by Marc Hustvedt on February 23rd, 2009
Rumors are circling the web television and online video scene that HBO’s Runaway Box, the online comedy production outfit known for Elevator, Man in the Box and YouTube celeb-laden Hooking Up along with other web series, has been acquired. Sources close to the situation confirm that an acquisition has gone forward, with March 1st being the official transition date. The buyer is said to be a well known company in the web video community.
The move follows what we’ve heard to be a shift towards higher-end digital content for HBO, keeping with the network’s strategy as a premium entertainment brand. The comedy veterans, led by Woody Tondorf, Andrew Zilch and Mike Polk at Runaway Box were quick to find a new home however especially after netting an impressive 25 million views for their series, according to video analytics firm TubeMogul. It’s not known whether HBOlab director Danila Koverman will be heading out with the Runaway Box team.
by Lindsay Stidham on December 5th, 2008
The guys from Runaway Box take their comedy from the web to the live stage tonight in Los Angeles in a special one night only performance at IOWest at 9pm. Man In The Box star Mike Polk brings his sketch group Last Call Cleveland to help anchor the show that will also feature Woody Tondorf, creator of the Runaway Box show Elevator, and the man behind Hooking Up, HBO’s web-celeb driven vehicle.
We recently caught up with Woody to reflect on the season finale of Hooking Up, wokring with YouTube celebrities and the future direction of HBOlab’s Runaway Box.
Tubefilter: How do you feel about the first season of Hooking Up?
Woody Tondorf: I’m very pleased with how things turned out. This was a great experiment for us and I learned from it every single day. From production, the growth of our cast as actors, the little hiccups and our big screw ups, and our triumphs and accolades, the show had a profound effect on me.
People were all up in arms about view counts and such, and I could spend a good span of time talking about it if I really wanted to, but what I found interesting through the span of the season was the numbers staying pretty consistent after episode 3. Most web series lose views over time, going on a steady decline until they peter out at the end. Sadly, this is just a cross they have to bear, even the best of the bunch like Back on Topps, Viralcom, etc.
by Andrew Schwarz on October 3rd, 2008
Man in a Box is a hilarious series from HBO Labs’ Runaway Box, created by Cleveland-based comedian Mike Polk, who also plays Greg
