Strictly Business Google TV Embraces Microdrama Boom With Discovery and Navigation Tools as Producers Tackle Format: 'We Want to Be HBO Mashed Up With TikTok'
Mar 20, 2026
Tommy Harper, founder and CEO of VU and veteran producer of vertical microdramas, and Juanjo Duran, Google’s Global Head of Media and Entertainment Content Partnerships, share fast-moving tales about integrating vertical microdramas into streaming. They cover discovery tools, production speed versus traditional TV, talent incubation, and how platforms can scale short-form stories for TV and film.
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Google TV Adds Microdrama Discovery In-App
- Google TV now surfaces episodes inside its mobile app so users can discover microdramas without downloading separate apps.
- Juanjo Duran said the feature launched last week to showcase partners and remove the app-store friction for producers like Tommy Harper.
How Tommy Entered The Microdrama Boom
- Tommy Harper discovered vertical microdramas after reading a Financial Times piece and watching teens on a train streaming them.
- He invested in and produced an independent microdrama Love Under Fire to learn the format hands-on.
Vertical Drama Production Moves At Lightning Speed
- Microdramas invert traditional TV timelines: projects can be scripted, shot and released in weeks, not years.
- Tommy contrasts months-long development for series like Wednesday with six-week vertical productions and prioritizes speed and efficiency.