A Very Potter Musical
Recommended for: The Harry Potter fan who has read the books for the tenth time, watched the movies countless times, and looking for a fresh take on the boy who lived.
AVPM was uploaded to Youtube in 2009, and has grown into an internet phenomenon. Written, directed, and produced by a handful of college students from the University of Michigan, this hilarious musical is one of the most creative and different take on JK Rowling’s series.
Every character is portrayed with a certain twist that in ways completely fit the original versions, but, at the same time, will forever change the way you see them. For example, Harry (played by Darren Criss of Glee) embraces his “Chosen One” status, and uses it to help him slack off his classes and just be his awesome HP self.
Combining the wizard world and these characters with college kid humor doesn’t sound like it should work, it totally does, and the result is one of the best content on the internet.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Recommended for: Jane Austen fangirls and people who cry watching Bridget Jones’s Diary.
A modern take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, told exclusively through the vlog style.
This 100 episode YouTube series follows Lizzie Bennet, as she completes her grad school project in Media and Communication Studies by keeping a series of video diaries.
She talks about her stressful workload, complains about her overbearing mother who is too obsessed with her and her sister’s love lives, and the annoying William Darcy, who just moved into town. She’s often joined by her two sisters, the lovely and perfect Jane, and wild and outgoing Lydia. Helping her with editing and content, her best friend Charlotte.
This series is just as uplifting and heartbreaking as its original source, and will have you screaming “Where’s Darcy?! I want to see Darcy!” ten episodes in.
LBD is the first internet series to win a Primetime Emmy, and kicked off a whole new genre of internet content, inspiring other YouTube projects such as Emma Approved, The Autobiography of Jane Eyre, and Frankenstein MD.
Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Invite Only Casual Dinner Party for Friends/Potluck
(Or Poe Party, for short)
Recommended for: English majors with strong opinions on the classics.
Classic authors including Oscar Wilde, Mary Shelley, Ernest Hemingway, Charlotte Bronte, and H.G. Wells gathering to spend the night at Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic mansion for a night of fine dining and mystery, but soon realize the game is real, and someone is killing these famous writers one by one.
This series is fantastic for so many reasons. Like AVPM, there’s a twist in every well known character, which makes them all either lovable and suspicious. The plot is incredibly clever, and will keep you guessing who the killer is until the very last episode.
While watching this 11 episode series, it’s very easy to forget it was created by amateur filmmakers, because everything about it looks as professional as a big budget film. The directing and cinematography is beautiful, and adds so much to the story.
Every actor is hilarious and all deserve their own starring roles in film and television. Many of them you may recognize from A Very Potter Musical, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Lizzie McGuire, and Parks and Recreation.