It’s very easy to watch all the popular television shows on Netflix or from your TV. However, some of the freshest and most creative stuff never gets there in the first place. Yes, I’m talking about web shows. Many really innovative and funny shows are uploaded staright to YouTube, Vimeo or other video sharing sites, where they gather a community of followers. Many of these shows are crowdfunded and are truly the product of a shared passion from the part of the makers as well as the audience. Here are some of our favorite shows that we believe are worth watching:
1. The Guild
Image credit: http://watchtheguild.com/
Masterminded by the geek queen Felicia Day, The Guild follows an awkward gamer girl (autobiographical much?) who plays in a guild called The Knights of Good with five other players. Their lives change forever when they meet face to face for the first time and beging interacting outside of the game. The Guild is a brilliant mix of awkwardness, hilarious dialogue, and quirky characters that no one should miss!
First episode (trust me, the quality gets better as the seasons go): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grCTXGW3sxQ
2. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (plus anything from Pemberley Digital)
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a brilliant creation from Pemberley Digital, who now specialize in shows based on classic novels. LBD is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which takes the form of an online diary. The Bennet sisters have an incredible chemistry and Elizabeth and Darcy’s romance is just as adorable and emotional as in the original.
First episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KisuGP2lcPs
3. Classic Alice
Image credit: www.classic-alice.com/photos
Classic Alice is a show about an English major (hurray!) who decides to live her life based on some of the most famous classic novels of all time. Her friend, Andrew, documents the project, which turns into the vlog. Alice is a student with ambition and drive, and she is very relatable to those of us who are slightly introvert and become a bit (or a lot) awkward in social situations. Anyone with an interest in literature should find this show enlightening and fresh.
First episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DUbjMpIbvM
4. The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy
Image credit: http://newpeterwendy.com/the-cast-vs-the-theme-song/
The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy is a show based on Peter Pan where Peter is just a regular guy whose best friend just happends to be a fairy. And who never wants to grow up, of course. The characters are modernised and the magic of the story is contained in our universe. However, the heart of the characters remains true to the original.
First episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XbD_IYYMVk
5. Social Medium
Image credit: http://social-medium.com/news/
Social Medium focuses on the eccentric Beatrix Beckett as she tries to solve various mysteries with her psychic online abilities. The show started with an origins story while they were trying to get funding and now the first season is on as we speak. The show’s cast is an impressive compilation from many of the other shows on this list (e.g. New Adventures of Peter and Wendy and Classic Alice).
First episode (Origin Story – Season 1 came out after th origin story episodes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXCSllBUiM8
6. Nothing Much To Do
Image credit: Harriet Stella’s (Beatrice) Tumblr
Another revisioning of a classic work of literature – this time Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The story is set in New Zealand, in a high school where the characters all vlog about their experiences. The main characters, Beatrice and Hero, have their own vlog but there are also two other side characters who post videos regularly. The story mixes the humor and misunderstandings that Shakespeare is famous for into a hilarious and sweet combination.
First episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn57zw4–D0
7. Whatever This Is
Image credit: Whatever This Is Official Tumblr
Whatever This Is is a show about two production assistants who live in New York and barely make enough money to get by. The show explores the idea of working in a meaningless job just make ends meet while trying to pursue your true passions in life.
First episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi7S-1u5Ro4