Freeform Launches Short-Form Comedy from YouTuber Lisa Schwartz

BURBANK: The exclusive short-form comedy series Party Girl, co-created by comedian and YouTube star Lisa Schwartz and writer Lacey Friedman (The Goldbergs), has gone live on the Freeform app, Freeform.com and Hulu.

The ten-episode series follows a young woman in her twenties, played by Schwartz, as she tests the waters of adulthood while working with a host of quirky colleagues at a Los Angeles-based party company specialized in themed birthdays. The show is loosely based on Schwartz’s life. The actress, writer and comedian is best known for her YouTube channel, which has more than 2 million followers, with her musical parodies having amassed millions of views.

In addition to Schwartz, Party Girl stars Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation), Ed Begley Jr. (Pineapple Express) and Adam Busch (Men at Work), among others. The series is produced by digital studios New Form and Maker Studios. The Party Girl pilot first emerged during the New Form incubator program last year and was developed into a series project that premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.

“We are thrilled to premiere our show on the Freeform app and are glad to be a part of their family,” said Schwartz and Friedman. “Party Girl is a twisted homage to birthday party entertainers, based on Lisa’s personal experience, and a nod to all of us who try to maintain our dignity in a world set up for us to have none.”

“We love working with emerging talent like Lisa, who has such an authentic and fresh point of view,” said Karey Burke, the executive VP of programming and development at Freeform. “Party Girl is a hilarious show that beautifully portrays the emotional highs and lows of being in your twenties.”

JC Cangilla, the senior VP of business development at New Form, commented, “We are seeing an increased interest from traditional networks to expand their digital offerings. As a leading digital studio, we are excited to see a great series like Party Girl find a home on Freeform.”

“The Freeform app reaches a highly engaged millennial audience, making it the perfect platform for this series,” added Kendra Johnson, the head of distribution and strategic partnerships at Maker Studios. “Lisa and this playful, funny series are a great complement to the Freeform voice.”