You’re forgiven if you don’t watch any made-for-Internet television — also known as: web series, webisodes, web shows, or web originals; they’re still working on the name. Most people don’t. Ever since Lonelygirl15, the faux-vlog on YouTube turned ridiculously over-the-top web series, debuted three years ago, the web show has been consistently on the rise but never reaching a breaking point. Sure, there have been breakouts, most notably Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, the Neil Patrick Harris starrer recently honored with a few Streamys — a web series Webby — and now available on Hulu, and of course there is YouTube’s Fred, perhaps the most obviously popular (with 12 year-olds). But nothing has broken through the culture in a huge way. Not that celebrities aren’t trying.
It’s probably because watching a web show is still a private activity. Old-school television is powerful, even as it slowly dies. Bring up American Idol to a group of strangers, and at least half will be able to talk about it. Whenever I bring up Fred, I mostly get blank stares.
So get in on the ground floor and try something new! It only takes a few minutes.
Adam on the Road is the brainchild of Pat Carey and Joey Azoulai, two writers who wanted to create a web series about quarterlife malaise: you know, joblessness, aimlessness, things a lot of people can relate to right now. Carey and Azoulai recruited actor and high school graduate DJ Kemp to be their lovable protagonist, Adam, an ever earnest and hopeful guy surrounded by weird and inhospitable people. Adam has had a tough life. Raised by a single mom who apparently has a thing for S&M, he’s just graduated from college and she’s kicked him out! Thanks mom, now you can get back to your anal probing (watch the first episode).
It’s a cute little series, and it even got some recent recognition as a finalist for NATPE’s NextTV competition. (Natural Hazards won).
Need more web TV? A great place to start is Tilzy, which vigorously documents the newest shows. For some already established fare, see Lisa Kudrow’s much-publicized show on Hulu, Web Therapy, which proves that Kudrow is at her best when she’s despicable. For more guy-centric programming, trying the simple and winning formula of Jake and Amir.