The holiday season is upon us – it’s time to send greeting cards, drink hot chocolate and if you’re a student like me, study for exams. When you refuse to go outside, it’s nice to have entertaining videos to watch. Unfortunately, however, this is when a lot of cable shows take a break and say, ‘thanks for watching, here’s some extra special behind the scenes footage. Stay tuned for new episodes in January.’
Mainstream shows’ temporary hiatus creates a marvelous opportunity to discover videos produced specifically for online viewing: scripted web series.
Here are links to a few web series I recommend:
Originals – McDonald’s Canada
Canadian writer Anthony Farrell, a writer from The Office and CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prarie penned the script for a new show featuring charming nerds, pretty girls and an all around well-caffeinated cast, thanks to McDonald’s, who sponsors the series. If you like The Office’s humour and Little Mosque’s quirky multicultural characters, you’re bound to enjoy this series produced by Toronto-based Fresh Baked Entertainment to support the launch of McCafe.
Still not convinced this series is worth watching? Perhaps the wit expressed in its tagline will prove it’s worth a few minutes of your time:
An original web series completely lacking any originality.
If not, then consider the irony that it’s a show about guys pitching a new TV show concept, in which McDonald’s pitches its new franchise concept to consumers. Community fans, particularly those who adore Abed’s character, would especially love it.
Platonic – The Fine Bros
My friend sent me this video in a Facebook private message (it’s what all the cool kids use instead of e-mail, or so it seems) and I love it.
In the first episode, a blonde twentysomething insists that her friendships with boys are platonic, yet her friends disagree, so she tries to prove them wrong and then of course drama ensues.
In a nutshell: YouTube presents: When Harry Met Sally meets He’s Just Not That Into You.
Clutch – Mojo Films
I’m biased in promoting this because it’s created by a Toronto filmmaker I know from camp, but his talent speaks for itself. Upon running into him downtown a couple weeks ago, he reassured me that web series are a viable medium. The motivation to produce web series, however, often depends on the producers’ marketing-savvy.
Clutch is darker than the series listed above, with its gritty storyline and characters, but it’s worth watching, especially if you’re looking to branch out past your comfort zone. Plus, I’m a sucker for watching films in which I can spot local familiar hot spots.
If web series aren’t your style, then I recommend my new favourite show, The Good Wife, which I recently wrote about in my debut article for We Eat Films.
*I learned about the McDonald’s web series from Social Radius.