ARLINGTON, VA; Oct. 31, 2024 – PBS announced today a new venture between PBS FILM CLUB, a new social video series, and Fable, a community-powered platform for discovering, tracking, and discussing books and TV shows. This new venture marks the first time that Fable has launched a branded community serving both book and TV fans.
Produced by the PBS Social Media team, the PBS FILM CLUB community on Fable is just one of the platforms where the new weekly social video series will live. Also publishing each week to PBS’s TikTok and Instagram, the PBS FILM CLUB series brings bookworms and binge-watchers together for authentic and relatable storytelling around PBS programming and films.
From historical explainers to fun facts, the initial roll-out of the series will include ten episodes hosted by Marissa Pina and Lucky Nguyen. Throughout the series, they’ll highlight the cultural relevance of past and present PBS programming through short clips, bridging today’s trends with some of the historical and nostalgic content featured in PBS programs.
“As America’s largest classroom, we hope to highlight new and classic programs that will leave our audiences wanting more,” said Amy Wigler, Vice President of Marketing at PBS. “Marissa Pina and Lucky Nguyen are the friendly, witty, and intelligent hosts we need to build communities around the PBS Film Club and engage them in meaningful discussion around our content.”
PBS FILM CLUB launched Wednesday, Oct. 30 on PBS TikTok, PBS’s new Fable Fan Club, and on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast, and VIZIO.
"Fable is proud to support the beloved PBS brand and its unparalleled programming," said Padmasree Warrior, Fable's founder and CEO. "Our teams share the vision of putting the omnipresent screen in service of digital nutrition: fostering mental wellness, personal growth, and meaningful connections through stories. PBS FILM CLUB is the perfect partner for our passionate community of book and TV enthusiasts, the safest social network for readers and TV watchers."
PBS’s TikTok channel has more than 200,000 followers and its Instagram has over 1 million followers. The Fable app is home to clubs hosted by some of the most influential bookish creators, including Mychal Threets, Aymansbooks, and JustAli, and some of the top TV show-based content creators, including Mammoth Mafia, Jess Spoll, and Best of Bravo.
ABOUT FABLE
Fable was founded in 2019 by global tech industry veteran Padmasree Warrior, with a mission to deliver the world’s largest AI-powered community, discovery, and utility platform for stories in all formats, in service of mental wellness. Fable has become the leading community and content platform for readers and TV fans around the world, featuring more than 50,000 online communities for books and TV shows, interactive lists, personalized insights, stats, and motivational reading streaks. In addition, Fable empowers its community to find their next book/TV show through its AI-powered agent “Scout,” who delivers hyper-personalized recommendations based on tropes, books similar to other books, and highly specific criteria beyond genre-based search. Fable also developed the first-ever interactive e-reader for its catalog of more than 1 million books.
Padmasree Warrior is the Founder, President, and CEO of Fable. Previously, Padma was the Chief Executive Officer of NIO U.S., a manufacturer of smart, electric and autonomous vehicles. Prior to NIO, Warrior served as the Chief Technology & Strategy Officer for Cisco. Warrior has been widely recognized for her creative, visionary leadership. Forbes has named her one of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" for three years running. Fable has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Tiger Global with participation from Redpoint Ventures, Gaingels, Breyer Capital, defy.vc, and others.
ABOUT PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube, and 60 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDSVideo app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.