It seems these days that most images of African-Americans on television often come in the form of reality TV fights, but instead of waiting on networks to get smart and diversify their shows, black directors, producers and writers are taking matters into their own hands and onto the web — and they’re proving they’re a force to be reckoned with.
The trend of black web series has been growing fast over the last two years.
As the people behind the comedy sketch web series Dormtainment told theGrio, “This is the day and age where you can have an idea for a video, plot it out, and shoot it without going through the hands of uncreative suits or others who will dilute your ideas.”
“It is also possible to gather a fan base that can rival a television show,” they said. “The conversation about what you’re creating is a two way one, and the audience actually cares about the characters in the series, as well as the people who create it.”
Issa Rae, the creator of the wildly popular web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, recently made the jump to prime time, but there are many other producers who are creating original and entertaining shows for audiences on the web.
I compiled a list of six web series providing quality content online. Scroll down to see what shows you should watch out for.
In no particular order:
Black folk don’t…camp, tip, swim — the list goes on. This web series explores and challenges common black stereotypes by going right to the source. Director and producer Angela Tucker hit the streets of New York with her team in the first season, asking African Americans what they thought of these stereotypes. This season, the team is in New Orleans with a whole new set of stereotypes to discuss.
“I knew I wanted to do something that was somewhat high concept,” said Tucker. “I wanted a series that provided a space for a multiplicity of voices and was an open-ended question that had no right or wrong answer. I hoped to create a complicated race conversation in a fun and dynamic way. From all of that, Black Folk Don’t was born.”
“We have a lot of exciting things planned for season three, including a trip abroad! We’ll announce all of it on our Facebook page.”
Watch “Black Folk Don’t: Do Atheism” | Facebook
2. Osiris
Described on its website as being inspired by hit shows Lost, True Blood and 24, this web series follows Osiris, a man who can never die no matter how many times he’s killed, as he works to solve mysteries, including the one about his eternal life.
“My primary goal was to create a show with a great story and characters. Osiris is a fun, thrilling, mysterious, suspenseful show that just about anyone can enjoy,” Donnie Leapheart, creator of the series, told The Grio. “When we look at the fans we have on Facebook and Twitter, we are amazed by how across the board the people in our demographics are. People of many different races, ages, genders seem to love the show and its creativity.”
He continued, “We felt there was a need for alternative programming featuring African Americans in the world of not only web series, but also film and television as well. We didn’t have much of a budget but we made up for that with a high concept that seemed fresh to all of those helping to make it happen.”
Watch “Chapter One” | Facebook
We’ve all probably been there: the only black person at school, at work, or at a party. Racey, a new hire who finds herself in exactly that situation, shares tales of her awkward encounters in the workplace in a humorous way. The character is played by Aasha Davis, known for her roles in Pariah and Friday Night Lights.
“The Unwritten Rules is based on a book I wrote, 40 Hours and an Unwritten Rule: The Diary of a Nigger, Negro, Colored, Black, African-American Woman, published in 2004,” said Kim Williams, executive producer and writer of the series. “For African-Americans, I feel the show represents an authentic voice that is rare and sometimes non-existent in mainstream television and film. For others, the show is a window into a black woman’s journey in the workplace that again, really hasn’t been exposed.”
“I think it’s a starting point to first acknowledge the racial perceptions that still exist on both sides as a result of racism,” she said. “I think the humor of the show makes people of all races comfortable to begin the dialogue that we have avoided with each other.”
Watch Episode 1 “First Day” | Facebook
From across the pond comes Brothers With No Game, a series spun off a popular blog of the same name. The London-based show follows four young men as they learn how to “play the game,” some more successfully than others.
“We began as a blog, telling relatable, humorous and creative stories from a young male’s perspective and it became a running suggestion by our fans to make our product visual,” the creators behind the site said. “It was a chance for us to develop our creativity as well as provide established and new fans with something entertaining, relatable and real that we may not get that much of on TV.”
And when asked about future plans for the series, they said, “We have developing stories in relationships, the workplace and friendship as well as cameos from special guests. The show will end with the audience asking more questions and hopefully we will be able to answer them. Whether it will be online or on TV for season two, only time will tell.”
Watch Episode 1 “The Heskey Role” | Facebook
5. Dormtainment
Dormtainment has been in the game for awhile and has been creating some big buzz. Founded in 2009, the sketch-comedy group still finds a way to bring fresh and funny material to their fans, and they’ve been rewarded with hundreds of thousands of video views.
“Dormtainment really has something for everyone. We go extra silly with sketches like ‘The Invisible Dancing Girl‘ and also provide social commentary with sketches like ‘I Hate Rappers,'” the six friends told The Grio. “We hate to throw the whole race thing into the equation, but we are black comedy because, well, we are black. But we leave the preachy messages at the door, and on the other end, we don’t rely on totally negative ignorance to provide humor as others do. We have a nice balance between the two.”
“Oh, and we’ve been working out if you can’t tell,” they added. “Look at our collective muscles.”
The group is currently working on a Halloween series, the finale of which airs this upcoming Sunday.
Watch “Dating a Jamaican” | Facebook
6. The Couple
The Couple breaks down the dynamics of a relationship in a funny and familiar way. The couple in the series have to deal with the little issues that make for great comedy: figuring out what to order when eating out and deciding who sleeps on what side of the bed.
“We created this series based on our personal experiences in relationships,” Dennis Dortch, director of the series told theGrio. “Black folks want to see ourselves in realistic, quirky shows just like our white counterparts.”
“Dennis, myself and our other creative partner, Jeanine Daniels, all gravitate towards this type of content based on personal experience,” Numa Perrier, writer and co-star of the series, told Clutch Magazine. “The Couple was Jeanine’s inspiration based on her previous relationships and it has now expanded into some of the day-to-day situations Dennis and I experience as a real life couple.”
Dortch says viewers should watch the show “to see themselves and their friends reflected back to them. To remember that a normal black couple without the drama and ghetto mess is the norm, not the other way around.”
The team plans to take the series into production for a spin-off feature film, expected to debut next year.
Watch “Ride or Drive Chick” | Facebook
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