Hollywood's latest series are online

Nicolas Stevens

29 September 2008

( Ever see Clark and Michael ? Or Dr Hideous's Sing-Along Blog ? They are

still there go give them a try. ). On one side, you've got the YouTube revolution in all its rough-edged glory. Plenty of can boast celebrity names on camera, behind the scenes or both. The professionalism of the new Internet series comes at a cost. Some are "branded entertainment," in which the creators have made an agreement with a sponsor to integrate the product into the show. At this early stage, the debate among those concerned is a way to make that company presence feel "organic" to the show, not tacked on. The range appears to be from one half -minute bites to 10- or 11-minute nibbles, with 3 mins rising as the length a la mode. But some shows are shrugging off that standard knowledge about the automated ADD of Net spectators and letting rip for 8 to ten mins and that bet looks to be paying down. Here's a glance at 3 notable, new Web series. This is the most recent installment of the classic of schoolgirls and secret cults that started with Net sensation Lonelygirl15 and continued with KateModern. The Resistanc e, like other Beckett and Goodfried Internet series, does not look like its slicker, dearer Hollywood cousins.

With lots of messy camera movement, rock music and a continued dependence on the webcam angle that Lonelygirl15 made famous, the show manages an arty, independent feel. Each eight- to 10-minute episode will include music from an up-and-coming band a pleasant grass-roots touch by the co-creators. Drawn by Todd Goldman, they appear to be a mix of South Park children and Powerpuff Girls. In colourful three-minute hits, they riff on celeb stories, go on celeb-stalking journeys, and alternately bad-mouth and worship stars in exquisite teenspeak. The show features 2 new episodes a week, and a Perez Hilton-like blog kept by the characters. Among the show's oddities is that it's filmed entirely out front of a green screen, meaning the backgrounds are always static photos, an effect that bothers the eye and restricts the action. And with just 4 supershort episodes each week, the show can have a tough time picking up account steam.

Worse yet is the way advertising spurts out of Gemini Division like biohazard from an overflowing sewer. Not exactly a good way to lure new spectators on the web. But it is a credit to Dawson that she more than acts her way out of a paper-bag script full of recycled memes from other pulp genres.