Gays on Indie Soaps: We Have Arrived!

Yesterday on We Love Soaps, I lamented the firing of Brett Claywell and Scott Evans from ONE LIFE TO LIVE, and pondered if gays and lesbians are better or worse with extraneous and disposable representation on daytime television. Today I am celebrating the integral and fundamental portrayals of gays and lesbians on several of the wonderful indie soaps now available. If you are one of the viewers that are disappointed by the disappearances of "Kish," "Otalia," "Nuke," or simply enjoy seeing same sex couples do more than touch one another's chins, then you definitely will want to check out the positive and sexy images on the shows below.  [To watch the show, simply press on the title].

ANACOSTIA: If DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES took place in an upper-middle class African-American suburb, and given realistic and emotionally gripping stories, then you would have the compelling indie soap ANACOSTIA. The ensemble cast has magic chemistry together, and was deservedly given the Indie Soap Award for Best Ensemble. However, unlike the ABC show, the gay couple in this neighborhood is not peripheral and used for comic relief, they are an integral and essential part of the fabric of the show from Episode One onward. The love scene between these two men makes "Kish's" sex look like something done by Disney. Hey, wait a minute...just check out ANACOSTIA now!

Tonight's the Night! The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISAs) will air tonight at 9 p.m. ET at We Love Soaps and around the web. The show, taped in New York City, will feature a performance by comedian/musician Joanna Parson and appearances from presenters and winners in locations around the world.

BUPPIES leads all indie soaps with 13 nominations. COMPULSIONS received 11, and ANYONE BUT ME and DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM each received 10.

In total 16 indie soap operas received nominations, and another four are eligible for the "Fan's Choice Award," which fans voted on throughout the month of January. Six non-soaps are nominated in a special category recognizing the achievements in comedy. We will also be naming the winners of five special Editor's Awards.

In case you need a refresher on the nominees, here they are:

Best Indie Soap
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
CHICK
COMPULSIONS
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
HIGH RISE
LUMINA

Viva La (Indie Soap) Revolution!

When I was growing up I loved watching soap operas. I was fascinated by seeing the adult characters tackle life's challenges and navigate their way realistically through emotional hardships. Watching Julie Williams or Kimberly Brady on DAYS OF OUR LIVES thrive, despite dealing with the worst situations life could possibly throw at them, fueled my inspiration and hope that I could do the same. The underlying but implicit message on all shows was: These people can survive in spite of their problems, and you can too.

But somewhere around fifteen years ago, daytime dramas lost their way. They focused less on the triumph of the human spirit, and more on mobsters, cartoon villains, baby switches, bombs, and weird weather patterns. It seemed they no longer had an interest in inspiring and educating their audience. In fact, one actress on a popular show around this time was told by her executive producer, "We're not in the business of helping people."

Fortunately, the Indie Soap Revolution is here, and they are picking up online where the television networks left off. By reviewing the nominees for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, I have been entertained, enriched, and enthralled. Not since my childhood have I been so excited and inspired about the power and relevance of the continuing story format. Sure, I will always love the network soaps out of loyalty, tradition, and nostalgia. But I’m telling you readers here and now that my focus, passion, and devotion is now electrified on the web, and you will be hearing a lot more from me from now on about the new worlds turning out in cyber space.

NOMINATIONS: 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards

NEW YORK (We Love Soaps) January 6, 2010 -- The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISAs) were announced today. BUPPIES received 13 nominations to lead all web series. COMPULSIONS received 11 nominations, and ANYONE BUT ME and DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM each received 10.

In total 16 indie soap operas received nominations, another three are eligible for the "Fan's Choice Award," and six non-soaps are nominated in a special category recognizing the achievements in comedy.

The winners will be announced on February 1, 2010.

For more details, visit indiesoapawards.com.

Best Indie Soap
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
CHICK
COMPULSIONS
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
HIGH RISE
LUMINA

INDIE SOAP BEAT: December 30, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

We Love Soaps is currently taking nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards. If you have a show, actor or category you would like to suggest, please send it to editor@welovesoaps.net before January 1, 2010. Nominations will be revealed on January 6.


The second season of ANYONE BUT ME debuted on Dec. 15. Episode #2, "Quickly, to the Exits," is now playing on the show's website. ANYONE BUT ME was recently named "Best Lesbian/Bi Web Series" in the AfterEllen Visibility Awards. VENICE was runner up.


GOTHAM will air its fourth episode on Monday, January 4 at 8 p.m. ET. What will happened between Richard and Catherine? Stay tuned. The show is now available on iTunes and several video sharing websites.


