Fans who have followed Ava Ro through her breakout run on “Erin and Aaron” and her turn as Kyla in “Home Sweet Rome” have a new project to add to the watchlist, and this one lands in a corner of the entertainment world she has not fully staked out before. The Canadian actor and singer stars in “Lila Goes Viral”, a new live-action scripted series that premieres April 22 on YouTube in time for Earth Day. The project comes from Oscar-winning Lion Forge Entertainment and Emmy-winning Sinking Ship Entertainment, and it hands Ro both a leading role and a producer credit.
For readers who have been tracking Ro’s trajectory, the title character slots neatly into the throughline of her career. After leading Nickelodeon’s music-driven comedy “Erin and Aaron” and building a parallel music life as a member of the JUNO-nominated pop group GEN:ZED, formerly GFORCE, Ro has consistently gravitated toward projects that fuse acting and original music. “Lila Goes Viral” leans into that overlap harder than anything she has done before, with a new original song written into every single episode and a full soundtrack releasing through Magic Star, the kids and family division of The Orchard, a member of Sony Music Entertainment.
The premise puts Ro in the role of a teenager who launches her own YouTube channel after witnessing the degradation of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. When she posts an original song inspired by climate change, the clip takes off overnight, and she is suddenly forced to navigate instant digital stardom and figure out what to do with that kind of platform. The show is built to unfold as if Lila herself made it, leaning into the creator-culture formats that already define the feed for viewers aged nine to 14, from Get Ready With Me videos to dance trends, collaborations and, of course, songs.
The series was co-created by Erica Rabner and Robby LeDoux of Fluffy Clouds Creative, who also wrote all of the original music. Rabner serves as showrunner and lead writer, while LeDoux is music producer and director. David Gorvy, whose directing credits include YouTube-native projects “Colin and Samir: The Making of Beast Games” and “What Makes Fast: Cadillac’s Road to Formula 1”, is in the director’s chair. Sinking Ship co-founder J.J. Johnson and Blair Powers executive produce alongside Redhead Consulting founder Amy Friedman. Ro is credited as a producer on the series alongside Sinking Ship’s Alexis Grieve, a behind-the-camera step for the performer who has spent most of her career in front of it.
The production is structured around eight content packages, each pairing a narrative episode with a full rollout of companion material that mirrors the way a real recording artist launches a song. Every original track will be supported by an official music video, an acoustic version, a lyric video and a steady stream of short-form content, from choreography challenges to creator-friendly formats built for direct audience participation. The first two episode blocks will land on YouTube Kids, followed by weekly releases.
The project traces back to the Aspen Institute’s climate-focused education initiative, This Is Planet Ed, which awarded “Lila Goes Viral” original development funding as one of seven selected projects. Friedman, who mentored the Planet Ed pitches, brought the concept to Sinking Ship. Rabner and LeDoux have described the series as a creator-native narrative, a fictional story that unfolds as a YouTube channel and across social platforms while carrying a full story arc, a music franchise and a built-in impact strategy. They have called it a new genre, a mash-up of premium and digital storytelling.
Johnson framed the editorial thinking in generational terms, arguing that Gen Alpha is not just watching content but participating in it, shaping it and using it to express what they care about. Lion Forge founder and CEO David Steward II said the series aligns with the studio’s interest in storytelling that is culturally relevant and grounded in purpose. The creative team has been consistent in emphasising that the show is entertainment first, with environmental stewardship woven through a story that still makes room for the ordinary stuff of teen life, including friends, family, crushes, homework, music and fashion.
For Ro, whose voice-acting résumé also spans “Dino Ranch”, “Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go”, “PAW Patrol” and “Remy and Boo”, and whose earlier scripted credits include “Big Top Academy”, “Holly Hobbie” and “Take Note”, the move to a YouTube-native scripted project marks one of her most ambitious format shifts yet. “Lila Goes Viral” premieres April 22 on YouTube, with the official trailer already live on the platform.
