5) The Misselthwaite Archives: This charming series is a modern retelling of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. In this adaptation, Mary Lennox, is a surly, moody, sarcastic teenager who is sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle after her parents die in a car crash. She spends her time sulking, smoking, and generally feeling sorry for herself. It is not until she discovers a hidden glade, and befriends a man named Declan, that things start to improve in Mary's life.
Pros to Watching: A major highlight of the show, is the acting. Sophie Giberson, who plays Mary, is an acting powerhouse, and does a great job of leading the entire show. The writing is sharp, and the way that the creators have adapted certain elements of the plot, ( Like turning "Colin" into "Callie") is impressive. The show is filmed in Portland, Oregon, so the creators get bonus points for filming it in one of the most beautiful places/my favorite state. By far, the best part of the show, is the approach to filming and transmedia. The show incorporates vlog style filming, while also using a "cat cam" to capture scenes and conversations that you would not get to see if we only saw things through Mary's point of view. The transmedia, is what inspired me to watch the show, because the creators have turned the whole show into an archive of Mary's life. The archive includes therapy sessions, e-mails, family Christmas cards, report cards, college rejection letters, newspaper obituaries, etc. By doing this, the creators have been able to avoid some of the pitfalls that other web series have dealt with, in regards to the "in world" versus "out of world" debate. In a sense, everything we see on the show, has already happened, so we do not have to suspend disbelief when it comes to who can see these videos, and why filming is taking place. Overall, it is a beautifully executed show, that adapts one of my favorite books from my childhood.
Cons to Watching: The only con to this show, is that it does not post on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the creators have run into difficulties filming outside, due to inconsistent weather in Oregon. They have also run into problems with some of their other filming locations. As a result, the show is on an indefinite hiatus. We can all just hope that they can get back to filming soon, because this show is way too good, and the creators have worked way too hard, for things to not work out. In the meantime, the first twenty-eight episodes are currently online, and so is all of the excellent transmedia.
When the show does return, I will be writing posts about it on Mondays.
4) Northbound Series: Northbound Series, is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. In this version, Catherine Morland is a recent high school graduate, who moves to New York City, where she will be attending college in the fall. The show just started, and is only four episodes in, so I cannot really comment on it yet. But, what I have seen so far, is great. The characterizations of both Catherine Morland, and Isabelle Thorpe, are spot on. I have not been looking at transmedia, yet, but it is something I will look at soon. It will be interesting to see how they adapt certain parts of the novel, but I have faith that the creators will do a good job. Northanger Abbey, is my second favorite Austen novel, and so while I have fairly high expectations, if the creators can effectively pull it off, it will be the first successful adaptation of the novel. It has only been attempted two other times, but both movies were horrendous. So, suffice it to say, I am excited to see what happens.
Future commentary on the series, will be written on Fridays.
3) All's Fair Play: While this show is technically not a literary web series, it is inspired by Shakespearian themes. The show is created by the amazing team that brought us The Autobiography of Jane Eyre. It includes several of the same actors and writers that brought us AOJE, but shows them in very different roles. I do not know much about the show, other than that it takes place in less than twenty- four hours, at a combined bachelor/bachelorette party. I can only assume that things will go awry, and it will make for a great comedy. Since only one episode has been released thus far, it is hard for me to comment on the show. But, I do know that it will be great. Nessa Aref, has a unique approach to filmmaking and directing that is not seen on other shows, and I know that it will be showcased here. The writing and acting are also bound to be good, because it is hard to imagine their follow up to AOJE being anything less than stellar. I am looking forward to everything this show has to offer.
I will be writing commentary and observations on Sundays.
This marks the end of this post. Part three will include my top two Summer 2015 web series picks.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
For the Love of Web Series (Part One)
The Summer 2015 web series season is upon us, and that means it is time to do a break down of all of the new and returning shows that are worth devoting some time to. While I have not mentioned it much on here, I am an avid fan of literary web series. Since The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ended in 2013, a slew of literary web series have popped up to help develop a canon of truly innovative online content. Most, if not all of these web series utilize transmedia in some way, and it has been inspiring and exciting to see how content creators have been able to push the genre into something entirely new. I will devote future posts to discussing my favorite web series (both past and present) as well as showcasing the female showrunners that deserve some extra praise. This post will merely serve as a place to discuss everything that is currently happening in the world of LIW's, (although I will only be covering the ones that I actually watch), and I will devote future posts to critiquing and commenting on them in more detail.
After a web series drought of over three months, I am excited about the return of some of my favorite shows, as well as new content from creators that I love. The following is a list of all of the shows that will be ongoing this summer (ranked from least to most exciting) and includes a brief description about each show, and why they are worth watching.
7) Carmilla Season 2: Three weeks ago, Carmilla made its return to the small screen. For those who do not know, the show is a modern adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella of the same name. While creative liberties have been taken to bring it into a more modern setting, the core ideas presented in the novella are present in the show. While it is an ensemble cast, the core of the show centers on the interactions between Laura, (an energetic, albeit a naive first year college student) and her vampire roommate, Carmilla. Season one primarily focuses on how Laura is able to make the transition into college life, often finding it difficult to balance literature papers and school work, when "unspeakable evil", and budding romances seem much more important. Season two has started off well, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the remaining thirty episodes of the season. (Further elaboration of the plot, characters, etc. will be included in future posts).
Pros to watching: The show is campy, but adorable. The characters are relatable, and dynamic, and the cast is comprised almost entirely of women. While it is a vampire love story, it is not reduced to the hackneyed, or often sexist themes that one might find in other shows of the same genre. But, the main reason to watch the show, is for the representation. The show exists within a queer normative, and includes representation of lesbians, bisexuals, and non-binaries. It is really important to see this kind of representation in popular media, and it is my main reason for watching the show. (One added pro, is that everyone in the cast is good looking, so you know, that does not hurt).
