When people spend their time looking for new television series, they tend to look in the usual spots like Netflix or Hulu. What they don’t realize is that there is another website that is not only free, but probably one of the websites that they visit on a daily basis. YouTube.
While you probably will not find typical series with 30- or 60-minute episodes, do not let these shows fool you. Web series are not only free, but are also seen in short episodes (or webisodes) ranging from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, which are perfect for study breaks. That is, if you can prevent yourself from watching the next episode.
For those of you unfamiliar (or familiar) with web series, here are some suggestions to get you started on your journey through the world wide web of videos.
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Probably the Most Commonly Known: S*** Girls Say
With several different reproductions, including Shit BC Girls Say, this web series makes fun of girls and what we have a tendency to do and say. These satirical videos are listed as episodes, but they do not have to be watched in order. After watching them, don’t be surprised if you catch yourself saying something from the video and then feeling like you may want to reform your choice of words.
Stars: Graydon Sheppard
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A Vlog Based On a Book: The Lizzie Bennett Diaries
Based upon Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, this web series is a modern version in vlog (video blog) form. The series not only tells the story, but also explores the personal opinions and thoughts of the characters. With additional videos, such as The Lydia Bennett Diaries, Maria of the Lu, and Pemberley Digital, this series is a refreshing adaptation that will please even the most die-hard Jane Austen fans.
Stars: Ashley Clements, Julia Cho, Laura Spencer, Mary Kate Wiles, Daniel Vincent Gordh, Christopher Sean, and Wes Aderhold
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A Geek Comedy: The Guild
This web series explores the comedic drama of a group of misfits, who together form an online guild known as The Knights of Good and play hours of The Game, a fantasy MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). The show is told both through vlogs by Cyd (aka Codex) and interactions between the characters both in front of their computer screens and face-to-face. This hilarious series follows these quirky characters as they form friendships and try to not kill each other in the process.
Stars: Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, Jeff Lewis, Robin Torsen, Amy Okuda, and Vincent Caso
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A Look at Teenage Life: Squaresville
Although there is a loose story woven through this series, the episodes largely show slices of the lives of two teenagers who want nothing but to get out of the town they live in. The show explores the friendship between the two characters and those around them showing that life as a teenager does not get any easier, even if it is fictional.
Stars: Mary Kate Wiles and Kylie Sparks
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A Mini-Series and A Musical: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Dr. Horrible wants nothing more than to be a super villain and a member of the Evil League of Evil. However, Captain Hammer, his nemesis, and Penny, the love interest of both of them, make his diabolical plan complicated. This tragicomedy splices together vlogs and action sequences along with musical numbers making this super villain movie anything but boring.
Stars: Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, and Simon Helberg
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An Animated Parody: How It Should Have Ended
Haven’t you ever wondered what would have happened if things had gone differently in a movie? Each video shows an alternative ending to big budget films, whether it be The Hunger Games, The Avengers, or even Titanic. The quick dialogue and funny situations will keep you in stitches and perhaps wishing that these parodies were the actual endings to the real movies.
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A Romantic Feel-Good Comedy: Dating Rules From My Future Self
Lucy seems to be living a nice life. She lives with her best friends, has a good boyfriend, and works for a company that develops apps. However, when she starts to get text messages with romantic advice from her future self, she begins to realize that maybe her love life is not going in the right direction.
Stars: Shiri Appleby, Alison Becker, Mircea Monroe, and Taylor Kinney
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A Spoof of a Television and Book Series: School of Thrones
Debuting on March 10th, this new series translates Westeros and Essos to high school with the various families becoming different cliques. The series begins with the arrival of Dany Targaryen (Ashly Burch) and looks to be a funny adaptation of the cult-following series Game of Thrones.
Stars: Mary Kate Wiles, Nick Palatas, Austin Rogers, Ashly Burch, Luke Morgan, Brendan Bradley, Maxwell Glick, Matthew Boehm, Joey Richter, Marisha Ray, Nic Novicki, and Matthew Mercer
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Character Dramas: WIGS channel
This channel contains 13 dramatic series that explore the lives of 13 different women. From a lost woman who is speed dating to an abused woman who earns extra money as a prostitute, these stories explore the human character and what it means to be a woman and a human being.
Stars of Various Series Include: Julia Stiles, America Ferrera, Maura Tierney, Catherine O’Hara, and Jena Malone
Photo Sources:
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