Company Behind AI Actress Tilly Norwood Teams Up with the History Channel

AI is slowly creeping into Hollywood, and one of the most high-profile purveyors of it is Particle6. A British production company, Particle6 shot to fame (and notoriety) earlier this summer when it launched “Tilly Norwood,†an AI-generated “actress.†Since then, Norwood has obviously inspired a lot of rancor and outrage, given the threat she poses to Hollywood’s traditional business model. Most people have mocked Norwood, considering her little more than an expensive joke. Now, Particle6 is expanding its horizons and has teamed up with another brand that has inspired a lot of ridicule over the years: the History Channel.

Yes, the place that bought you “it’s aliens†has apparently decided to launch its own AI-powered series. It’s called Streets of the Past (or Straten van Toen in Dutch), and it’s described as a “10-episode, short-form history series.†The show will be developed by the creator of Norwood’s progenitor, comedian and writer Eline van der Velden, Deadline writes. The outlet describes the new series thusly:

It will see Dutch historical investigator, author and reality star Corjan Mol (The Curse of Oak Island) transported back in time, with the help of AI, to tell compelling stories associated with some of the Netherlands’ most famous streets, squares and canal sides.

That sounds suitably goofy. Gizmodo reached out to the History Channel and to Particle6 for more information on their upcoming partnership.

A representative from Hearsh Networks, which owns the History Channel, told NBC that it would continue to use AI in an “ethical†and “transparent†way. “We will continue to explore [AI’s] potential with ethical partners such as Particle6, using it thoughtfully, with clear guardrails and principles, while all the time being transparent with our audiences and sharing when they are watching AI-generated content,†said Sam Pearson, the network’s head of short form commissioning.

“Eline and the team at Particle6 have once again created a smart and entertaining factual series for us, but this time with the addition of incredible backdrops and characters brought to life using AI,†Pearson told Deadline. “The end result promises to immerse our audience in historical scenes and stories at the heart of history, and we cannot wait to see their reactions.â€

Yeah…uh, cool. I suppose a place like the History Channel—which a lot of people don’t take particularly seriously—is a good niche for AI, since most people don’t take it particularly seriously. That said, there’s no telling whether Streets of the Past will be some sort of surprise runaway hit or whether people will just do what they’ve tended to do when AI shows up in TV shows and movies: yawn and change the channel.

The series will be available to watch on The History Channel in the Netherlands in January, Deadline writes.