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WBD’s Vanessa Brookman: YouTube series Skibidi Toilet may be a ‘flash in the pan’

YouTube sensation Skibidi Toilet

CARTOON BUSINESS: Vanessa Brookman, general manager of kids, global streaming and international networks at Cartoon Network owner Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), has questioned the longevity of viral YouTube series Skibidi Toilet.

The rise of Skibidi Toilet, a low-budget animated series that has gone from five to over 40 million subscriptions on YouTube over the past 18 months, has been a major talking point at events such as MipJunior in Cannes last month and at Cartoon Business here in Brussels this week.

Set in a chaotic, dystopian world, the surreal web series launched in February 2023 and depicts a bizarre conflict between sentient toilets with human heads and humanoid entities with electronic devices for heads, such as TVs.

Creator DaFuq!?Boom! uploaded the latest instalment in the series yesterday and it already has almost 10 million views, while a range of licensing and merchandising based on the brand has also been rolled out.

Meanwhile, the internet hit is reportedly being developed for TV and film treatment by director Michael Bay and former Paramount Pictures president Adam Goodman.

With WBD now doing digital-only licensing deals for children’s content for the first time, Brookman was asked by C21 if it would consider acquiring a property like Skibidi Toilet that is reaching huge audiences online.

“It might be a flash-in-the-pan. I’ve really wanted to use that pun for a long time,” said Brookman, adding: “They’re doing quite well on their own. But to be serious, we’re looking for content that has true longevity.”

The success of Skibidi Toilet has mystified many of those working in children’s TV, while others have warned its popularity proves the disconnect between the industry and the audience it serves.

“It looks unlike any kids show I’ve ever seen. It basically breaks every rule we follow, that kids have to be protagonists and [a show must be] kid-relatable,” said producer, showrunner and consultant Evan Baily at MipJunior last month.

Seminar focused Cartoon Business kicked off here in Brussels yesterday, with over 200 participants from 23 countries in attendance to discuss the major financial and technological challenges facing the international animation industry.

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