Why Hulu Would Be a Great Option for Julie and the Phantoms (in the states)
I had to put that last part in there for a reason. The reason is because shows and movies that are considered “too dark or risqué” for Disney+ in the states tends to go to Hulu since Disney owns them. Love, Victor was originally shopped to Disney+ but ended up on Hulu. When Disney+ thought that the Lizzie McGuire sequel was too mature (it targeted the people who grew up watching it in the early 2000s), Hilary Duff tried to get it picked up by Hulu. For international watchers, Hulu shows are broadcast on Disney+ outside of the US.
Now as to why Julie and the Phantoms would work on Hulu…
1. It would have its own category as Hulu does not have a music based show on its platform as of yet. It would not be competing against other shows or have a question of where it belongs.
2. Hulu is not one to look at popularity and “target audiences” like Netflix. It has various shows that range from extremely popular to steady with a small dedicated fan base. Case in point, The Hardy Boys premiered last December. It was not a big hit and coming from Canada no less. But it did well enough to get renewed for next year.
3. The budget for Julie and the Phantoms would not be a problem for them. Hulu has done many shows in the science fiction, supernatural, and horror genres that require lots of special effects and big budgets. Julie and the Phantoms would not be nearly as costly.
4. As I mentioned earlier, The Hardy Boys did not have a big presence but a decent following to get another season. We already have a widespread and dedicated fanbase.
5. It would not fall under kids programming like it did with Netflix. So it would not be penalized for being “too expensive” to make as a kids show (in my meeting at DreamIt Con with Mads, she mentioned that Netflix told them JATP was the most expensive Netflix Family show they had ever made). It would possibly be marketed as a family show on Hulu (which various shows fall under from Dancing with the Stars to Stargate: Atlantis to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic).
Now as to how Julie and the Phantoms should be marketed, I think it should be changed to a teen audience instead of more to kids in the sense that the majority of fans are teens and adults. I think it would fall between Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in terms of atmosphere. The reason I chose these two shows is because one is a supernatural comedy and the other is a supernatural drama with some funny moments. Julie and the Phantoms leads more towards the former in regards to the tone (more lighthearted with no crude humor or too dark) but has a more serious overarching storyline like in the latter. And of course there is the musical aspect of the show which slides right in. It can be classified as a supernatural musical comedy. Or just a supernatural comedy-drama.
It is a good thing for the show to be aged up in its marketing since Madison is a young adult and JATP is not a kiddie show. It has a lot of deep nuanced parts to it despite seeming very surface level from afar. Also when she does turn 18 if they want to show a little more physical affection between Julie and Luke, no one will have a conniption.
That is all I have for now on this matter. I will add to it if and when I see fit.
