Revision 1118323385 of "Draft:Watcher Entertainment" on enwiki

{{AFC submission|d|adv|u=Jolly1253|ns=118|decliner=Greenman|declinets=20221026102923|ts=20221025102907}} <!-- Do not remove this line! -->

{{AFC comment|1=See [[WP:COI]]. 
The lead in particular reads very promotionally. [[User:Greenman|Greenman]] ([[User talk:Greenman|talk]]) 10:29, 26 October 2022 (UTC)}}

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{{Draft topics|internet-culture|television}}
{{AfC topic|org}}

{{Infobox company
| name = Watcher Entertainment
| logo = 
| logo_alt = 
| logo_caption = 
| image = 
| type = Public
| industry = Digital media
| predecessor = 
| founded = {{Start date and age|2020|01|10}}
| founder = {{Plainlist| 
* Ryan Bergara 
* Shane Madej
* Steven Lim 
}}
| defunct = 
| fate = 
| successor = 
| hq_location_city = United States
| hq_location_country = Los Angeles, California
| area_served = 
| key_people = 
| products = 
| owner = 
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent = 
| website = www.watcherentertainment.com
}}

'''''Watcher Entertainment''''' (also known as simply '''''Watcher''''') is an online [[digital media]] [[company]] that launched on January 10, 2020. Ryan Bergara, Steven Lim, and Shane Madej founded the company after leaving their full-time positions at [[BuzzFeed|Buzzfeed]] where they created and produced the highest grossing shows: ''[[BuzzFeed Unsolved|Buzzfeed Unsolved]]'', ''[[Worth It (TV series)|Worth It]]'', and ''Ruining History''.<ref name='ThisIsMyJam'>{{Cite web |last=Liu |first=Katie |date=October 21, 2020 |title=This Is My Jam: Watcher Entertainment |url=https://www.northbynorthwestern.com/this-is-my-jam-watcher-entertainment/ |access-date=February 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name='Tubefilter'>{{cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Geoff |title=Three Of BuzzFeed's Biggest Video Stars Launch Indie Studio ‘Watcher Entertainment’ |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2019/12/09/buzzfeed-stars-launch-watcher-entertainment/ |website=Tubefilter |access-date=October 25, 2022 |date=December 9, 2019}}</ref> The company's content is available primarily through YouTube. Collectively, the three shows have around 2 billion views, representing approximately 15 billion minutes of watch time.<ref name='Tubefilter'/><ref name="Variety">{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=December 9, 2019 |title=Ex-BuzzFeed Video Staffers Launch Watcher Entertainment Digital Studio (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/watcher-entertainment-buzzfeed-steven-lim-ryan-bergara-shane-madej-1203427669/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Variety}}</ref> The three founders continued to work at Buzzfeed after the launching of Watcher, but as of November 2021, after the final season of ''Buzzfeed Unsolved'', both Bergara and Madej have left the mega corporation.<ref name="Variety" /> Watcher is arguably known for its transparency, creating a [[documentary]] following the start-up of the company titled ''Making Watcher'', as well as maintaining an active social media presence.<ref name='ThisIsMyJam'/><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 20, 2019 |title=Former Buzzfeed staffers launch Watcher Entertainment |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/video/former-buzzfeed-staffers-launch-watcher-222919794.html |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Yahoo! Finance}}</ref>

== Shows ==
Watcher's series include ''Are You Scared?'', ''Puppet History'', ''Tourist Trapped'', ''Top 5 Beatdown'', and ''Weird And/Or Wonderful World'' presented by Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara; ''Dish Granted'', ''Grocery Run'', and ''Homemade'' presented by Steven Lim; ''Spooky Small Talk'' presented by Ryan Bergara; and ''Too Many Spirits'', ''Social Distancing and D&D, Making Watcher'', and ''Watcher Weekly'' presented by all three founders.<ref name="Variety" /> 

''Watcher Weekly+'' is available for viewing through Watcher’s [[Patron|Patreon]] tiers.<ref name="Patreon">{{Cite web |title=Watcher |url=https://www.patreon.com/watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |website=[[Patreon]]}}</ref>  Also available through the company’s Patreon is the rest of their ''Making Watcher'' series.

