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What Is Quibi and What Can I Watch On It?

Quibi’s approach to producing content is bold and experimental in the current streaming climate, but the platform could cater to a very popular niche.
Quibi
Quibi
By  · Published on April 3rd, 2020

Picture this: you’re on a commute, waiting on a friend to arrive for brunch, or sitting on the toilet handling your business. Naturally, you’re scrolling through your phone because you want to be distracted and entertained from the boring task at hand. You probably don’t have enough time to stream an entire movie or an episode of one of your favorite shows, but you want to watch something quick and easy. That’s where Quibi comes in.

Founded by former Disney and DreamWorks exec Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quibi is a brand new mobile-only subscription service that specializes in short-form content. The platform will feature documentaries and series (scripted and unscripted) boasting A-list celebrities, Hollywood stars, and impressive production values. Quibi is sparing no expense when it comes to producing quality content, but the company is also taking a huge gamble with its unconventional quick bite strategy.

Of course, every successful business venture is a risk at first. If Quibi becomes a contender, it will be praised for its innovation. If not, the experiment will show that people prefer their streaming services to be more traditional. However, Quibi’s approach is interesting, and it’s a good idea in theory given that plenty of people are glued to their phones while they’re on the go throughout the day.

Quibi has already gained the support of some big hitters as well. Anna Kendrick, Chrissy Teigen, Lebron James, Dwayne Johnson, Christoph Waltz, Reese Witherspoon, Chance the Rapper, Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez, Idris Elba, Zac Efron, Tina Fey, Liam Hemsworth will all be starring in shows. Elsewhere, creators such as Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Hirst, and Catherine Hardwicke will also be involved.

Disney and MTV have also invested in the service, and they’ll be developing projects for it. The latter company is even bringing back Punk’d, which is actually a great idea for a short-form series since prank videos are so popular. Subscribers will also be treated to revivals of Singled Out, Varsity Blues, and more. Expect the content to cover a variety of genres.

The project launches this month, and there are a lot of intriguing shows and documentaries to look forward to. Let’s take a look at some of the notable titles.


What to Watch

Dummy

Flipped (April 6)

From the creators of Funny or Die comes a comedy starring Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson as a couple who dream of renovating people’s homes for a living. However, it’s only a matter of time before their dream turns into a nightmare, as they are kidnapped by members of a drug cartel, who force the couple to renovate their houses. Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria and Arturo Castro also star in this one.

Most Dangerous Game (April 6)

Set in a dystopian future, this series stars Liam Hemsworth as a terminally ill man who agrees to be the prey in a human hunting game. His wife is pregnant with their child, and he wants to take care of her before he dies. What does he have to lose? This is another riff on The Most Dangerous Game concept, but the series will undoubtedly entertain viewers who want action and thrills.

I Promise (April 6)

This documentary series tells the story of LeBron James’ efforts to inspire students from his hometown of Akron, Ohio, to pursue achievement. The series is told through the eyes of the students who are chasing a better future, and it will shed a light on the day-to-day challenges faced by them, as well as their families and school staff.

50 States of Fright (April 13)

Produced by Evil Dead’s Sam Raimi, this series will explore America’s haunted underbelly by telling stories based on the spooky urban legends that lurk in the shadows across the various states. Fans of the folktale-inspired episodes of Supernatural might get a kick out of this one.

Idris vs Block (April 13)

In this series, Idris Elba will go up against Ken Block to determine who is the best driver once and for all. The show will pit both men and their cars against each other, and it promises to feature plenty of wild stunts and hilarity.

Dummy (April 20)

Anna Kendrick (pictured above) plays an aspiring writer who befriends her boyfriend’s sex doll, and the pair decide to take on the world together. Consider me intrigued. Kendrick is a fantastic comedic performer, and she’ll undoubtedly shine in a series that boasts such a ridiculous premise.


The Complete List

Release DateTitleType of Program
April 6, 2020Chrissy's Courtunscripted series
April 6, 2020Dishmantledunscripted series
April 6, 2020Gayme Show! unscripted series
April 6, 2020Gone Mental with Liorunscripted series
April 6, 2020Memory Holeunscripted series
April 6, 2020Murder House Flipunscripted series
April 6, 2020Nikki Fre$hunscripted series
April 6, 2020Punk'dunscripted series
April 6, 2020Singled Outunscripted series
April 6, 2020Skrrt with Offsetunscripted series
April 6, 2020Thanks a Millionunscripted series
April 6, 2020The Sauceunscripted series
April 6, 2020Flippedscripted series
April 6, 2020Most Dangerous Gamescripted series
April 6, 2020Survivescripted series
April 6, 2020When the Streetlights Go Onscripted series
April 6, 2020&Musicdocumentary
April 6, 2020Fierce Queensdocumentary
April 6, 2020I Promisedocumentary
April 6, 2020NighGownsdocumentary
April 6, 2020Prodigydocumentary
April 6, 2020Run This Citydocumentary
April 6, 2020Shape of Pastadocumentary
April 6, 2020You Ain't Got Thesedocumentary
April 13, 2020Elba v Blockunscripted series
April 13, 2020Fight Like a Girlunscripted series
April 13, 2020Let's Roll with Tony Greenhandunscripted series
April 13, 2020#FreeRashawnscripted series
April 13, 202050 States of Frightscripted series
April 13, 2020Aqua Donkeys scripted series
April 13, 2020The Stranger scripted series
April 20, 2020Iron Sharpens Ironunscripted series
April 20, 2020Dummyscripted series
April 27, 2020Cup of Joeunscripted series
April 27, 2020Flooredunscripted series

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Kieran is a Contributor to the website you're currently reading. He also loves the movie Varsity Blues.