New streaming service WatchMe to debut next week

2015 has been the year of video on demand and it's not over yet. Next week, a new streaming service WatchMe will launch, showcasing original Kiwi comedy - for free.

Focused specifically on short-form comedy content, WatchMe will launch next Tuesday with eight original series, commissioned by those funny guys at Hauraki, Matt Heath and Jeremy Wells.

They've brought in fellow Hauraki host and funny guy Leigh Hart, resurrecting Late Night Big Breakfast, which was dropped by TVNZ last year amidst loud protests from its loyal fanbase.

Ben Uffindel's satirical website The Civilian will also come to life in video form, produced by Eating Media Lunch's Paul Casserly, while Yeti offers a travel series with a major twist - its host likes to dress as an abominable snowman.

Each series is made up of between six to eight short-form episodes, specifically designed to cater for a digital audience.

"It's all about removing the padding," explains Heath. "When you make a commercial half hour for TV, it's 22 minutes cut roughly into three seven-minute bits, divided by ad breaks. We don't have ad breaks, so we are just making the seven-minute bits. If people want to watch 22 minutes they can watch three shows in a row.

"The Civilian covers a topic in about the same length of time the news would cover a serious story. With Like Mike, five minutes is more than enough time with Jeremy Wells and a Mike Hosking ventriloquist dummy. It makes sense for our shows to be short - so they are."

All content will be available to watch for free online at watchme.co.nz from Tuesday, November 24.

WatchMe is owned and operated by NZME, which publishes TimeOut and the New Zealand Herald.