I first got introduced to microdramas through YouTube Shorts. At the time, I didn’t even know what a microdrama was—I was familiar with short-form content like Vine, but this was something new. Before I knew it, microdramas were everywhere. Almost every creator I knew either had a platform or was making bite-sized content. Was I surprised? Not really. With Vine and YouTube Shorts paving the way, it was only a matter of time before they blew up.
Now, Refinery Media and COL Group are doing something that will challenge the status quo and give birth to a whole new genre: SupermodelMe, the world’s first reality microdrama series.
The new series, “SupermodelMe: Make It or Break It,” is set to premiere on COL’s flagship global mobile platform, FlareFlow, in mid-2026. The announcement was made at Hong Kong FilMart.
This move marks a significant milestone for the unscripted television industry: it’s the first time a well-established reality franchise is being completely reimagined for mobile-native, vertical-format episodic storytelling at such scale. “SupermodelMe,” created and owned by Refinery Media, previously ran for six seasons—including an international run on Netflix—and has become one of Asia’s most notable modeling competition brands.
Thai-American TV personality Cindy Bishop returns as host, joined by judges Ase Wang and Patricia Gouw. “SupermodelMe has always been about finding raw talent and giving them a real shot. Going vertical doesn’t change that—it just puts us where more people are actually watching shows now: their mobiles. I’m excited to be back, and to be part of something so groundbreaking.”- Cindy Bishop.
“SupermodelMe is proof that regionally rooted content can have universal appeal, and this is the first time a franchise of this caliber has moved to the vertical format on a major global microdrama platform,” said Timothy Oh, general manager of COL Group. “I’m excited that FlareFlow is leading the charge. By leveraging COL’s experience in the vertical space and FlareFlow’s global reach, we’re creating the right environment for SupermodelMe’s legacy to keep evolving.
The move marks a milestone for the unscripted television industry: for the first time, an established reality IP is being fully retooled for mobile-native, vertical-format episodic storytelling at this scale. Created and owned by Refinery Media, “SupermodelMe” ran for six seasons, including an international run on Netflix, and built a following that positioned it as one of the most recognizable modelling competition brands emerging from Asia.
“‘SupermodelMe’ is proof that regionally rooted content can create global appeal, and this is the first time a franchise of this caliber has made the move to the vertical format on any major global microdrama platform,” added Timothy Oh, general manager of COL Group. “I am excited that FlareFlow is leading that charge. By leveraging COL’s depth of experience in the vertical space and FlareFlow’s global reach, we are creating the right environment for ‘SupermodelMe’s’ legacy to continue evolving and to introduce the IP to more global, younger, mobile-first audiences.”
Karen Seah, founder and CEO of Refinery Media, stated, “SupermodelMe has always embraced reinvention. From its beginnings as an online-only series, to evolving into traditional long-form TV, and now reimagined for vertical storytelling, each chapter brings the franchise closer to its audience. This partnership shows how unscripted formats can successfully adapt to vertical storytelling, opening the door for a new wave of micro entertainment.”
‘SupermodelMe’ is proof that regionally rooted content can have global appeal, and this is the first time a franchise of this caliber has made the move to the vertical format on any major global microdrama platform,” added Timothy Oh, general manager of COL Group. “I am excited that FlareFlow is leading that charge. By leveraging COL’s depth of experience in the vertical space and FlareFlow’s global reach, we are creating the right environment for ‘SupermodelMe’s’ legacy to continue evolving and to introduce the IP to more global, younger, mobile-first audiences.”
Karen Seah, founder and CEO of Refinery Media, said: “‘SupermodelMe’ has always embraced reinvention. From its early beginnings as an online-only series, evolving into traditional long-form television, and now remade for vertical storytelling, each chapter has brought the franchise closer to its audience. This partnership allows us to demonstrate how unscripted formats can successfully adapt to vertical storytelling, opening the door for a new wave of micro entertainment.”
ABOUT FLAREFLOW AND COL GROUP
FlareFlow, COL’s flagship global distribution platform, topped the U.S. entertainment app charts last September and now boasts 33 million registered users across more than 200 countries and regions. The platform supports 14 languages and has released around 5,200 series to date. Its top-performing drama has garnered over 193 million views and generated more than $15 million in in-app revenue.
COL Group, a publicly listed Chinese media and entertainment company, pioneered the microdrama format in China before expanding internationally with ReelShort in the U.S. and the launch of FlareFlow. Singapore-based Refinery Media’s credits include “Asia’s Next Top Model” and “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition,” with productions recognized at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. Their current slate includes “Man of the Hour,” an unscripted series on horology, and their first co-produced feature film, “Mothernet,” set to premiere on Netflix.