We talk Husbands, gay marriage, casting, and the future of online video!

Edited by Scott Napolitano

If you were still awake after the Oscars last night, then you may have caught Oprah looking fabulously gold on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Well, Jimmy Kimmel took the opportunity to pitch several new “off-brand” shows for Oprah’s new network OWN in a hilarious pre-taped skit which had Oprah stealing things and pummeling people. If you missed it, catch it on Kimmel’s YouTube channel!

This book is about grief, and you won’t want to put it down.

It took me one sitting to read The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith… a few hours laying on my living room floor, avidly turning the pages, seeing a movie playing in my head (which is how the filmmaker in me reads books.)

The Rules of Inheritance is an unflinchingly honest memoir about a woman’s journey over the course of the illnesses and ultimate deaths of both of her parents from cancer by the time she was 25. “Inheritance” doesn’t play into the book in terms of any financial leave-behinds but rather in terms of the baggage she is left with.

It is told in a non-linear structure, meandering between childhood, young adulthood, and maturity.

Often, memoirs take this “woe is me” attitude in their narration. Tragedy and pain is inflicted upon the narrator. In Smith’s memoir, pain is inflicted upon her but she also inflicts it right back. She is hurt but she also hurts other people. She is complicated, confused, sensitive, flawed. Finding out at fourteen that both of your parents are diagnosed with cancer will do that to you. The Claire in the book is imperfect, sometimes infuriating, often making poor decisions, which makes the book a fascinating read.

Smith is a blogger and also a grief counselor.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own. Join the discussion HERE.

While Digital Chick TV creator Daryn Strauss did not take home the trophy, the first awarded of the night on B.B. Kings’ stage in New York City, she did share some good humor on the part of presenter Jimmy Fallon during the east coast awards ceremony, when both her and fellow nominee Michael Cyril Creighton’s names garnered raucous applause from the audience… yet did not pull a win.

The Achievement in Writing Original New Media went to two worthy writers, Richie Keen and Heath Corson of Aim High on Cambio. Outstanding Achievement in Writing (Derivative) was awarded to the writing team behind The Walking Dead for AMC. Teleplay by John Esposito, Story by John Esposito and Greg Nicotero.

Last year, the Original New Media award went to independent drama Anyone But Me’s all-female writing pair, Tina Cesa Ward and Susan Miller, while the Derivative New Media award went to Jon Haller for 30 Rock’s online content.

Other highlights of the New York ceremony included Kristen Wiig’s presentation to Judd Apatow and host Rachel Dratch and WGAE member Craig Shemin’s reenactment of a George Clooney scene from The Alexander Payne winning film The Descendants.

Take a look at Digital Chick TV’s Daryn Strauss on the red carpet.

Nominee Daryn Strauss, Courtesy Film Magic

new media nominee Daryn Strauss, courtesy Getty Images

new media nominee Daryn Strauss, courtesy Wire Image

fellow new media nominees Daryn Strauss and Michael Cyril Creighton at the afterparty

DARYN: First of all, I love Whole Day Down. It is such an odd show with a very unique tone. Did you know how strange the show was going to be when you signed on or did it just get stranger as it went along?

ELISA: Ha! Well, it certainly got stranger as we went along… but that’s not to say it wasn’t outside of the box to begin with. I think Tai [Fauci] and Patrick [Breen] had a good sense of how the show would develop, but we all went into it with an experimental spirit and sort of created who we were and what was happening as it happened at first. We shot a few initial episodes a couple years ago and shot a lot of interviews with characters, etc. to get a feel for who we might be. Overall it has been a very creatively innovative experience… where half the time I don’t have a clue what’s going on! But then again, do we really know what we’re doing in life most of the time? We think we do, but do we? Uh oh, maybe that’s just me…

DARYN: I was addicted to the show right away. Tai Fauci is such a talented creator. The cast is amazing, all the way down to the guest stars. What is the vibe like on set? Do you rehearse? How do you all work?

