Friday Top 5: Web series to get you hooked

Quick question. How many of you get your television by actually watching a television? That is what I thought. There is a growing percentage of viewers who turn to the internet to catch up on television, or even watch television for that matter. Its a growing trend that is eventually going to send television the way of the newspaper if they don’t figure something out fast.

Even better than television on the internet is finding new entertainment on the interwebs. No longer is it just streaming television shows or viral videos. There is a whole new crop of shows that are web exclusive. And many of them can rival television with regard to quality, acting and stories. It also loosen the constraints that must be adhered to on television, so you can truly get some revolutionary shows just by bumping around the web.

As such, to get you started on your web journey to entertainment, this week’s top five is built around an introduction to web series and the top ones to boot in my book. Buckle in.

5) Rockville, CA
A couple of years ago The WB went boom! It transmogrified into something called The CW that about 14 viewers watch each night. So instead of sticking with that, The WB transformed itself into a web platform with original content available exclusively online. The latest offering out of The WB is Rockville, CA. Rockville is a small indie music club, with the story centering around a young A&R rep and a club regular. Set in about six minute episodes, this series was created by Josh Schwartz (of The OC, Chuck and Gossip Girl fame), and offers up a little slice of teen angst and indie rock that Schwartz has been known for. Perfect for those who like drama and music alike. Plus it has Dick Casablancas, how can you even come close to saying no to that.

4) Legend of Neil
See Neil decided to touch himself as he saw a fairy playing The Legend of Zelda. Guess you should not do that as now Neil is in the world of Hyrule on a quest to stop Gannon and save the princess Zelda. I will always have an affection for Zelda somewhere in my heart. It is the first epic video game I can remember owning and making a point to finish. And Neil just twists that with some pretty crude humor that leads to good laughs along the way. Probably not the safest thing to watch a work, but definitely a cannot miss.

3) Street Fighter: The Later Years
Oh the money I wasted on Street Fighter II. My friends and I would pack into the nearby Peter Piper Pizza and spend hours upon hours just in front of that game. The trick was to really only spend one quarter and more often than not, that is all we would spend as challenger after challenger would fall to us. And we didn’t cheat. Blanka and Ken were my picks of choice. And if you ever did wonder what happened to all those characters we loved, College Humor brings us 10 years later after Street Fighter II was all the rage. See what happens on a chance meeting between Dhalsim and Zangief in a taxi cab, and how it brings back all the characters into the fold. This is probably best viewed by those who played the game, but great none the less.

2) The Guild
I am going to blame The Guild for rocketing me into the arena of online series viewing. And if you have never seen The Guild, stop what you are doing and watch all two seasons of it now. It is a moral imperative. Written by Felicia Day, it covers a merry band of MMORPG gamers as their online troubles play out in real life. Now myself, I have somehow avoided online gaming for the most part, and my wallet and life thanks me for that. But The Guild is smart, witty and funny, all tied together with a pretty, little red bow. You will really thank me later.

1) Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
You know. I was a little conflicted on putting this here. Not because it isn’t like the most awesomest thing ever released on the internet, but because could I call it a series. But yes. Yes it is. And nothing you can say will sway me. And do I need to describe what it is? Because I cannot truly believe that not every one in the world has seen Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. But if you have not. Do it. Just do it. Do it NOW! It will change your life. You will not look at sky and say it is blue. You will say it is orange! Why are you still reading? Arggggg. Its NPH, Whedon, Nathan “The Hammer is my penis” Fillion and freeze rays. And above that, a soundtrack that you will listen to for two weeks straight. Now, how can you say no? The entirety of the horribleness is below.

So there you go. Any hidden gems from the web you have? Share. And early apologies to those who may not be able to view videos above. Simple, solution? Google.