Announcements for new made-for-broadband web series launches now seem to be a weekly occurrence (NB: So far this week we have Freshers’ Week and Gamerzine TV).
Among the stream (pun intended) of new shows, gems can get overlooked. I’ve therefore collected 12 web series that I think you should go and have a look at. I’ve stuck to scripted entertainment shows, and have excluded TV spin-offs (so no Battlestar Galactica: Resistance, despite its awesomeness)
In the finest tradition of blogging, I haven’t done my full research. I haven’t seen all of the shows listed below – sometime because I am unable to (if someone knows a work-around involving proxy settings or URL extensions that lets me pretend I am in the US, please let me know) and sometimes because the show does not interest me.
[Reading that back, that doesn’t sound like a particularly solid recommendation. However, we all have different likes and so – location and preferences permitting – I suggest you nevertheless go check them out.]
I’ll disclose when I am talking from a specific position of ignorance [Insert joke about general position of ignorance].
Click the title to be taken to the homepage for the series in question. Click the video (for 9 of the 12 series) to take a look at what I’m talking about.
The web phenomenon. In June 2006, an unsuspecting Youtube-viewing public were first exposed to the video diaries of Bree. Using the sign-in name of Lonelygirl15, her video blogs allowed her to vent her angst over the minutiae of her everyday life.
Except she had no everyday life. She was fictional.
After a couple of months of online speculation and investigation, proof that Lonely Girl 15 was in fact a young New Zealander called Jessia Rose Lee was found. Highlighting the cultural frenzy that was generated, the story was in part broken by both the LA Times and New York Times.
Once the game was up, the show became more overtly ficticious. A fantastical storyline involving an occult conspiract was introduced, and it also became the first web series to incorporate product integration.
After cast changes, three series, 378 episodes and over 110m views, the show has finally come to a close. Kate Modern followed within the LG15 universe, and it won’t be long before the next series is launched.
I’ve only seen the odd episode of Lonely Girl 15, and have no real desire to watch any more. Particularly those involving melodramatic conflicts against religious extremists. However, the cultural impact cannot be denied and it is worth checking out the early videos to assess their relative authenticity.
Written by and starring Felicia Day (aka “Her from Buffy”), this is a lovingly crafted look at a guild of World of Warcraft players. Despite living in close proximity, the six people of the Guild have never met in person. Until one encounter sets off a chain that requires the whole Guild to get involved in order to save the day.
It is funny in a quirky, observational way rather than laugh-out loud, but I was charmed throughout the ten episodes. Codex, Vork et al are certainly rooted in real life, and never become full-on caricatures.
Funded in part by viewer donations, Series 1 has won multiple awards.
I still have no desire to actually play WoW though.
Afterworld was heavily hyped when it first came out – unsurprising when you realise Electric Farm Entertainment/Sony put up $3m for the first series of 130 episodes. That adds up to around six and a half hours worth of content…. After debuting on Bud.TV and Youtube, it has made the tradition to broadcast TV, with episodes aired on both the Sci-Fi channel and Channel 4.
The story follows Russell Shoemaker, who wakes up in New York to find nearly all technology dead (a shame, since that is what he sells) and 99% of the human race missing. The series follows Russell’s journey back to Seattle.
Moody and introspective, the dissolving graphics are striking and the slow pacing (if not the inconsistent voice acting) has drawn me in (I’m twenty episodes in, and trying to find the time to watch more).
As well as being highly entertaining, this show is also extremely informative. I have learned a LOT about Photoshop by watching this. However, the main attraction is that it is hilarious.
The show is narrated by Donnie – a sad, bitter, misanthrope. His attempts to prevent the world sucking at Photoshop are frequently thwarted by either his wife or his WoW buddy Sn3tchbuckl3r.
You Suck at Photoshop was set up by a couple of creatives at Big Fat Institute to promote My Damn Channel. They succeeded. Big time. The show has been a phenomenon, and after a fan backlash it has returned for a second series.
Where Are The Joneses? is an “interactive comedy”. Produced by Imagination, written (in part) by Baby Cow productions (owned by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal) and funded by Ford, the “interactive” element refers to the plot (partly) being crowdsourced. Viewers were able to submit plot ideas and the underlying script would be improvised to incorporate them. Interestingly, and refreshingly, the series was also released under a Creative Commons licence. This allows people to both remix and re-edit the show, even for commercial uses.
The story follows Dawn Jones. Dawn discovers that she is the child of a sperm donor, and so drives around Europe (in her Ford, obviously) tracking down her siblings.
While an interesting idea, I’m not sure how successful it was. I only saw the first couple of episodes, before slipping away. And it appears I’m not the only one. This blog reports that viewers of the episodes were only in three figures, while the proposed DVD hasn’t materialised.
However, things are rarely done correctly the first time of asking, and this form of brave experimentation in turn inspires further adventures. Indeed, according to this blog post from one of the producers, the Open Rights Group are looking to make a case study out of the production.