ELISA: Will [Willie Garson], Patrick and I have known each other for many years, so it was really fun to know that we would be doing this thing together. And I’ve known Dan Fauci the longest — from when he was at Paramount and Clueless the TV show was one of the shows he oversaw as an exec — so I knew we had a really solid group of artists coming together. The vibe on set (aside from when I was really crabby one day because I was shooting a movie at the same time, or about to start, and I felt a little taxed… disclaimer!) is generally very open and improvisational… and a bit zany. We rehearse and try different things, staying within the parameters of who the characters are.

DARYN: Do you have a lot of improv experience?

ELISA: Not technically, no. Well, in high school I did a lot of improv in this experimental theatre we had at school, but I don’t think that quite counts. I never went to the Groundlings or a school for improv. All of my training as an actor has been in the classics and in drama, in the craft of acting. When I started to audition for comedy at the beginning of my career, I just approached every text like I would a drama but put the funny bone in it. I think drama and comedy are extremely close in life — the laughter and tears are often a breath away from one another. And now the bulk of my career has been in comedy. Although a large part of comedy is scripted to a tee and timing within those specific words is crucial, there is a whole other element that can be involved — improv. I’m not so sure you can teach funny. So if you’re just plain NOT funny, but you’re lucky enough to have geniuses around you that know how to craft the humor into a scene, you’re extremely fortunate. Funny things come from funny people and/or funny/tragic situations. And I’ve had the privilege of working with some really talented comedians and comic actors, who have taught me a ton while working with them. And now on In Gayle We Trust, there are some pretty brilliant improv performers that have raised the bar for me in that area. They have shown me the difference between just being a funny person and being able to exploit that and actually make it a craft. Humor has always been a large part of my life as a human, and I think you either have the funny bone, or you don’t… At least I hope I have it. Oh no, am I delusional on this front as well?… Hmm…

DARYN: You definitely have it. You’re also not a web series newbie. This is your third web series, right? Which came first — The Lake or In Gayle We Trust?

ELISA: The Lake was the first web series I did. Without knowing where these things were going at the time, there was some risk inherent in getting involved. You have to look at the elements and decide if they make up something worthwhile for you. I was interested in doing The Lake because Jason Priestley was directing, and he and I worked together on the original 90210 years ago. He’s an awesome guy and a great director. And because Warner Brothers was involved I felt we would be operating at a level of professionalism. Then Gayle came up shortly after we wrapped The Lake. It had several elements that were appealing to me: Brent Forrester created it (producer and writer of The Office, amongst other things), and NBC was behind it. Then I read the script and immediately got who the character was, and knew I could play her for a long time. That doesn’t always happen, that you connect so inherently to a role and just know you’re supposed to play it.

DARYN: You’re tremendous as Gayle in In Gayle We Trust. She’s perky but also complicated, which I think is so important in shows geared for women. We’re complicated! The show reminds me of those classic, feel-good sitcoms like Bewitched, Donna Reed, or even Doris Day. Were they part of your inspiration at all?

ELISA: I love that it reminds you of classic feel-good sitcoms of the past! I absolutely love playing Gayle. I actually base her almost entirely on my mother. A sort of jacked-up extreme version of her anyway! It sounds dorky but it is meaningful to me to put out something positive into the universe. There is so much negativity and violence in entertainment… that whole “it’s cool to be hard and mean and disillusioned and I don’t really care about anything but I’m really witty and quicker than you” sort of attitude in a lot of comedy today. Especially on television. Characters being funny at other character’s expense, or by operating under the veil of being too cool for school, and it drives me crazy! I think that’s part of the whole problem with the direction of our culture today — we are celebrating not giving a shit. And being snide and mean-spirited. I love that IGWT comes from a whole other direction, that Gayle herself is multi-layered and complicated and way too nice most of the time, but she is by no means stupid. She really sees the best in people and situations and wants everyone to thrive. She wants to build them up, not tear them down. And she has a characteristic that I think is uber-important and unusual for a role that is so buttoned up and perky — she is utterly inclusive. She accepts and loves every oddity and unusual part of people and helps them to be who they are, even when she is totally thrown by someone’s idiosyncrasies and may not have such qualities herself. I realize I’m waxing philosophical here, but it’s what I believe. I do keep saying though, in like, Season 14, Gayle should go ballistic and tell everyone they are insane, and they should fix their own problems and she moves to Fiji!

