Yahoo rolls out six original shows and new TV partnerships

Working to fulfill Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's promise to make Yahoo a place where users will want to come every day, the company announced Monday that it will debut six new original Web shows in 2013.

The shows range from Ed Helms playing a miniature crime fighter to chef Megan Mitchell giving tips on outdoor grilling to actor John Stamos interviewing celebrities about losing their virginity.

"In the last year, we have more than doubled the original video programming on Yahoo! to become one of the Web's largest content publishers," Yahoo vice president and head of video Erin McPherson said in a statement. "The new shows and partnerships we're announcing at Yahoo!'s NewFront demonstrate how we are building scale, reaching more targeted audiences, and innovating with content."

Here are the descriptions of Yahoo's new Web shows:

• Tiny Commando: Ed Helms created and stars, along with Zachary Levi, Gillian Jacobs, and some of the biggest names in comedy in "Tiny Commando," an action-packed series following a four-inch-tall private investigator who uses his awesome fleet of vehicles to fight crime.
• We Need Help: In Vuguru's "We Need Help," creators, producers and stars Cheryl Hines and Rachael Harris exploit their shared personal assistant.
• Losing Your Virginity with John Stamos: John Stamos interviews celebrities about their first sexual experiences in "Losing Your Virginity with John Stamos."
• Fashion Recipe: Celebrity stylist Brett Alan Nelson shows you how to get the most from one particular article of clothing.
• Cinema & Spice: Julianna Strickland and Natasha Feldman explore food and film while teaching viewers new cooking skills and decorating ideas.
• Grill Girls (working title): A new grilling show featuring Chef Megan Mitchell sharing her grilling secrets and tips for everything from steaks, to peaches and pizza.

Yahoo also announced last week that it will be rolling out both archives and current episodes of "Saturday Night Live." The archives will be available across Yahoo sites starting in September and feature clips from 1975-2013 seasons.

Since Mayer took Yahoo's helm last summer, she has been working to recast the site as more user friendly, personal, and social. With less than a year under her belt, she has already revamped sales, debuted new ad features, launched flagship products including Yahoo Mail and Flickr, and signed deals with top content providers, such as NBC Sports and Wenner Media.

In addition to launching the new original Web shows, the company also announced Monday that it is partnering with a handful of television networks to bring more current programming and archived shows to Yahoo. Those partners include WWE for wrestling shows, ABC News for in-depth news programs, CNBC for finance shows, and Conde Nast for lifestyle programming.