VENICE aired a new episode, its third, today. This was the longest one so far, over eight minutes, and focused on Crystal Chappell's Gina's relationships with Owen, Alan and Tracy. Michael Sabatino and Lesli Kay made their VENICE debuts as Alan and Tracy. The show has worked out its technical issues and fans were able to access the episode without any major issues.


BET.com's BUPPIES stars former THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS actress Tatyana Ali and former AS THE WORLD TURNS actor Earnest Waddell. The sixth episode, "Fear v. Responsibility," is now playing on the show's website.


The world of KINDRED features three twenty-something African-American women as they navigate family, work and love against the gritty skyline of New York City. The show premiered in November from SistaPAC Productions. Episode #2 is now playing on the show's website.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: October 28, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. We Love Soaps now has a shortcut to all our Indie Soap cover. You can view those posts by clicking the "Indie" option at the top of the page or by visiting IndieSoapBeat.com. You can get to any of the show's websites by clicking their logo.


In breaking casting news, Nadia Bjorlin's character has been changed. She was originally cast to play Jenna but due to Elizabeth Keener's illness, she took over the role of Lara. Keener will appear on the series as a different character in the second season. We Love Soaps was on the set of VENICE on Wednesday and will be bringing you videos interviews soon with Crystal Chappell (Gina), Jessica Leccia (Ani), Gina Tognoni (Sami), Harrison White (Jamie) and others. Look for a report on WE LOVE SOAPS TV on Monday.


We Love Soaps was on the set of GOTHAM recently with Lisa Brown directing. It's hard to believe this amazing actress has not won a Daytime Emmy. I'm hearing the footage is looking good and it's hard to believe that Martha Byrne's vision is going to be anything but successful. This woman has listened to the fans for years and knows what a soap fan wants. Look for the show's official website to debut soon.


Producers Tristan Rogers and Kate Lang appeared on the latest epsidoe of "We Love Soaps Radio" to discuss REALITY BYTES. The folks behind RB are taking a different approach than some of the other web series by lining up sponsors in advance and trying to create a sustainable long-term business model. Things are fluid at the moment but the tentative plan is to air the 8-minute show three days a week. You can listen to interview here. Look for a full transcript with other tidbits from Rogers and Lang later this week.


We Love Soaps recently caught up with WED-LOCKED producers and stars Lawrence Saint-Victor (Robert) and Karla Mosley (Denise). If you missed our video interview, you can watch it in three parts here, here and here.


The second season of EMPIRE is coming in early 2010. Look for some exciting casting news soon from producers Greg Turner and Brian Hewson.


Episode #10 of WORKSHOP, "Shake Your Money Maker," is now online. The comedy was created by Nate Golon and Kimberly Legg and stars former PASSIONS actor Phillip Jeanmarie. In the episode, Jeff is shooting his Sparkle White Gum commercial, Sarah and Vivian are competing for the same role, Matthew's causing a ruckus on set, and Kaitlyn is taking a workshop. The show is having a screening in L.A. to celebrate the first season on November 16.


The IMAGINARY BITCHES Emmy special featuring We Love Soaps continues to be a YouTube hit surpassing 24,000 views and still going strong.


The RELATIONSHIPS website has been updated and the show has just launched a Facebook page. There is a new Vicky's World page as she goes to a fashion show. It is all about her of course!


The latest episode of Lauralee Bell's web comedy, FAMILY DINNER, is now playing at FunnyorDie.com. As with Episode 3, this family dinner features guest star Cloris Leachman, who plays Bell's mother. The episode has over 5,400 views as of today.


Episode #5 of FANTASY OVER REALITY, the web sitcom that revolves around a group of guys and their fantasy football league, is now playing on the show's website. Y&R's Vail Bloom has significant screen time in this one and is quite funny. Bloom, a Patriots fan, plays Sarah Smith in the series.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: October 20, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. We Love Soaps now has a shortcut to all our Indie Soap cover. You can view those posts by clicking the "Indie" option at the top of the page or by visiting IndieSoapBeat.com. You can get to any of the show's websites by clicking their logo.


GOTHAM went into production over the weekend and shot the first four episodes of the series. We Love Soaps was on hand and conducted a special interview with producer/writer/star Martha Byrne (Catherine) and co-star Anne Sayre (Tina). During the interview, Michael Park (Richard) interrupted and took over! The end result was funny and charming. You can watch it on the new episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV. Also, check out the show's cool new logo released on Tuesday.


REALITY BYTES is a multi-platform web series about the faux-soap, BEYOND REASON. Producers Tristan Rogers and Kate Lang recently announced that Suzanne Niedland had joined the cast as writer Karen Walton. In a new interview on the show's website, Niedland shared her excitement about the show and working with Tristan Rogers again (they worked together on Opportunity Knocks): "I love the idea of an interactive website and the soap opera webisode. People are so busy these days that being able to watch a 5 minute episode on your iPod, computer or television is very reasonable and appreciated! The concept for this show is outstanding and I am very excited to be part of it."