DARYN: In Gayle We Trust has become one of the most successful web series to date. Can you share a little bit about the process of working with a brand? How did American Family Insurance get involved?

ELISA: It’s my understanding that NBC partnered with American Family, and then asked Brent Forrester to create a show based on a fictional insurance agent that could conceivably be working for American Family. So the brand serves as like a sponsor would, in terms of how we experience them on set. They make sure that Gayle is always behaving in a way that does not tarnish the brand and positively represents their company. This is where Brent, and subsequently the new writers, have been genius– these ideals are inherent in her character, so it doesn’t feel forced, or like we’re doing a commercial for the brand. They weave the brand into the stories and Gayle’s character is really clear. The first season they were more involved and were meticulous about making sure we never stepped out of bounds, which I think was warranted since this was a new endeavor for all parties and they wanted to make sure they were safe. In each subsequent season they have seen how successful the show has been, and so there is more of a trust put in the creative team, and they have fewer and fewer notes. It’s been a really wonderful experience all around. I truly love doing the show and everyone involved in it.

DARYN: Whole Day Down has just wrapped up its first season. Any news on the next season of In Gayle We Trust?

ELISA: I know that Season 3 of In Gayle We Trust garnered over 50 million views, which is just phenomenal! And now there is talk of Season 4. I was just recently told by the powers that be that they want to do a Season 4 and are pushing for that. I believe that NBC may have been bought out by the entity that brought NBC and AmFam together, so there would be some changes as far as who distributes it I guess… but that’s not really my area of expertise, so I’m fuzzy on the business details of this. But I’m confident you haven’t seen the last of Gayle! Since last season was shot and put together almost like a pilot (in that the whole season is one complete story) that opens up a myriad of options of where the show could go. Maybe you will see Gayle in prime time soon. When we wrapped season 3, they asked me if I would be interested in continuing, and I said absolutely, that I could play Gayle for a long, long time. They said, “That makes us very happy,” which makes me very happy! Gayle makes everybody happy!

Watch the Season 1 opener of Whole Day Down below and catch up on the whole season at www.wholedaydown.tv! And for updates on Elisa Donovan, follow her at http://twitter.com/reddonovan.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sci-fi fans, here’s one for you.

A scientist (Nathan Guisinger), his creepy daughter (Anevay Darlington), an injured test subject, and an oracle convene in the new sci-fi series from Peripheral City’s Amanda Cole. Set in a futuristic world in which elevated human beings are on the run from the government due to an oracle that James Roy invented, the series is beautifully shot and directed with dabbles of special effects (by Marc Hutchings of Fantastic Mr. Fox, X-Men, and Harry Potter) and a whole bunch of odd thrills. The series also touts the same non-conformist, otherworldly tone of Amanda’s previous series Peripheral City, a social drama revolving around a soup kitchen in Williamsburg.

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Amanda Cole
CAST: Nathan Guisinger, Anevay Darlington, Marcy Girt, J.B. Rote

The second season continues where it left off, with the gang screaming bloody murder, as they are trapped in the scariest place on earth — high school. Will they survive?

With beautiful cinematography by Kingslea Bueltel, the show features a strong ensemble cast that includes Cherami Leigh, as the tortured heroine, and Rebekah Kennedy, as the emotionally unstable school slut, both of whom I interviewed last year.

Check out the first four episodes of Season 2 below. Then keep watching the entire second season!

