(Image Source: Disney/Pixar)

BY MADISON MACK
ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Looks like Netflix isn’t the only web giant releasing original series this year. Yahoo will debut ‘Electric City’, an original animated series developed by Tom Hanks -- this spring. Yahoo! VP Erin McPherson explains why the company went for the futuristic show …

“What we found really compelling is that this is perfect for a highly digital audience, a lean-forward audience who likes to utilize the medium of the Internet.”

Electric City will stream exclusively on Yahoo! as 20 three-to-five minute episodes, with Hanks producing and voicing for it. Geekosystem says original scripted content seems like a logical move for the company.

“... Broadening their repertoire of content would give Yahoo another tool to lure viewers, and perhaps other series creators down the road.”

But a writer for Business Insider sees ‘horrendous flop’ written all over the series.

“Web video companies tried to make these sorts of series in the past and they've never made a dent. It's unclear Netflix's model will work, but we are much more interested in the shows it’s about to make. They look awesome. Electric City sounds like second rate, snoozy material.”

AdAge notes -- either way -- it’s an expensive investment. The outlet points out Yahoo! touts its current web series as being highly watched …

“But none of those are scripted, so they are considerably less expensive investments. The Tom Hanks deal looks a lot like a traditional studio content deal, meaning Yahoo buys exclusive rights to distribute for a period of time, an expensive proposition, especially given the talent involved, but also likely to draw a lot of advertiser attention.”

And Fox News says --- look out for more headlines like this one in 2012, reporting YouTube alone is slated to spend $100 million on original programming.

“We are going to see a lot of original Web TV shows announced this year with big stars. … Making TV shows for the web is nothing new. What is new is the level of commitment in terms of dollars and star power being thrown at Web video. … It’s a risky strategy that depends on hits. But TV has always been a hits-driven business.”