Snapchat takes the fight to Netflix and Disney Plus with eight new Snap Originals

With its 'Snap Originals' having proven to be a smashing success for the social media giant, Snapchat has announced eight new premium made-for-mobile shows for the service's lineup, while also renewing four existing programmes for additional seasons.

In an effort to pry millennial eyes away from Netflix and the upcoming Disney Plus streaming service, Snapchat is bringing a varied selection of scripted and unscripted shows to the platform – all of which are presented in the tall 'portrait' orientation rather than traditional widescreen... an approach that we're sure will infuriate anyone over the age of 24.

Oh snap, check out all the docos

Of the newly-announced Snap Originals, Tekashi69 VS The World is arguably the most high profile, described as an "up-to-the-minute docuseries" following "the rise and fall of controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine". According to Snapchat, each season in the 'VS The World' series will follow a different rapper's life. That'll kick off this US fall 2019.

Further unscripted series include Nikita Unfiltered, following transgender beauty mogul Nikita Dragun (arrives US winter 2020), The Honeybeez, which debuts in December 2019 and follows Alabama State’s plus-size dance squad, Driven, which sees "young entrepreneurs at PTG365 deliver flashy, custom cars to their high roller clients" (arriving US winter 2020), and Mind Yourself (also releasing US winter 2020), an anthology series where each episode follows a different young person affected by a mental health issue.

Totally scripted

In terms of scripted content, Snapchat revealed Everything’s Fine, about a bipolar college junior who plans to make it big in the music industry (release date: US spring 2020), Players, which follows Nash Brooks (son of NBA player Oscar Brooks) as the family relocates from Indiana to LA (premieres US fall 2019), and Save Me, about an isolated homeschooler who tries to find his missing online classmate and crush (arriving US winter 2020).

As mentioned earlier, Snapchat also renewed four existing Snap Originals, with second seasons of Bringing Up Bhabie, Two Sides and Kappa Crypto arriving next year, while a fourth season of The Dead Girls Detective Agency will land on the service this US fall 2019 – you can watch the trailer for that one below.