Lucas Cruikshank, known on YouTube as Fred Figglehorn, will now have his own show on Nickelodeon.
Cruikshank began playing his six-year-old character Fred, complete with a helium-pitched voice, in 2006, and he’s seen considerable success (and hate) ever since.
(“Fred Loses His Meds,” a three minute video, has 34 million views to date, and isn’t even his most popular video.)
The Nickelodeon announcement for a 20-part series comes just months after Fred’s second made-for-TV movie premiered on the children’s network.
“It will be a mash-up of the original Fred and what we have done with the movies,” producer Brian Robbins told Deadline.
Besides the full-length series, which will air some time early 2012, Fred will also star in a third movie for the network.
At least three other YouTubers have made the leap to television this year. Rhett and Link moved to IFC to create the series Commercial Kings in June, and in October, Kaleb Nation announced his partnership with Twilight producer Mark Morgan for a show titled Kaleb’s Nation. The most recent pick-up was the Annoying Orange by Cartoon Network less than two weeks ago.
Hiring YouTube stars, who already have a dedicated fan base, is a smart move for networks looking for a quick hit. So who’s next?