=== Puppet History ===

''Puppet History'' is an "edutainment" game show created primarily by Watcher co-founder Shane Madej. The show is hosted by The Professor, a puppet controlled by Madej. The show usually features fellow co-founder Ryan Bergara and a variety of special guests. It covers a variety of historical events and people that are lesser known, or quite unusual. The guests compete for “history points” – represented by [[Jelly bean|Jelly beans]], which are said to be the Professor’s excrement. At the end of the show the “History Master” is award a trophy, some Jelly beans and, in season 2, a pin.<ref name="PHS2Trailer /> Furthermore, the show features a musical guest as the “history points” are tallied up. The musical guests typically previously feature in the show’s focus, (e.g. the Propeller from Season 1, Episode 3) but not always (e.g. God from Season 1, Episode 4).<ref name="PHS2Trailer">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o0OYtAMv0I |title=Puppet History Season 2 Trailer |date=August 9, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJU2Tq3qqsY&list=TLPQMTQwMjIwMjHgoVyC8YAlEg&index=3 |title=Surviving The Titanic: History's Luckiest Woman • Puppet History |date=April 10, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |url-status=live |via=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MZZrDA-I4M&list=TLPQMTQwMjIwMjHgoVyC8YAlEg&index=4 |title=The Dancing Plague • Puppet History |date=May 22, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref> The first episode of ''Puppet History'' focused on the [[Black Death]], and aired on January 10, 2020. This makes it the first Watcher show ever released. The episode featured Bergara and fellow co-founder of Watcher, Steven Lim.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abmzSFY0I1k&list=PL8rSRNukjnn6R_uKzQZ5LQIwOjvBoyN3I&index=3 |title=Life During The Black Death Pandemic • Puppet History |date=January 10, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref> Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and [[Social Distancing|social distancing]] guidelines, ''Puppet History'' was forced to move online for its second season. The series name altered to ''Puppet History: Online University''. In tandem, a newsletter was released along with the show's format altering in order to cover the topic of the episode in greater detail.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4vdACLx-hQ&list=TLPQMTQwMjIwMjHgoVyC8YAlEg&index=5 |title=How America's First Female Detective Saved Abe Lincoln • Puppet History |date=August 14, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Puppet University |url=https://www.watcherentertainment.com/puppet-university |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Watcher Entertainment}}</ref> As of August 2021, there are 4 seasons of ''Puppet History''. 

==== Season 1 ====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
!#
!Episode
!Date Published
!Special Guest
|-
|1
|Life During The [[Black Death]] Pandemic
|January 10, 2020
|Steven Lim
|-
|2
|Stealing The World's Most Expensive Necklace
|February 2, 2020
|Kate Peterman
|-
|3
|Surviving The [[Titanic]]: History's Luckiest Woman
|April 10, 2020
|Jenny Lorenzo
|-
|4
|The [[Dancing plague of 1518|Dancing Plague]]
|May 22, 2020
|Jermaine Fowler
|}

==== Season 2 ====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
!#
!Episode
!Date Published
!Special Guest
|-
|1
|How America's First Female Detective Saved [[Abe Lincoln]] 
|August 14, 2020
|Kate Peterman
|-
|2
|The Terrifying Eruption of [[Mt. Vesuvius]]
|August 21, 2020
|Matt Real
|-
|3
|[[Hatshepsut]]: The Forgotten Pharaoh
|August 28, 2020
|Ryann Graham
|-
|4
|The Disastrous [[1904 Olympic Marathon]]
|September 4, 2020
|Kristin Chirico
|-
|5
|[[Isaac Newton]]'s Nemesis
|September 11, 2020
|Keith Habersberger
|-
|6
|The World's Greatest/Rudest Samurai
|September 18, 2020
|Garrick Bernard
|-
|7
|[[Policarpa]]: The Revolutionary Teen Spy
|September 25, 2020
|Curly Velasquez
|-
|8
|The Grisly Journey of the [[Donner Party]]
|October 2, 2020
|Joyce Louis-Jean
|}
==== Season 3 ====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
!#
!Episode
!Date Published
!Special Guest
|-
|1
|The [[Beast of Gevaudan]]
|March 12, 2021
|Sara Rubin
|-
|2
|The War of the [[Golden Stool]]
|March 26, 2021
|Kate Peterman
|-
|3
|[[Ziryab]]: The World's First Rock Star
|April 2, 2021
|Zach Kornfeld
|-
|4
|The Affair of the Poisons
|April 9, 2021
|Garrick Bernard
|-
|5
|[[Ching Shih]]: The Pirate Queen
|April 16, 2021
|Joyce Louis-Jean
|-
|6
|The [[Great Molasses Flood]]
|April 23, 2021
|Garrett Watts
|}

==== Season 4 ====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
!#
!Episode
!Date Published
!Special Guest
|-
|1
|The Great [[Emu War]]
|August 27, 2021
|Kate Peterman
|-
|2
|[[Mansa Musa]]: The Richest Man Who Ever Lived
|September 3, 2021
|Ify Nwadiwe
|-
|3
|America vs. Smallpox: How Vaccines Saved The Nation
|September 10, 2021
|Jermaine Fowler
|-
|4
|[[José Rizal]]: The Philippines' Reluctant Revolutionary
|September 17, 2021
|Josh Weinstein
|-
|5
|The Bloody Revenge of [[Saint Olga|Saint Olga of Kiev]]
|September 24, 2021
|Selorm Kploanyi
|-
|6
|The [[Loudun possessions|Demonic Possessions of Loudun]]
|October 3, 2021
|Sara Rubin
|}

