Being a parent is both rewarding and also challenging, no matter if it’s from the messy tasks that come with raising them from birth to trying to steer them down the right path in their teenage and young adult years. Every mom and dad can identify with those struggles. However, even though we’re more connected than ever through the web, smart phones and tablets, it’s still a challenge for every parent (especially moms) to find the time to watch video content through those platforms. Even more so is trying to find content that’s relevant to their busy lives and that entertains them.
Launching today (April 1st) on its official Youtube page, in addition to other platforms including DailyMotion, MomCave TV is a network that seeks to provide entertaining, hilarious and relevant content to today’s moms, dads and all those who hope to start their own families; people who may be tech savvy but don’t always have a lot of time to watch long form video content. The network’s content is free of charge, and will be closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
Founded by four veterans of the web series industry (and parents themselves), Jennifer Weedon, Valisa Tate, Stephanie Faith Scott and IAWTV Chairman J. Sibley Law, MomCave TV hopes to bring those viewers a positive and refreshing portrayal of moms that’s not commonly seen in media and pop culture through shows ranging from the informative to the comedic.
As they explain, MomCave TV grew out not only of a need to bring moms content that fits their lives – and their busy schedules, but also portrays them in a more realistic and positive light.
“MomCave began when three moms and a dad (Weedon, Scott, Tate, and Law) noticed a lack of authentic programming for parents. Babies on TV shows sit silently. Moms on YouTube networks look like they stepped out of Real Housewives. And don’t even get us started on Pinterest Moms! We wanted to create shows about something we could really relate to–and that is the difficult and humorous moments of parenting. Because, in our opinion, those moms that seem to have it all together must be lying,” they say.
MomCave TV’s programming fulfills that goal through shows like SLUMMY MUMMY, created by and starring site co-founder Weedon as Jen, a new mom who’s re-entering the workplace as a shoe model. Yet, she soon finds that as hard as it is for her to pay the bills, it’s even harder to keep up with the rich, upper class moms (Erin Brese as Bethany and Dina Drew as Noelle) who share the upscale neighborhood she struggles to live in and who both serve to torment Jen mercilessly. The series also stars Tate as Jen’s outgoing, supportive best friend and fellow shoe model Kiki, who loves the nightlife but just can’t stand the sight of babies.
Both DOUBLE LECHE and SLUMMY MUMMY were named as official selections at last year’s ITV Fest (Independent Film and TV Festival), where the show’s creators (Weedon for SLUMMY MUMMY, Law for DOUBLE LECHE) would soon form a partnership that would result in the formation of MomCave TV as a network.
“A reading of SLUMMY MUMMY at the IAWTV Writer’s Group gave IAWTV Chairman Sib Law the idea for DOUBLE LECHE. He approached Jennifer with it and she brought in Stephanie Faith Scott. Stephanie is the creator of one of the original web series, THE RETRIBUTIONERS, and was introduced to Jennifer by DOWNSIZED creator Daryn Strauss,” the site’s founders add.
Other shows include the interview series BLABBERMOM, where some of New York’s funniest comediennes (and moms) discuss their experiences in the world of parenting. There’s also the sketch comedy DOUBLE LECHE, a series of humorous vignettes starring Weedon, Tate and Scott, and described by Weedon as ”awkward and funny moments in breastfeeding.”
Rounding out the network’s roster of programming is the weekly live series MOM CAVE LIVE, an interactive, informative and entertaining show that will feature audience chats with real life moms (many of which write popular blogs about their experiences in parenthood), plus interviews with parenting experts and stars from the world of web series. Extra supplemental content includes red carpet interviews, behind the scenes videos and uproarious bloopers from the network’s shows.
A major aspect of MomCave TV is that each show is geared to fit the needs and busy schedules of its primary audience – moms who know what it means to balance work and other responsibilities with parenting.
“Moms don’t have time to watch long episodes. All of our content can be watched in the time it takes to nurse a newborn or on a quick break hiding in the bathroom. (Come on, we know you do it, too!) And we’re had it up to here with content that makes moms feel inadequate as they compete against each other. Motherhood is hard enough without getting all MEAN GIRLS. We like to think of our networks as the “anti-Pinterest” for moms,” they add.
Through its distinctive content that will appeal to audiences no matter if they’re parents (or parents to be), Weedon, Tate, Law and Scott hope that MomCave TV will succeed not only as a network but also as a business venture. “We have been approached by both brands and ad agencies but haven’t made any deals yet.” Yet, they add, that success depends solely on growing its audience and maintaining it. “We hope to build our audience on our own first.”
Yet, no matter how MomCave TV achieves its success, the site’s founders have created the network with one goal in mind: “To make moms laugh. We all agree – being a mom is the most demanding job we’ve ever had. (and between us, we’ve worked as a stunt woman, shoe model, art director, grant writer, nanny, actor, real estate agent… and more!) Laughter makes everything better.”
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/momcave
DAILY MOTION: http://www.dailymotion.com/momcavetv
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/momcavetv
TWITTER: @MomCaveTV
Individual show pages for SLUMMY MUMMY and DOUBLE LECHE:
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/doubleleche
and http://www.facebook.com/slummymummyshow
TWITTER: @slummy_mummy
and @double_leche