Tina Sloan (Katherine) and Hillary B. Smith (Guya) filmed their first scenes last week as VENICE began production. Sloan tweeted about her character: "I am really funny on VENICE. What fun it was to be comedic and not serious. Like being with Buzz on GL - laughing the day away." Smith added cryptically: "Sitting in a noreaster thinking of Tina's face when I sniffed her." Stay tuned. VENICE is set to debut sometime around Thanksgiving.


We Love Soaps recently caught up with WED-LOCKED producers and stars Lawrence Saint-Victor (Robert) and Karla Mosley (Denise). Mosley shared how the idea for the show came about: "The idea actually came from my mother. My mother has a million ideas. She said, 'You and Lawrence should do a spinoff, you guys need to keep working together.' I said to Lawrence, “My mom said you and I should do something together. And he said, 'That’s a great idea! Hel-lo? Why didn’t you tell me this five months sooner?'" You can catch part of their interview on the pilot episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV.


The latest episode of Lauralee Bell's web comedy, FAMILY DINNER, is now playing at FunnyorDie.com. As with Episode 3, this family dinner features guest star Cloris Leachman, who plays Bell's mother. The episode has nearly 5,000 views in its first week.


Episode #5 of FANTASY OVER REALITY, the web sitcom that revolves around a group of guys and their fantasy football league, is now up on the show's website. Y&R's Vail Bloom has significant screen time in this one and is quite funny. Bloom, a Patriots fan, plays Sarah Smith in the series. Check it out!


EMPIRE creator Greg Turner's new musical, "All Fall Down," was a smashing success at this year's New York Musical Theatre Festival. Tickets were hard to come by for the show, but We Love Soaps' Damon L. Jacobs managed to catch it and wrote a glowing review: "The very able cast manages to portray a tricky balance between expressing loving non-verbal connection and painful alienation from one another. Two-time Tony nominee Mary Testa amuses and amazes as the outspoken court-TV addicted grandmother who is the first member to stand up and take action against the oppressive muting of communication." Look for season two of EMPIRE in early 2010.


Episode #9 of WORKSHOP, "A Little Cocky," is now online. The comedy was created by Nate Golon and Kimberly Legg and stars former PASSIONS actor Phillip Jeanmarie. In the episode, Matthew's on set shooting a crime drama, Vivian and Sarah both have big auditions coming up, and Jeff, Adam, and Kaitlyn are trying to take a workshop.


The IMAGINARY BITCHES Emmy special continues to be a YouTube hit surpassing 23,000 views and still going strong. We Love Soaps made a guest appearance so if you haven't watched the Emmy special and seen our "funny" facial expressions, check it out here and let us know what you think.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: October 13, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. We Love Soaps now has a shortcut to all our Indie Soap cover. You can view those posts by clicking the "Indie" option at the top of the page or by visiting IndieSoapBeat.com.

REALITY BYTES
In an expected but still exciting announcement, REALITY BYTES confirmed that Tristan Rogers would be playing Trevor Rains, a character described as "The Rainmaker - hired to save the show that made him famous from cancellation." Suzanne Niedland has also been cast as Karen Walton, "The Head Writer - The glue that holds them all together. Karen hides a lot of surprises behind her calm, matronly demeanor." More new characters were revealed last week as well.

VENICE
On October 7, the V Shop opened featuring a variety of VENICE merchandise. From the various tweets on Twitter, it appears the VENICE store was an immediate success. The next day the show announced that Emmy winner Lesli Kay, already starring in two daytime soaps, would be playing Tracy, the "London connection" of Crystal Chappell's Gina.

FAMILY DINNER
A new episode of Lauralee Bell's web series, FAMILY DINNER, was released on Monday on FunnyorDie.com. As with Episode 3, this family dinner features guest star Cloris Leachman, who plays Bell's mother. Bell joked to We Love Soaps that she hopes a Webby is in the show's future: "Our big joke is, 'The Golden Webby goes to... FAMILY DINNER.' Everyone says, 'There's Emmys and everything in your family, what's going on?' And I say, 'Maybe I'll be the first Bell to win a Webby.' This year there was almost as big of a celebrity turnout for the Webbys as the Emmys." If you haven't read the new We Love Soaps interview with Bell, check it out here.

FANTASY OVER REALITY
FANTASY OVER REALITY is a web-friendly sitcom that revolves around a group of guys and their fantasy football league. Episode #4 is now online and this is the best one yet. It features NFL stars Maurice Jones-Drew and Andre Johnson as well as some other players. Even if you're not a fantasy football player, you will be able to appreciate the humor in this series. Y&R's Vail Bloom stars in the show but didn't appear in this episode.

