Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (also known as Seven on 7 on VNN [Vought News Network], or simply Seven on 7) is an American faux current affairs digital series serving as the center of several viral marketing campaigns created by Amazon Prime Video for their streaming television series The Boys. Directed by Matt Motschenbacher, and based on the fictional Vought News Network (VNN)—a parody of the Cable News Network (CNN) as well as Fox News—the YouTube videos initially began as marketing for The Boys—developed by Eric Kripke—and resulting cinematic universe media franchise—an adaptation of the DC-WildStorm/Dynamite Entertainment comic series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson—and deal with major events between the events of the second and third seasons of the series, and later the spin-off Gen V.[1]

Seven on 7
Genre
Created byAmazon Prime Video
Written by
Directed byMatt Motschenbacher
Presented byMatthew Edison
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes9
Production
Production companyAmazon Prime Video
Original release
Network
ReleaseJuly 7, 2021 (2021-07-07) –
present

The first season of the news program is presented by Matthew Edison as Cameron Coleman—a parody of Tucker Carlson and J. K. Simmons' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson—who later reprised his role from the series in the third season of The Boys. Several actors reprise their roles from the television series in faux interview and corporate advertising campaign segments, while archival footage and imagery of others is also used. The initial videos were released from July to December 2021, focusing on the immediate aftermath of the second season of The Boys leading up to the third season and Gen V spin-off, following the former season's production delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a shortened second season, a third season leading up to the events of the fourth season of The Boys and Gen V entered active development.

The videos are accompanied by additional marketing materials, such as in-universe web articles and social media posts. The series was positively received, seen as better than average viral marketing campaigns, and as a fun and insightful expansion of The Boys franchise for fans of it.

Episodes

edit
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
The Boys Season 27July 7, 2021 – January 7, 2022 (2021-07-07 – 2022-01-07)
The Boys Season 31June 11, 2022 (2022-06-11)
Gen V Season 11September 28, 2022 (2022-09-28)

Aftermath of The Boys Season 2 campaign (2021–2022)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
campaign
TitleGuest(s)Original air dateRuntime
11"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (July 2021)"[2]Jim Beaver as Senator Robert "Dakota Bob" Singer[a]July 7, 2021 (2021-07-07)5:45
An update on America's favorite hero, Homelander/ Meet the new man: Victoria Neuman announces FBSA hire/ Where is Alastair?: Church of the Collective head missing amidst new allegations
22"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (August 2021)"[3]Giancarlo Esposito as Stanford "Stan" Edgar[a]August 7, 2021 (2021-08-07)5:19
Is Starlight headed for a supernova?/ Making Waves: Deep's bombshell allegations about Church of the Collective/ Wall They've Got: Homelander fans stand up against super-terrorists
33"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (September 2021)"[4]Claudia Doumit as Congresswoman Victoria "Vic" NeumanSeptember 7, 2021 (2021-09-07)5:57
Is the FBSA Strong Arming Vought?/ San Diego Superhero Sees Popularity Soar!/ A-Train's New Single Speeding up the Charts
44"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (October 2021)"[5]Chace Crawford as Kevin Moskowitz / The DeepOctober 7, 2021 (2021-10-07)6:19
Starlight Sells Out – Heroine's costume is almost as popular as Homelander's this halloween/ Black Noir hunts serial killer to keep tri-state area safe/ FBSA oversteps again as they target Ezekiel
55"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (November 2021)"[6]Jessie T. Usher as Reginald "Reggie" Franklin / A-TrainNovember 7, 2021 (2021-11-07)7:14
Victoria Neuman Gives Herself a Virtual Victory Parade/ A Train: "I Promise To Have A New Race As Fast As Possible"/ Payback's Legendary Hero Gunpowder Teaches Kids About The 2nd Amendment
66"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (December 2021)"[7]Antony Starr as John / HomelanderDecember 7, 2021 (2021-12-07)7:41
Silent Knight Brings Bulletproof Cheer/ Gecko On Vought's Naughty List/ Starlight Awarded Top Honor at Holiday Benefit
77"Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (January 2022)"[8]Jack Quaid as FBSA Agent Hugh "Hughie" Campbell, JuniorJanuary 7, 2022 (2022-01-07)8:41
Anticipation High for Vought Hero Draft/ Tiny Hero's Big Film Premiere/ A Fair & Balanced Conversation with the FBSA

