Picture Credits: Crunchlabs
We’ve finally got more new details about the new project Netflix is doing with YouTube sensation Mark Rober. The streaming giant has officially greenlit SCHOOLED!, a high-stakes, “explosive” science competition series that aims to find the next generation of great American inventors. It was first announced as part of its new partnership with the YouTube star in August of last year.
Produced in collaboration with Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and Rober’s own CrunchLabs, the series is the first original title collaboration with CrunchLabs, currently streaming seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix, with a third compilation season due out on March 16th, being repackaged versions of his previous YouTube releases.
Much like with other YouTube to Netflix exports such as CoComelon and Ms. Rachel, CrunchLabs has been a massive hit for Netflix, charting in the daily top 10 kids TV list in 36 countries across six continents and consistently debuting at #1. In the United States, it spent 85 days in the top 10 with an average daily score of 6.9, reflecting the kind of sustained viewership that goes well beyond a typical new-release bump. Per Netflix, the series racked up over 12 million views in its first two months alone.
Described as a “fully gamified school,” SCHOOLED! will see teams of student “tinkerers” go head-to-head in a series of creative and scientific challenges. Unlike a traditional science fair, this series promises an “explosive” atmosphere where engineering meets spectacle. The goal of the series is to discover the next generation of Makers and Engineers, with the winning students taking home a “life-changing prize.”
In a statement, Mark Rober expressed his excitement for the project:
I couldn’t be more stoked to team up with Netflix and Jimmy Kimmel to bring SCHOOLED! to life. Our series is about giving kids a stage big enough for their ideas. This will be the ultimate playground for science, creativity, and competition to come together. I’m so pumped to see what these students come up with. My expectations are high. I’m ready to be blown away.
A casting video has launched on YouTube, with a casting website now open as well.
John Derderian, Netflix Vice President of Animation Series + Kids & Family TV, said: “Mark Rober is a master of the ‘wow’ moment, and we’ve seen firsthand how much our members love his unique brand of science-fueled spectacle. We’re taking that energy to the next level with SCHOOLED!. It isn’t just a competition; it’s a celebration of creativity and engineering. It’s exactly the kind of co-viewing experience that brings families together, and we can’t wait to see what these young makers and tinkerers create in the halls of CrunchLabs Academy.”
Daniel Calin is showrunning the new reality series with executive producers Mark Rober and Scott Lewers for CrunchLabs and Jimmy Kimmel and Scott Lonker for Kimmelot.
Are you excited to see Mark Rober bring his engineering stunts to a competition format? Let us know in the comments below!
