The black web series trend: 6 shows to watch out for

theGRIO REPORT - 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...

Ugonna Okpalaoka

Oct 23, 2012

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

Follow Ugonna on Twitter at @ugonnaokpalaoka