Cons to watching: The transmedia on this show is not as strong as it could be. It often feels like something that was strewn together just for the sake of having it, but without the necessary forethought that goes into making it fit in with the story. The good thing about it though, is that you
can just ignore it. Another major con, is the acting. It comes across as very inorganic, forced, and rushed. This could have to do with the sometimes awkward or "clunky" dialogue of the script, and maybe the actors are doing the best with what they have. The writing could be a lot better, especially when you compare it to the writing on other shows. However, despite some of its blatant problems, the show is still worth watching.
All future commentary on the show will be written on Thursdays.
6) Classic Alice Season 3: Classic Alice (CA) recently returned for its third season. Unlike most other web series, CA is not an adaptation of any one book. The show centers around Alice Rackam, a bookish college student, who decides to live her life according to classic novels, after she receives a poor grade on a paper. She initially enlists the help of her friend, Andrew, to help document the experience, and eventually ropes her roommate, Cara, into the project as well. (All of the specific plot details, characterizations, and commentary will be included in future posts).
Pros to watching: The show is very sharp. The concept is great, and the writing and acting match it. The transmedia elements are well thought out, and help to expand the world beyond what we see in the show. The characters are well defined, relatable, and dynamic, and help create a world that feels so real, it is like we as an audience exist in the same universe as Alice and Co.
Cons to watching: The pace can be slow at times, which sometimes makes it hard to invest fully. While the transmedia is great, there is also a downside to having it. Unlike shows that have well integrated transmedia, on CA, it becomes too closely connected to the plot, so if you are not following the twitter feeds, or the podcasts, you miss a significant part of the story. Transmedia is supposed to enhance content, and expand the narrative of a story, but should never exist on the same primary level. If you cannot tell at least ninety percent of your story without transmedia, then you are not doing it right. Other than that, the flaws are pretty minimal, however that does not mean that I won't critique the things I do not like. Overall, it is a great show, and it is worth looking into.
Further commentary on the show, and its showrunner will be posted on Tuesdays.
This post is getting too long, so this will be continued in two other parts.
After a web series drought of over three months, I am excited about the return of some of my favorite shows, as well as new content from creators that I love. The following is a list of all of the shows that will be ongoing this summer (ranked from least to most exciting) and includes a brief description about each show, and why they are worth watching.
7) Carmilla Season 2: Three weeks ago, Carmilla made its return to the small screen. For those who do not know, the show is a modern adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella of the same name. While creative liberties have been taken to bring it into a more modern setting, the core ideas presented in the novella are present in the show. While it is an ensemble cast, the core of the show centers on the interactions between Laura, (an energetic, albeit a naive first year college student) and her vampire roommate, Carmilla. Season one primarily focuses on how Laura is able to make the transition into college life, often finding it difficult to balance literature papers and school work, when "unspeakable evil", and budding romances seem much more important. Season two has started off well, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the remaining thirty episodes of the season. (Further elaboration of the plot, characters, etc. will be included in future posts).
Pros to watching: The show is campy, but adorable. The characters are relatable, and dynamic, and the cast is comprised almost entirely of women. While it is a vampire love story, it is not reduced to the hackneyed, or often sexist themes that one might find in other shows of the same genre. But, the main reason to watch the show, is for the representation. The show exists within a queer normative, and includes representation of lesbians, bisexuals, and non-binaries. It is really important to see this kind of representation in popular media, and it is my main reason for watching the show. (One added pro, is that everyone in the cast is good looking, so you know, that does not hurt).
Cons to watching: The transmedia on this show is not as strong as it could be. It often feels like something that was strewn together just for the sake of having it, but without the necessary forethought that goes into making it fit in with the story. The good thing about it though, is that you
can just ignore it. Another major con, is the acting. It comes across as very inorganic, forced, and rushed. This could have to do with the sometimes awkward or "clunky" dialogue of the script, and maybe the actors are doing the best with what they have. The writing could be a lot better, especially when you compare it to the writing on other shows. However, despite some of its blatant problems, the show is still worth watching.
All future commentary on the show will be written on Thursdays.
6) Classic Alice Season 3: Classic Alice (CA) recently returned for its third season. Unlike most other web series, CA is not an adaptation of any one book. The show centers around Alice Rackam, a bookish college student, who decides to live her life according to classic novels, after she receives a poor grade on a paper. She initially enlists the help of her friend, Andrew, to help document the experience, and eventually ropes her roommate, Cara, into the project as well. (All of the specific plot details, characterizations, and commentary will be included in future posts).
Pros to watching: The show is very sharp. The concept is great, and the writing and acting match it. The transmedia elements are well thought out, and help to expand the world beyond what we see in the show. The characters are well defined, relatable, and dynamic, and help create a world that feels so real, it is like we as an audience exist in the same universe as Alice and Co.
Cons to watching: The pace can be slow at times, which sometimes makes it hard to invest fully. While the transmedia is great, there is also a downside to having it. Unlike shows that have well integrated transmedia, on CA, it becomes too closely connected to the plot, so if you are not following the twitter feeds, or the podcasts, you miss a significant part of the story. Transmedia is supposed to enhance content, and expand the narrative of a story, but should never exist on the same primary level. If you cannot tell at least ninety percent of your story without transmedia, then you are not doing it right. Other than that, the flaws are pretty minimal, however that does not mean that I won't critique the things I do not like. Overall, it is a great show, and it is worth looking into.
Further commentary on the show, and its showrunner will be posted on Tuesdays.
This post is getting too long, so this will be continued in two other parts.
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