Digital studio WIGS was one of the first channels to receive YouTube funding two years ago, and its original scripted fare has racked up 65.5 million views on the platform.
But the third season of its most popular drama series — “Blue,” starring Julia Stiles as a single mom who moonlights as an escort — won’t be available on YouTube.
WIGS last year cut a programming and distribution partnership with Fox Broadcasting. The studio’s newest content will be distributed on Hulu, Fox.com and WIGS’s own site, cutting YouTube out of the mix. After YouTube lifted its exclusive distribution rights on WIGS’s scripted dramas, Fox last summer brought the first two seasons of “Blue” and other WIGS series to Hulu (whose parents include 21st Century Fox).
“Blue” season 3 will be available in four longer-form episodes, each 40-60 minutes, on Hulu and the Hulu Plus subscription service, beginning Friday, March 28. Also available on Hulu will be a new longer-form episode of WIGS series “Paloma,” written and directed by Stiles and starring Grace Gummer (“Margin Call”). The new episodes of “Blue” and “Paloma” also will be available on Fox.com and via the Fox Now app.
In the third season of “Blue,” Stiles’ character — named Blue — finds herself getting too close to a client (Eric Stoltz) while her son (Uriah Shelton, “The Glades”) keeps a life-changing secret of his own from his mother. The new episodes also feature Stiles’ real-life sister, Jane O’Hara (“Law & Order”), as her free-spirited sister who crashes at Blue’s apartment with her lover (Alexz Johnson, “Instant Star”).
“Blue,” which has more than 43 million views across multiple platforms, is written and directed by WIGS co-founder Rodrigo Garcia (“Albert Nobbs,” “In Treatment”). Karen Graci is co-writer on the series, exec produced by Jon Avnet (“Black Swan,” “Risky Business”), Garcia and Jake Avnet.
WIGS was launched in May 2012. The Culver City, Calif.-based digital studio has created over 150 episodes of scripted content, including 15 original series, seven short films and 10 documentaries — all starring female leads.
Other WIGS series available on Hulu are “Lauren,” starring Troian Bellisario and Jennifer Beals; “Jan,” starring Caitlin Gerard, Stephen Moyer and Virgina Madsen; “Christine,” starring America Ferrara; “Ruth & Erica” with Maura Tierney; “Vanessa & Jan,” starring Laura Spencer and Caitlin Gerard; and “Audrey,” starring Kim Shaw.
Watch the trailer for “Blue” season three:
