Shhhh My (TikTok) Show is On: How Creators are Changing Entertainment

Author: Jojo Agbi, Strategy Executive

Over the last few months, I have found myself emotionally invested not only in great TV (highly recommend My Lady Jane) but in content series created by creators. These fictional stories still feature the same jaw-dropping twists, lovable characters, and breathtaking cliffhangers, now in a new, shorter format. It is a testament to how creators are changing the entertainment industry.

Who are we spotlighting? 

First, meet Julian Sewell, the creator of the Oscar-stubbed icon Paloma Diamond. This story began as a spoof of actors reacting to ‘award-nominated’ performances at award shows. Fans became invested in Paloma’s story and came together in the hope she would win in 2023 (as of 2025, the actor has still not won).   

Over the next two years, Julian produced content featuring the actor’s performances in period movies and ’80s movies, and in the lead-up to the 2025 Oscars, she appeared on national news and TMZ as Paloma Diamond herself to share her story. What caught my attention is a currently developing drama with one of Paloma’s TV shows, featuring a mix of characters (played by him and friends), resulting in various dramas that have earned consistently high viewership. 

Our next pick is ShawnatheMom, a woman of many talents (and wigs), who is the sole creator of the ‘Shawnaverse’. A one-woman show of characters facing everyday troubles, family problems, and new challenges. Her ever-growing community of characters have brought fans back to enjoy her content across TikTok and YouTube Shorts and long-form recaps, where one video reached 1M views.

How have audiences responded?

In short, audiences are invested. Very similar to fandom behaviour around TV shows and movies, they’ve been sharing supportive comments, creative memes, and long-form deep dives. 

Social media cultivates people to come together and build a community around their niche interests. With TikTok’s Bulletin Boards and Instagram’s Community Tabs, creators like ShawnatheMom can connect with their community and bring them together to drive excitement around the series.

But why does this format work?

Influencers have leveraged the speed of social media to keep their series relevant. Instead of waiting for a week for the next episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty, ShawnaTheMom’s uploads are usually a day apart (at most 3 days). The ease of production compared to a full-length series ensures a consistent stream of content that the algorithm favours.

As with all things on social, it comes back to our attention spans. Dazed uncovered how Gen Z is invested in a similar format of content, full-length movies split into bite-sized content series. These arcs and resolutions are no longer an hour away; instead, they’re only a few scrolls away, so they feel more digestible for our attention compared to waiting an hour.

Ultimately, entertainment drives our attention; these creators understand the mechanics of how to develop a great story and produce engaging content. Their high-quality production, engaging writing, and social-first style drive not only our watch time but also emotion-led engagement (hence the fan-like response).