The Boys Season 3 campaign (2022)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
campaign
TitleGuest(s)Original air dateRuntime
81"Meanwhile, as Cameron preps for his next interview with Homelander..."[10][11]NoneJune 11, 2022 (2022-06-11)0:51
The day after having sex with his new boss Ashley Barrett in "Glorious Five Year Plan", following Homelander's coup of Vought International, Cameron Coleman has a breakdown while in the midst of filming the newest episode of his talk show.[9]

Gen V Season 1 campaign (2022)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
campaign
TitleGuest(s)Original air dateRuntime
91"VNN: Vought Partners with G Fuel"[12]NoneSeptember 28, 2022 (2022-09-28)1:18
On this special edition of VNN's Seven on 7, Cameron has the details on a new energy drink Vought has partnered with G Fuel on. Inspired by Compound V, it sharpens focus, increases energy, and in select cases, turns you into a weapon of mass destruction.

Cast and characters

edit
  • Matthew Edison as Cameron Coleman, the presenter of The Cameron Coleman Show and the monthly Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman, who spouts rhetoric in favour of Vought International and its various superhero franchises.[13] Edison later reprised the role in a recurring capacity in the third season of The Boys.[14][15]

Reprising their roles from The Boys streaming television series are Claudia Doumit as Victoria "Vic" Neuman, Chace Crawford as Kevin Moskowitz / The Deep, Jessie T. Usher as Reginald "Reggie" Franklin / A-Train, Antony Starr as John / Homelander, Jack Quaid as Hugh "Hughie" Campbell,[16][17][18] and Nathan Mitchell as Earving / Black Noir, with Jim Beaver and Giancarlo Esposito making brief vocal appearances as their respective characters Robert "Dakota Bob" Singer and Stanford "Stan" Edgar.[19] Footage of Miles Gaston Villanueva, Nick Wechsler, Laurie Holden, Brett Geddes, and Abigail Whitney as Alex / Drummer Boy / Supersonic, Blue Hawk, the Crimson Countess, Termite, and Moonshadow is also used ahead of their respective debuts as the characters in the third season of The Boys and Gen V.[20][21][22][23][24]

Production

edit

Matthew Edison starred as Cameron Coleman (a parody of Tucker Carlson and J. K. Simmons' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson), with the majority of The Boys main cast reprising their roles in a guest capacity in the series. Amazon Prime Video had its chief marketing group creative director Matt Motschenbacher write-direct the videos,[25] which follow Coleman as he commentates on the immediate aftermath of the second season of The Boys, and the buildup to the series' third season, while featuring numerous easter eggs to the wider VCU, including such events such as the pursuit of Cindy (a parody of Stranger Things' Eleven) by Black Noir.[25][19][26] In addition to archive footage from the first two seasons, the videos also use original material, in particular music videos and footage intended to set up the events of both the series' third season and the spin-off Gen V,[27] with Amazon Prime Video officially announcing the series as:[28]

Seven on 7 on VNN [Vought News Network] [is] a news program set within the universe of “The Boys” that is intended to “bridge the gap” between Seasons 2 and 3. VNN’s episodes of 'Seven on 7' will be released the 7th of every month and each will have 7 stories per episode plus a commercial. Additionally, the VNN anchor Cameron Coleman, portrayed by Matthew Edison, will also be a VNN anchor in Season 3 of the series. VNN episodes will be an anchor series for the newly launched, wholly in-world channels @VoughtINTL on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Everything posted to @VoughtINTL does not break the fourth wall and remains entirely in the world of 'The Boys,’ even as real-world and in-world blend and overlap in fun, surprising ways.”[28]

Intended to be a "takedown of conservative news television", The Boys showrunner and Seven on 7 writer Eric Kripke further described the series to Entertainment Weekly as:[14]

"Since the very start of The Boys, we've seen Vought's propaganda arm — I mean, news channel — VNN, [and] We'll be digging deeper into those fair and balanced patriots next season, so as a teaser, we're introducing 'Seven on 7' with VNN's biggest star Cameron Coleman. The episodes are in-world canon, serving up brand-new information that bridges the story gap between season 2 and 3. So enjoy the hot takes and catheter commercials, just like your parents do!"[14]

