Beijing – Beijing-based entertainment company Mei Tian Mei Yu (Mei Tian) is launching a new TV/Web sitcom Planet Homebuddies, a comedy that looks at the new trend of living and working at home among China’s white collar youth, on China portals Youku, iQiyi and SINA on the week of February 8. This makes the series the first to debut on the internet in China.

The series is also being developed as a TV/Web format for global audiences. Additionally, the show will have specifically designed content for smartphones and tablets.

Planet Homebuddies follows the lives of three guys and three girls in their 20s and 30s, who because of various circumstances gather together in a large loft. The lead character Jerry is depressed after breaking up with his girlfriend and losing his advertising business. To get over his misfortune, he decides to rent a large loft with two good friends, Andy, an IT specialist and Sean, a DJ. To help Jerry get over his troubles, Andy invites Molly, Jerry’s older sister from Los Angeles, to visit them at the loft. Andy also invites his cousin Bingxue to hang out with them, and add new neighbour Vivian, a self-employed art curator, into the mix. Together they become “homebuddies” – young people who work and live at home, a new terminology created by Mei Tian.

Larry Namer, President/CEO of Metan Development Group (Metan), said, “ The Internet audience in China is used to longer form programming than what we see from Western audiences. Couple that with the sheer size of the potential audience and it provides an ideal testing ground for TV piloting.”