Street Fighter: The Later Years
College Humor produced this funny look at the Street Fighter 2 crew 10 years on. Dhalsim is driving a cab, Zangief is a Janitor, Vega is a jobbing actor – you get the idea. The series contains some brilliant verbal and visual jokes. Click through to find out what happens when the old gang get back together.
Beyond The Rave is the Hammer studio’s first foray into Horror for other twenty years. Rather than going for the classic schlocky feel, this series aims straight for the Myspace generation. As well as being hosted on Myspace TV in HD format (not that my monitor can tell the difference), it is shot using the tight framing and jerky cameras so beloved of contemporary action scenes.
However, Beyond the Rave does follow in the fine B-movie horror tradition by not being very good. Actually, that’s harsh. It is a perfectly fine genre film, but I wouldn’t call it a great show nor go out of my way to watch it (again). I’m sure Horror fans would enjoy it though. And the inevitable sequels.
This isn’t strictly a web series, but I’m including it as it is so fantastically realised.
“N” is the only previously unpublished work from Stephen King’s forthcoming anthology “Just After Sunset”. The story has been depicted as a “graphic video”, drawn by Alex Maleev, and coloured by José Villarrubia. I believe that Marvel will be releasing it as a comic book next year.
The aesthetics are the real highlight, but it is an intriguing story (thus far) and has reminded me why I devoured Stephen King books in my teenage years.
The above link points to the Fox website, which currently only hosts the trailer. The Cell (or Cell, as it may have initially been called) was originally a made-for-mobile production, produced by Endemol for O2. It was all filmed using green-screen technology, with high production values as the business model was always to sell the programme across platforms and markets. This Fox deal represents both.
I’m afraid I’ve not seen any of this, as my mobile phone isn’t adept at handling video of any sort. Given the paucity of information available online, I wonder if anyone has seen it? Watching it via Fox therefore presents the opportunity to get ahead of the curve, albeit 9 months after launch
Aside from the trailer, I’m yet to see this series yet either. The reasons being that the first episode only came out last week, and that NBC are limiting distribution to the US only.
Produced by Sony and Electric Farm Entertainment, as with Afterworld it comes heavily hyped. Having Rosario Dawson star and incorporating tech-based product placements (Microsoft, Intel and Cisco) have also contributed to the buzz.
The plot appears to be a hybrid of Alias and the X Files, which sounds right up by street. And with early reviews giving it a tentative thumbs up, it will be definitely be something I’ll be watching. Once I’m allowed to.
Another new series, with only the first episode being released so far. Early signs are encouraging. The languid pace, limited dialogue and good use of music all worked very well. It will be interesting to see whether the pace changes as the plot develops.
The remaining six episodes will explore how Lennox ( Michael Madsen), a crime boss, was shot after plotting with the Mayor to bring down the city’s crime boss.
As well as Michael Madsen as an above the line name, George Hamilton and Tony Todd also appear. It is sponsored by Sony Vaio and distributed via both mobile and the Internet – including Crackle, Sony’s online video portal. Interestingly, the full series will be given away on a Blu-ray DVD in magazines in October, along with music from Sony BMG and content from Sony Pictures.
Now that is what you call joined up thinking. Kudos to Sony for leveraging its different elements for an interesting experiment in content marketing.
As this is only three episodes long, one could debate whether it is a full series. However, it is my list and I’m including it.
I absolutely love Dr Horrible. Anyone who has seen “Once more, with feeling” – the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – will know what to expect. Engaging characters, witty dialogue and fantastic songs. Whether it is the above-linked “Laundry Day”, “A Man’s Gotta Do”, “Brand New Day” or “Everyone’s a Hero” – all are incredibly catchy and all have been stuck in my head ever since I first watched it.
Just under 45 minutes in total, the show sees Dr Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser fame) attempt to both join the Evil League of Evil and woo the girl from the Laundry (Felicia Day, “Her from Buffy”, again). However, his nemesis Captain Hammer (Nathan “Firefly” Fillion) stands in his way.
Initially broadcast for free over the web, it is now on Hulu and iTunes in the US only. Which is annoying. The DVD will be forthcoming though. In the meantime, there is always this Dark Horse comic to get you in the mood.
As you should see from the above list this is a medium ripe with invention and experimentation, and I am getting quite drawn into it all. Whether big-budget and professionally produced or DIY, there are plenty of quality shows out there. And these are just the ones that have caught my eye.
If you have any suggestions regarding other web series I should check out, or any comments on the above shows, I would love to hear from you.
sk
Filed under: online video | Tagged: afterworld, baby cow, beyond the rave, big fat institute, college humor, coma, dr horrible, dr horrible's sing-along blog, endemol, gemini division, lg15, lonely girl 15, online video, stephen king's n, street fighter the later years, the cell, the guild, web series, where are the joneses, you suck at photoshop | 4 Comments »
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