Release

edit

The first season was made available on the "Vought International" YouTube channel, with some of them debuting in publications such as IGN and Twitter, and as bonus features on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service on which The Boys and its spin-offs air.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Reception

edit

Critical response

edit

Danielle Ryan of Slash Film praised the "bitingly funny faux-Fox News" nature of Seven on 7, describing it as "satirized to the fullest" and "close to being as entertaining as the series itself, and that's truly saying something",[29][30] while Craig Elvy of Screen Rant described the series as "a hilarious expansion of The Boys' fictional world", complimenting Matthew Edison's portrayal of Cameron Coleman as a "Tucker Carlson-esque figure" and expressing interest in Edison reprising their role in The Boys. Following Edison's subsequent third season portrayal of the character, Elvy further praised Edison's portrayal of Cameron for having "carved an unexpectedly strong impression into The Boys' landscape", with "Edison's note-perfect news host parody [being] both hilarious and socially cutting, and his deadpan delivery bring[ing] a style of humor missing from The Boys' comedic palette in seasons 1 & 2", serving as "[m]ore than just comic relief [with] buckets of storyline potential".[31][32]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b Voice only.

References

edit
  1. ^ Shafer, Elise (July 15, 2022). "'The Boys' Superhero College Spinoff Title Revealed: Welcome to 'Gen V'". Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (July 2021). July 7, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (August 2021). August 7, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (September 2021). September 7, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (October 2021). October 7, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (November 2021). November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (December 2021). December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ a b Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (January 2022). December 7, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Jacobs, Mira (June 11, 2022). "The Boys: Vought Newscaster 'Caught' Losing It On Camera With a NSFW Rant". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  10. ^ @TheBoysTV (June 11, 2022). "Meanwhile, as Cameron preps for his next interview with Homelander..." (Tweet). Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Cameron Coleman Meltdown (June 2022). June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ VNN: Vought Partners with G Fuel. September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Flook, Ray (March 13, 2022). "The Boys S03: You Need to Catch Up on These VNN "Seven on 7" Segments". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Romano, Nick (July 7, 2021). "The Boys launches Vought News digital series to fill in story gaps ahead of season 3". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  15. ^ IGN Staff (July 7, 2021). "The Boys: Vought News Network – Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman (September 2021)". IGN. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  16. ^ Thompson, Luke Y. (January 8, 2022). "The Boys' Seventh Seven on 7 Features Hughie, Teases Spinoff". SuperHeroHype. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  17. ^ White, James (January 9, 2022). "The Boys Returns To TV In June". Empire Online. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  18. ^ Wasserman, Ben (January 9, 2022). "The Boys Puts Hughie in the Vought News Network Hot Seat". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  19. ^ a b Elvy, Craig (June 4, 2022). "How Black Noir Is Alive In The Boys Season 3". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  20. ^ Liu, Narayan (November 8, 2021). "The Boys' Disneyland-Style Park Includes a New Glimpse of Soldier Boy". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  21. ^ Gabriel, AJ (May 20, 2022). "The Boys: Everything We Know About The 7 New Supes". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  22. ^ Lowry, T.S. (May 27, 2022). "What We Know So Far About The New Supes From The Boys Season 3". Looper. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  23. ^ Elvy, Craig (June 25, 2022). "The Boys Already Foreshadowed Supersonic's Death Before Season 3". Screen Rant. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  24. ^ Romano, Evan (June 3, 2022). "We'll Be Thinking About Termite's Penis-Exploding Scene in The Boys For a Long, Long Time". Men's Health. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  25. ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (July 19, 2021). "'The Boys' Showrunner on X-Rated 'Herogasm' Dailies, Season 3's Supe-College Spinoff Hints". The Wrap. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  26. ^ Romano, Nick (June 8, 2022). "Jensen Ackles details the fake Soldier Boy movie he shot for The Boys". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  27. ^ Hemmert, Kylie (January 7, 2022). "'The Boys' Spinoff Set at College Greenlit at Amazon". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (July 7, 2021). "'The Boys' Launches New Digital Series Ahead of Season 3 – Watch Episode 1 Here (Video)". The Wrap. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  29. ^ Ryan, Danielle (July 7, 2021). "'The Boys' Season 3 Teaser Transports You Into A Nightmarish, Fox News-Ish Vought TV Special". Slash Film. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  30. ^ Ryan, Danielle (June 10, 2022). "The Boys: Watch The Full Music Video Of Soldier Boy Singing 'Rapture'". Slash Film. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  31. ^ Elvy, Craig (August 16, 2021). "The Boys: Why The Tucker Carlson Parody "Seven On 7" Needs To Be In Season 3". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  32. ^ Elvy, Craig (March 27, 2022). "The Boys Season 3's Best New Character Isn't Soldier Boy". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
edit