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Emily McKay | Top 8 Web Series
March 12, 2016
When I was asked to blog about my favorite web series — web series-es? What’s
the plural of series?—I jumped at the chance. After all, I love web series —
okay, good. It’s series. I looked it up— What’s not to love? It’s entertainment
in small nummy bites. Also, it ties into the Creative HeArts series I’m working on for Entangled
Crush. Creative HeArts takes place as an arts-based high school in Austin,
Texas. The characters are working together on their senior seminar project—you
guessed it!—a web series. The characters decide to write and produce their own musical-comedy-horror
satire about a modern day Lizzie Borden. The Lizzie Borden Diaries will be
weaving in and out of all twelve of the Creative HeArts books. Here’s my list of favorite web series, some of which inspired The Lizzie Borden
Diaries, others of which are just plain fun entertainment!
- Millennial
Parents
This series gives a straight up hysterical look at modern
parenting. The two leads are engaging, I laugh out loud nearly every episode,
and the episodes are short (under three minutes a piece). My only warning, you
will want to watch them obsessively until you’ve seen them all!
- Long Story
Short
This web series follows the life of an average guy, via clever
editing and neurotic voice overs. It’s funny and addictive. Like Millennial
Parents, there is no over arching story, just amusing slices of life.
- The Pantsless
Detective
A film noir-style comedy with oodles of camp and lots of style.
The Pantsless Detective is filmed in my own Austin, Texas. It’s award-winning
and clever. Moreover, it’s a fun glimpse into just how many creative people live
in Austin.
- The
Guild
The Guild follows the lives (real and on-line) of a group of
strangers/friends who play countless hours of a fantasy MMORPG video game.
Okay, so I haven’t actually watched all six season of The Guild, but I
decided to include it on the list, because:
- it’s the very first web series I ever watched
- I love the character of Clara—a mother who gleefully ignores her children to
play
- I love the show’s creator, Felicia Day
Plus, because it’s the first web series I ever watched, it feels like the
beginning of the genre to me.
- Emma
Approved
Emma Approved is a modern vlog retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma,
which is one of my favorite Austen books. Emma Approved has all the romance and
drama you’d expect from Pemberely Digital (the production company behind The
Lizzie Bennet Diaries). As a character, Emma is a little harder to love than
Lizzie is, and that’s true in the modern telling … maybe even more true. But if
you stick with it, I promise she’ll become lovable! And you’ll have Alex
Knightly to keep you company in the meantime!
- Dr.
Horrible’s Sing Along Blog
Ah … the musical, satire, horror that is—in
many ways—the inspiration for the Creative HeArts’ web series.
In many
ways, Dr. Horrible is the antithesis of all the other shows on this list.
Written by Joss Whedon, Zed Whedon, Zack Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen during
the writer’s strike in 2008, this is a show with recognizable names, talent and
an actual budget to boot. It’s delightful and fun. You will be singing the songs
for days after. But a word to the wise: this is Joss Whedon we’re talking about.
He likes to toy with your emotions.
-
Classic
Alice
Another great addition to the modern-retelling-of-as-vlogs genre.
This one deals with struggling writer Alice as she tries to inject more passion
into her writing by living her life according to great works of fiction.
This is fun and romantic and charming. It uses the small scale of a web
series to its best advantage. You don’t need lots of sets or big budgets if
you’ve got actors with great chemistry!
- The
Lizzie Bennet Diaries
The LBD is not for the faint of the heart. It’s 160
episodes in all. It is—obviously—a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, told in
five minute chunks. I’ve had some friends complain about its length, but all
that space to fill, gave Pemberely Digital the room to stay faithful to the
books. It has all the charm, wit, and social satire of the original, but with a
modern twist. If you’re a P&P fan, this will be like Christmas cookies.
Sprinkled with crack.
So, that’s my list. Did I leave anything out? Do you have a favorite web series
I haven’t even heard of? (I’m sure there are tons!) GiveawayWin a digital copy of HOW WILLA GOT HER GROOVE
BACK plus a Tee Turtle Galactic Princess t-shirt. Because that’s exactly
the kind of shirt Willa would wear! Just tell us which web series you recommend
to friends or you get sucked into watching!
Emily McKay loves to read, shop, and geek out about movies. When she's
not writing, she read on–line gossip and bakes luscious desserts. She
pretends that her weekly yoga practice balances out both of those things. She
lives in central Texas with her family and her crazy pets. Though she's never
been much of a joiner, she somehow still managed to join multiple group blogs.
