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Star Trek: Phase II
Joss Whedon name-checks this cult fave fan-made Trek series, originally titled New Voyages, when asked about the Web serials that turned him on to the medium. Now five years and running (with new installments coming this spring), the 50-minute episodes continue the adventures of the Enterprise crew — but portrayed by loyal Trekkies instead. Yeah, it's geeky — but the success is no joke. CBS lets the show run as long as they don't make money, and veteran Star Trek cast and crew (including creator Gene Rodenberry's son) have pitched in. "I'm not a Trekker, and I was riveted," says Whedon.
Black20
A talking Empire State building, a Dig-Dug videogame hero brought
to life, and a gun-toting murderous computer mouse ... it's all
there at the hilariously trippy hub of Web shows at Black20.com.
Created by a trio of former NBC lackies in Queens, New York, B20
churns out a steady and reliably gut-busting stream of shorts.
Star Wars Public Service Announcements — including
Darth Vader busting his son with a bong-like saber — got the
geek buzz going. These days, net_work, a kooky and surreal
comedy about two viral video makers is the one to watch. When one
slacker steals his friend's pizza, he takes to the air like
Superman much to his surprise. "Hey, my slice!" his friend yelps
from below. "Fuck you," says his buddy in the clouds, "I can
fly!"
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The Guild
This short comedy about a group of hapless role-playing gamers is
the sleeper hit online — racking up last year's run of best
Web series awards from YouTube and Yahoo. The series follows their
hapless lives on and offline. One zealous geek shoves computer
memory down his pants to seduce his crush. A balding middle-aged
pawn gets fragged by a junk food queen. Guild's creator is
Felicia Day, a frequent Whedon actress who has appeared in
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr. Horrible. The
Joss approves. "It was small, it was delightful," says Whedon, who
was impressed by Day's just-do-it tenacity. "Here was another
really great example from a different mold of just somebody who got
tired of not getting the gig, creating the gig."
Clark and Michael
In case you missed it, this brilliant run of 10 Webisodes still
reigns as the closest thing to The Office or Freaks
and Geeks online. The show follows the ubiquitously awkward
nerd boy/man, Michael Cera, playing himself, as he and his buddy,
Clark Duke, try to get a crappy TV show on the air. Along the way,
there's binge drinking, Putt-Putt golf, and a misguided attempt to
get Kenny Loggins to sing their theme song. There's also plenty of
Cera-inspired cameos from his Arrested Development family,
including a memorable turn by Tony "Buster" Hale as a short-sighted
TV exec.
Seth
McFarlane's Cavalcade of Comedy
The creator of Family Guy and American Dad made a
splash with this site — not just for the hilarious animated
shorts, but for his mega-bucks deal with a fast food sponsor. So
yeah, you gotta put up with the plugs, but the inspired riffs are
worth it: Jeff Goldblum pawning talking crackers in his likeness,
Barry Gibb high-pitch yelping on a roller coaster, and a couple
ducks watching Meet the Parents. "I'm finding myself
really put off by Ben Stiller," says one bird. "Really put off,"
says the other, "he's doing nothing for me." But this is.