called VertTV.

The Los Angeles-based company is positioning itself as a filmmaker-led alternative in the fast-growing vertical drama space, with a focus on shortform, mobile-first storytelling featuring established television and film talent.

At launch, the service carries a library of more than 200 licensed titles that feature actors including Vivica A Fox, Chonda Pierce, Regan Burns, Barbara Crampton, Russell Todd, Richard Karn, Marla Sokoloff, Jodie Sweetin and John Brotherton.

VertTV is also building a pipeline of originals, with the first of those, Lone Star Hearts, already streaming on the service. The project, set in the cutthroat world of Texas oil, stars Josh Henderson as a charismatic tycoon and Hallmark Channel star Cindy Busby as his sharp-witted ex, Isabelle.

The company also announced several other in-development projects, including Finding Hope, written and directed by Marla Sokoloff, about a big-city doctor who returns home to save the family’s crumbling clinic after her father suffers a stroke. The series reunites Fuller House stars Jodie Sweetin and John Brotherton.

Also on the development slate are: murder mystery Wicked Wives, executive produced and starring Fox; fish-out-of-water comedy Chonda starring Chonda Pierce and Regan Burns; and supernatural suspense thriller Bad Blood.

VertTV said it will also pursue partnerships with creators, independent producers and library owners as it expands its content offering. The platform is currently subscription-based but said it plans to add ad-supported and transactional models.

Its advisory board includes former Lionsgate and Starz distribution executive Gene George, and Matt Cohen, who previously helped build Amazon’s Prime Video Channels business.

Schenck, Barnholtz and Sullivan previously founded independent production company Hybrid, where they produced a range of films for Netflix, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime and other buyers. Their credits include Netflix titles Secret Obsession, Fatal Affair and The Merry Gentlemen, as well as Hallmark’s Christmas Under Wraps.

“Viewers are increasingly consuming content on their mobile devices, but they are tired of the disposable, low-quality options currently flooding the market,” said Schenck. “VertTV is applying a traditional television network mindset to this exciting new format.”