After growing tired of watching stereotypes of people of color on the screen, Issa Rae created her own vision of reality with “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl.”

The Web-based show follows J, played by Rae, and her mishaps and successes in work and love.

“The Web series came about because I really didn’t see anybody like me on the screen, nobody that I could relate to,” said Rae, the show’s producer, writer and director. “There’s are just so many limited archetypes for black females in particular, and just people of color in general, and it’s frustrating to look at the screen and only be able to relate to people like Tina Fey or Amy Poehler, people who don’t look like me.”

Since the series first posted online in February, the debut episode has garnered more than 240,000 hits. Subsequent episodes have received more than 100,000 hits and 1,000 viewer comments. Nearly 17,000 people are dedicated to the show’s Facebook page. Rae said she and co-producer Tracy Oliver are packaging “Awkward Black Girl” as a half-hour comedy to sell to a cable network, but are strongly thinking about keeping it online to build the audience and maintain stronger contact with viewers. Continue Reading

Around 2007, TV networks made a land rush to the Web, looking to lay down digital production studios. Four years later, many of those networks have pulled up stakes, shunning original Web content and reorienting their online outlook.

The Walt Disney Co. and ABC launched their digital media destination, Stage 9, only to fold it by 2009. Time Warner’s comedy-focused site Super Deluxe also launched in 2007 and closed the next year. (CBS and Fox have showed only sporadic interest in original Internet TV.)

Now, Comcast Corp. has announced that the NBC Universal Digital Studio, launched in 2008, is shuttering. A relatively robust digital outfit, its series often paired sponsors with a show, such as the Hollywood drama “Dial Star” (AT&T), the comedy “Fact Checkers Unit” (Samsung) and the comedy “In Gayle We Trust” (American Family Insurance). Clearly, Comcast, a cable operator and NBC’s parent, has some interest in maintaining the primacy of TV.

But why are so many TV networks fleeing a business for which they would seem perfectly suited? The exodus comes at a time when many see brightening skies for original content on the Web. Though it took some time for the numbers to measure up to the early promise of Web video, profits and audiences are on the uptick.

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NBC would do right to create a whole show just around the premise of Jack Donaghy, Executive Superhero

On Jan. 18, Comcast Corporation received approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to merge with General Electric Company and NBC Universal Comcast will own 51 percent in the joint venture, (GE will own 49 percent), and will manage the company according to a Comcast press release.

With an estimated business deal at $30 billion, that is a big transaction with potentially big consequences.
We think one of the nation’s largest mass communications companies joining a major television and film-producing company sounds like a monopoly with big plans ahead. Continue Reading

After last week’s episode of The Office, you may have seen a promo for The Podcast, a new web series on NBC.com.

Zach Woods (Gabe Lewis) stars in the shorts, which follow Gabe’s brilliant idea to start an office podcast. Of course, things go wrong when Kevin jumps in as Gabe’s sidekick, Meredith starts demonstrating what she can do with her feet and Kelly uses the podcast to try to become famous.

Here’s the first episode. It’s cute. You can watch two more on the site.

By Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY