Further proof of a growing connection between digital first and traditional content creation came this week with the news that viral TikTok series Who TF Did I Marry? is being developed for television. Tonally, the relationship reveal-all has some echoes of podcast to TV hit series Dirty John, which ran for two seasons.
Who TF Did I Marry? was posted on to TikTok by Tareasa Johnson in a series of 50 videos – a total of around eight hours (which averages approximately 9-10 mins per ep). In it, Johnson describes her relationship with her ex-husband, who she calls a pathological liar. Among many alleged deceits, she explains how her ex asked for money to pay for a funeral for his stepdaughter, who she later discovered was still alive. The ex-partner has since denied the claims made in the series.
The TikTok has performed beyond all expectations, generating 400m impressions across social media in its first month, and winning Johnson 3 million followers.
The story is being adapted for the big screen by Natasha Rothwell under a deal she has with ABC Signature. Rothwell, who is best known for Insecure and The White Lotus, is developing the show via her own company Big Hattie Productions.
The news is part of a growing trend for social media shows to act as the inspiration for TV series. However it is clear that TikTok’s decision to extend the length of videos that user can post plays into this trend. By allowing users to post videos of up to 10 minutes, it effectively creates a platform for extending TV-style storytelling.
