LIKE any network executive Erin McPherson spent the winter half-crazed over content decisions. She sifted through pitches, sat through pilots, took conference calls over the Christmas holiday from a bedroom in her parents’ Colorado home.
But Ms. McPherson doesn’t work at a television network. She is the head of video programming and originals at Yahoo, the Internet search engine turned news and multimedia portal that on Monday will unveil its first season of scripted comedy programming.
An Internet brand putting funny videos online: that’s nothing new. What sets Yahoo’s endeavor apart is a model that is strikingly reminiscent of Hollywood. Before a single short ever went up, talent deals were secured, and programming schedules were puzzled over. A pseudo-upfront — like the events actual networks hold to give advertisers peeks at their coming shows — was held at Carolines comedy club in Manhattan last month, complete with open bar and talent.