WEBSITE: http://www.throwingstoneswebseries.com/
WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY: Bart Van Bemmel & Jason A. Wheeler
CAST: Cherami Leigh, Chad Cox, Rebekah Kennedy, Lynn Andrews III, Tom Hamlett

The A storyline: The girls are National Champions so everyone will be trying to bring them down.

This is typical coach motivation — Abby’s tactic to grind the girls even harder so they don’t get lazy and full of themselves. Also it’s plain true and is probably exactly what Abby would do if cameras were not on her. And from a plot point, we need to still feel there is conflict.

The B storyline: Guess what? ALDC now has an evil rival dancing school, Candy Apples, who will do anything to beat them, including lie about their dancers’ ages and manipulate the judging system.

Writing 101 — Set up a foil! You’ve seen Glee, right? And that cheerleading series with Kirstin Dunst? The Candy Apple girls, including the studio owner Cathy (Dance Mom’s Sue Sylvester), are the show’s antagonists. The more outrageous the better!

The C storyline: Brooke abandons dance for cheerleading, but will the girls be able to compete without her?

If you noticed, this plot was set up in the first episode of this season with Abby’s mantra: “Everyone’s replaceable.” In the season opener, Abby holds an audition to replace Vivi-anne. At the audition, another important plot point was established when Payton was cut from the auditions for being too old (even though she is roughly the same age as Brooke), and her pushy mom blew a gasket. Abby then used this to threaten a moody, unmotivated Brooke by saying that Payton would be happy to take her place if she didn’t step it up. Brooke, as has been in the works since last season, instead chose to try out for the football cheerleading team in the MIDDLE of football season… because clearly her school doesn’t need cheerleaders until they are six games in (but shhh, don’t pay attention to things like that.) Then of course, as was fairly obvious when Payton’s mom got so much air time in the first episode, Payton will take Brooke’s place until the prodigal Brooke realizes later in the season that she misses dance and has to battle it off with Payton and Payton’s crazy mom for her old spot. (My little prediction.)

The D storyline: Chloe vs. Maddie.

This rivalry was the key storyline last year. The second season of Dance Moms started so early in the competition season that neither girl is facing any real competition from anyone else since most schools don’t hit the competition circuit until January, so they are pretty much just trading off 1st overalls between them. (Yes, I used to compete in dance competitions.) Also, vital from a plot point is that whenever Chloe wins, Abby must tear her down, because Chloe must remain the underdog in order for Christi to have shit to yell about. And of course Melissa’s role is to be in utter denial that there could be anyone better than Maddie, the show’s Lea Michele. I’m sure there is some truth to these character sketches but they have been exaggerated to make good television.

We also have minor characters like Nia, the African American dancer who was battling flexed feet and racism last season — yeah, racism, they went there, probably just to give Holly, Nia’s very accomplished mom with the PhD, some smart thing to pontificate about. Then there was Mackenzie, as the quirky little sis with the funny jabs. (Because there’s always one of those. I’m surprised they don’t put her in weird glasses.) And lastly, there’s Paige, as the pretty blonde sidekick BFF who never gets any lines but who usually at some point, will say or do something that puts everything in perspective and then you understand why they didn’t cut that role.

Anyway, who cares? The kids have talent, work hard, and support one another, which is a good example to kids. And I don’t want to call DYFS on any of the moms, even if they dress in sequined blouses to pick their daughters up from jazz class. I’m enjoying it, as silly as it is. Are you?

DARYN

As regular readers of Digital Chick TV will know, I am a fan of smart comedy that pushes some buttons like The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and Broad City, and The Slope continues in that tradition of awkward, socially relevant comedy with an improvisational vibe.

After releasing 8 episodes online, the series used a Kickstarter campaign to successfully raise over $8,000 to continue making the show. Both Ingrid and Desiree are studying at NYU. Ingrid is a 2011 recipient of a NYWIFT Scholarship. We love NYWIFT.

Watch the first three episodes below.

WEBSITE: http://theslopeshow.com/
CREATORS: Desiree Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann
STARRING: Desiree Akhavan and Ingrid Jungermann