Quarterlife

Yes, I got sucked into the most expensive internet show ever produced. I set up a profile, I posted my comments, I uploaded pictures, and I was incredibly excited to see it was coming to tv. It meant that everyone has a chance of their little show getting onto tv...provided you have experience with network shows, have an experienced show runner, and have half a million dollars to kick around.

However, it seems like since it got the news, quarterlife has quit trying to pump up excellent content, and is content with mediocre and downright bad content. Their latest offering is just Awful, with the whole debra situation (watch the show, I won't give it away).

It seems like they planned for about 10 episodes, and when they got past ten they didn't know what to do. Well, it should be known, that you should plan for your season. Have a story arch which is compelling and takes people on a journey.

I don't care that Jed is an artist, give the client what they want and don't be a whiny puss. Your commercial stunk anyway. I don't care that Dylan was at one point a lesbian (by the way the dialog on the scene between lisa and Dylan at the bar seems like it was written by a drunk monkey. And if it was not, but one on staff, it would be hilarious). I don't know why it's such a big deal the chick from the dealership is banging her boss, or why Danny is so horrified about it. And most importantly, I don't know what's so great about Debra. She's not interested, she's not attractive, she's not a great motivator of me. She's not profound in any way. She seems like the most stale person in the entire world. However, Danny, Jed, and Dylan (it seems) are all in love with her. this boring, bland, vanilla, self-centered, dullard.

Another thing, when the show came out it was like 15 minutes long, not it's barely 5. It goes right into my conclusion that they have no idea where the story is going or how to create compelling dialog to get it there. The best thing this show can do is hope Debra dies and that story arch makes the show compelling and believable.

and before you label me a hater, please know I want this show to succeed as much as or more than anyone reading this blog. I want to believe a great show, regardless of the format, can rise above its status and be raised to network television. I want to believe great shows like Prom Queen, Sam has Seven Friends, Life From the Inside, Buddy Jackson, and the rest can get above their station and find an audience. However, I don't think Quarterlife is a good representation of that and it's rise to network level could detrimentally hurt the movement, because people unfamiliar with what the internet has available will watch this show and say: "that's it. F those internet shows."

But I would implore those people not to give in. There are amazing shows:

www.zefrank.com
www.buddyjackson.com
www.lifefromtheinside.com
www.theburg.tv
www.neosoulcafe.com
www.pixelperfect.com
www.nexttoheaven.net
www.rocketboom.com
www.geekbrief.tv
www.promqueen.tv
www.samhas7friends.com

They actually deserve a bigger, better audience. They deserve people to enjoy themselves and not question what the writer was drinking. They deserve a show to serve as a beacon to the rest of the television watching world that the internet does have incredible show. Quarterlife should be that beacon, but unfortunately, it is not.