(A pathological need to part of any group that wants her?) So you can visit her
online at her blogs. She also co–writes young adult as Ivy Adams
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains an
unbelievably hot bad boy, an unbelievably famous actress, and all the drama that
comes with adding both to your family. Oh, and a forbidden flirtation with a
soon-to-be stepbrother. When Willa Schofer's father comes home
from a business trip with an über-famous new fiancée, Willa's senior year blows
up in paparazzi-fueled flames. Overnight, she has a new house, a new car, and a
new soon-to-be stepbrother-the unbelievably hot, unbelievably arrogant, Finn
McCain. Thank god he's constantly pushing her buttons, or she might do something
irresponsible. Like fall for the jerk. Just when Willa's decided to avoid
him for, oh, ever, Finn lands in the center of her senior project team.
Seriously-how hard is it to shake a guy? At least her work on the project
snagged the attention of the (second) hottest guy in school. He might only be
into her because of her famous stepmom, and he's not quite as exciting as a
certain annoying housemate, but at least she's allowed to crush on the
guy. Because crushing on your annoying stepbrother? So not cool.
Comments
26 comments posted.
Re: Emily McKay | Top 8 Web Series
I do not watch TV but my daughter sucked me into The Big BAng
(Debra Guyette 8:09am March 12, 2016)
the vmapire one
(Desiree Reilly 12:37pm March 12, 2016)
I haven't watched any web series.
(Mary Smith 2:01pm March 12, 2016)
I am afraid that I don't know of any web series though I
have heard of them. Will have to try one of your
suggestions, they do sound like fun.
(G. Bisbjerg 3:57pm March 12, 2016)
I don't watch web series but love the book and T-shirt for my
granddaughter.
(Sharon Berger 12:46pm March 13, 2016)
There's nothing like a good palimpsest.
(Mary Ann Dimand 5:36pm March 13, 2016)
I don't watch any web series.
(Tanja Dancy 10:38am March 14, 2016)
I have never watched any web series.
(Carrie Edmunds 5:48pm March 15, 2016)
Nothing Much To Do is amazing and I think you'd love it!
Wonderful web series, trust me!
(Stephanie Bonck 9:53am March 16, 2016)
I have not seen any web series. I barely have time to read the emails I get
let alone watch a series. That would cut down on my reading time with a
book.
(Jackie Wisherd 3:33pm March 16, 2016)
Only seen on episode but Private ;)
(H J 12:09pm March 18, 2016)
I love The Guild. The Guild is totally the gateway drug of
web series. I also like Dr Horrible and the locally-filmed
zombie series Dead Wait.
(Marty Crosson 11:38am March 18, 2016)
The only one we've gotten sucked into is The Guild. In our
early 20's we played a lot of World of Warcraft so we laughed
a LOT!!!!
(Tanya Guthrie 2:21pm March 18, 2016)
I must be terribly uncool. I had never web series. I will have
to speak with my grandchildren about them. I would like to
know more about the vampire one mentioned by Desiree, above.
(Karen Haas 3:13pm March 18, 2016)
I must be terribly uncool. I had never heard of web series. I
will have to speak with my grandchildren about them. I would
like to know more about the vampire one mentioned by Desiree,
above.
(Karen Haas 3:14pm March 18, 2016)
Vampires
(Senona Macias 5:00pm March 18, 2016)
I haven't watched any web series but I love Felicia Day so I'm going to try The Guild. Thanks for the chance to win!
(Mary Songer 7:54pm March 18, 2016)
I don't watch any web series but I do get sucked into the new Shadowhunters series on Freeform network. The whole family watches it. Of course I loved the Mortal Instruments series so I figured I'd like the series.
(Linda Henderson 9:44pm March 18, 2016)
I have not read any of your books, but now I am going to put them on my to Read List...They sound like fun...
(Karen Dieffenbaugher 10:01pm March 18, 2016)
I have never watched a web series
(Mark Watson 4:27am March 19, 2016)
Fuller House because I grew up on Full House and then my girls
feel in love with it all we HAD to binge watch it!
(Maria Smith 11:59am March 19, 2016)
I have never watched a web series.Guess I am old fashioned and usually just read books.
(Jean Benedict 12:32pm March 19, 2016)
Don't watch any web series. My Kindle is the closest I get to modern
technology.
(Susan Scheelk 2:40pm March 19, 2016)
I have never watched a web series. I am going to watch Emma
Approved from your list and see how that goes. Who knows I may
become a web series addict.
(Denise Austin 4:45pm March 19, 2016)
I've never watched a web series, no time to get hooked!
(Mary Lynn Hayes 10:29pm March 19, 2016)
I haven't had a chance to try a web series. I might have to check into them
though.
(Jenny Solis 10:41pm March 19, 2016)
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