==== Specials ====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
!#
!Episode
!Date Published
!Special Guest
|-
|1
|The Story of [[St. Nicholas]]
|December 25, 2020
|Kate Peterman
|-
|2
|The Puppet History Holiday Spectacular!
|December 24, 2021
|
|}

=== Watcher Weekly ===

Watcher Weekly is a weekly talk show presented by Ryan Bergara, Steven Lim, and Shane Madej. It first aired January 10, 2020, making it one of the first shows to have premiered on Watcher’s YouTube channel.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkDRruNanFA |title=Introducing Our Weekly Talk Show • Watcher Weekly #001 |date=January 10, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 13, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref>. The show focuses on the future week’s content, they also answer questions, have occasional music guests, and offer a behind-the-scenes look at some of their other shows.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nsLWjiN_xU&list=PL8rSRNukjnn4re15My0FBhhSsNHP0Qdau&index=7 |title=Shane’s Puppet BTS • Watcher Weekly #033 |date=August 19, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEhdO7tetvs&list=PL8rSRNukjnn4re15My0FBhhSsNHP0Qdau&index=37 |title=Puppet History Q+A (ft. Musical Guest - Chrys Ryan) • Watcher Weekly #002 |date=January 15, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref> The show went on hiatus on November 11, 2020 to allow space for more content.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKITD80QrAA&list=PL8rSRNukjnn4re15My0FBhhSsNHP0Qdau&index=1 |title=Goodbye Watcher Weekly (for now) • Watcher Weekly #040 |date=November 11, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 18, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref> Watcher Weekly also was available in podcast format.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watcher Weekly |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watcher-weekly/id1504510929 |access-date=February 18, 2021 |website=[[Apple Podcasts]]}}</ref>
Watcher Weekly+ continued, however, it is only accessible through a subscription to Watcher Entertainment’s Patreon.<ref name="Patreon" />
 

=== Weird and/or Wonderful World with Shane (and Ryan) ===

Weird and/or Wonderful World is a show where Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej explore lesser-known areas and destinations.<ref name="Shows">{{Cite web |title=Shows |url=https://www.watcherentertainment.com/shows |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Watcher Entertainment}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ettenhofer |first=Valerie |title=The Daily Stream: Weird (And/or) Wonderful World Is A Delightfully Kooky Throwback Travel Show |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1043771/the-daily-stream-weird-andor-wonderful-world-is-a-delightfully-kooky-throwback-travel-show/ |website=/Film |access-date=October 25, 2022 |date=October 7, 2022}}</ref> The first episode aired on January 23, 2020 in which the pair explored the Mystic Museum and performed a séance.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgsPs4y8RTc |title=Shane & Ryan Perform A Séance At The Mystic Museum • Weird Wonderful World |date=January 23, 2020 |publisher=Watcher |access-date=February 13, 2021 |via=Youtube}}</ref> The first and second seasons featured four episodes each. 

=== Ghost Files ===

''Ghost Files'' is a show where Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej conduct ghost hunts on haunted locations. The first season premiered on September 23, 2022. The show was confirmed to be released in September through an announcement at [[Vidcon]] in June,<ref>{{cite web |last=Romanchick |first=Shane |title=Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara's 'Ghost Files' Gets Release Window and New Poster |url=https://collider.com/shane-madej-ryan-bergara-ghost-files-release-window-poster-watcher/ |website=Collider |access-date=October 25, 2022 |date=June 25, 2022}}</ref> with its date confirmed in a trailer released on September 16.<ref>{{cite web |last=Romanchick |first=Shane |title='Ghost Files' Trailer Teases Return of the Ghoul Boys |url=https://collider.com/ghost-files-trailer-shane-madej-ryan-bergara/ |website=Collider |access-date=October 25, 2022 |date=September 16, 2022}}</ref> A second season is confirmed through Watcher's Twitter on its second episode.<ref>{{cite web |last=Romanchick |first=Shane |title='Ghost Files': The Ghoul Boys Will Return for Season 2 |url=https://collider.com/ghost-files-returning-season-2-ryan-bergara-shane-madej/ |website=Collider |access-date=October 25, 2022 |date=October 4, 2022}}</ref>

== Podcasts ==
The company’s repertoire has expanded since its conception, currently having three podcasts as of October 2022: ''Are You Scared?'', presented by Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej, ''Hidden Narratives'', presented by Steven Lim and ''Here's What You Do'', presented by all three founders.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Podcasts |url=https://www.watcherentertainment.com/podcasts |access-date=February 13, 2021 |website=Watcher Entertainment}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}