Fawkes Digital has rebranded as Studio Fawkes, and its first linear commission makes the new positioning concrete. The Leeds-based independent is expanding from digital-first work into a slate aimed at brands, creators, platforms and broadcasters. The first test of that strategy is a dating series that began life on YouTube.
From a summer YouTube run to an MTV order
MTV has ordered Date Me Right Now, an 11-part street-dating format, and will premiere it on 23 November. Kimberley Cumberbatch presents the series, with creators Georgia Wood and Mason Blake making cameo appearances. The format first screened on MTV UK’s YouTube channel during the summer, which makes this a digital-to-linear commission rather than the traditional reverse.
The show follows Gen Z singles looking for genuine romantic connections on the streets. For MTV, the format arrives with a built-in proof point: it has already run in front of a YouTube audience and can carry creator visibility into the linear schedule.
Why the rebrand matters
Studio Fawkes, founded by CEO Lucy Smith in 2024, describes its entertainment formats as “built as IP universes.” The slate includes the YouTube fashion entertainment series Make It Iconic, the Texture Talks podcast and the LinkedIn series CEOs Go Wild. The new name signals the company wants to be seen as an IP owner that moves shows, communities and product lines across territories and windows, not just a digital supplier.
Smith has earlier predicted that by 2031 every UK broadcaster will be commissioning for YouTube first and their TV channels second. In the announcement, she said: “Our first linear commission from a digital-first series is testament to how digital and television are no longer two separate entities.”
What the order tells buyers
- A social-first run can act as a low-cost proof of demand before a linear order is placed.
- Creator cameos bring an existing audience to a new platform.
- The rebrand points to IP built for multiple windows rather than a single broadcast slot.
For media planners and entertainment marketers, Date Me Right Now is worth watching as a pipeline case. The next signal is retention: whether the YouTube-native audience follows the show to MTV, and whether the linear run feeds back into digital consumption. If it does, social-first formats look less like experiments and more like de-risking tools for linear buyers.
For advertisers, that hybrid path is useful. A format that starts on YouTube can offer digital addressability and creator-led integrations, then carry the same franchise into a broadcast environment without needing a separate talent deal.
The strategic takeaway is to treat digital and linear as one commissioning path. That means comparing social audience signals and TV delivery against the same campaign objectives, and building creator relationships into format design early instead of adding them later.
Source: C21media