WED-LOCKED
Former GUIDING LIGHT star Lawrence Saint-Victor (ex-Remy) is producing, writing and starring in this new comedic web series which also features his former GL love interest Karla Mosley (ex-Christina), who is also part of the producing team. Former GL stars Yvonna Wright Kopacz (ex-Mel), Zack Conroy (ex-James) and Kim Brockington (ex-Felicia) also star in the show. You can watch the show's trailer here. WED-LOCKED premieres on November 1. Look for a We Love Soaps interview with Saint-Victor and Mosley coming soon.

GOTHAM
Production begins this weekend in Bergen County, New Jersey on the new Martha Byrne's web soap. A website is in development and will be rolled out any day now. Byrne tweeted that former AS THE WORLD TURNS star Margaret Reed (ex-Shannon) would be appearing in the premiere episode. On Saturday, a video preview featuring Byrne and Park was released by the show. Byrne hinted that a male character on GOTHAM would be an alcoholic.

HIGH RISE
When HIGH RISE returns for a second season early next year, the show will be played on Fox 5 in Atlanta. Season two will feature ten 30 minute episodes airing in High Definition. The show recently held an open casting call where they ask those submitting to describe why they should be on the soap and which character they should play.

EMPIRE
If you are in the New York City area and didn't get to see EMPIRE creator Greg Turner's new musical, "All Fall Down," at the New York Musical Festival, you are not alone. The show was a smashing success both creatively and in ticket sales. "All Fall Down" is the story of Ben Little, a perfect and popular 19-year-old who goes away to college and seemingly inexplicably jumps from his sixth story dorm room window. Surviving the fall, Ben returns home to his parents and grandmother. As his family tiptoes around the incident, the question quickly becomes not why did he jump, but why is nobody talking about it. Season 2 of EMPIRE is coming in early 2010.

WORKSHOP
This week there was no new episode of WORKSHOP, the comedic web series that was created by Nate Golon and Kimberly Legg and which stars former PASSIONS actor Phillip Jeanmarie. But while you're waiting for a new episode, coming next Monday, you can catch up on the previous 8. The season finale will air on November 16.

IMAGINARY BITCHES
The IMAGINARY BITCHES Emmy episode continues to be a YouTube hit approaching 22,000 views in less than four weeks. The show was also featured on a recent episode of BUCK FACTOR. We Love Soaps made a guest appearance so if you haven't watched the Emmy special, check it out here and let us know what you think.

Follow the Indie Soaps and Web Series on Twitter

If you are not following the indie soaps and web series on Twitter, what are you waiting for? There are always lots of interesting tidbits, casting scoops and news to be found. These shows are the future so keep supporting them!

(In alphabetical order)
CHICAGO TO CORONADO (@kirsteno)
EMPIRE (@EmpireTheSeries)
FAMILY DINNER (@fdonline)
FANTASY OVER REALITY (@OverReality)
GOTHAM (@GothamTheSeries)
HIGH RISE (@HighRiseAtl)
IMAGINARY BITCHES (@IBcatherine)
IN THE MOMENT (@inthemomenttv)
VENICE (@venicetheseries)
WORKSHOP (@WORKSHOPseries)

You can also follow my indie web radio soap, SCRIPTS & SCRUPLES, which will be releasing some new episodes soon at @scriptsscruples.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: August 11, 2009

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" segment, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production.

EYE OF THE STORM
J.R. Benight's radio soap, EYE OF THE STORM, returned this weekend with an all-new episode, "Kismet." You can catch up on the latest happenings in Lafayette by listening to the audio-only show which takes the concept of old-time radio soap drama and brings it into the modern era.

VENICE - THE SERIES
VENICE is launching a new contest on the show's website, venicetheseries.com, today at 4pm ET. Be sure to check it out.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: August 4, 2009

In our new "Indie Soap Beat" segment, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent serial production.

HIGH RISE
HIGH RISE is casting two upcoming roles for Season 2 from submissions received from HighRiseTheSeries.com. To be considered, upload a video to the Official HIGH RISE Facebook page telling the producers why you should be on the show and what your character would be, who would you be involved with, what would your occupation be, who would you be hooking up with on the show, and how would you fit in with the current characters.

Videos can not exceed 90 seconds and must be uploaded by September 1 to be considered. Introduce yourself at the beginning of the video. The video must show your face with you speaking. The show is looking for one male and one female character.

Watch the HIGH RISE Season Finale

The first season of HIGH RISE has now concluded. You can watch the season finale below. HIGH RISE stars Kaira Akita, Steve Barnes, Bryan Brendle, Greg Corbett, Cynthia Evans, Leland Jones, Marla Malcom, Shawn Mullins, Rob Pralgo and Heather Smith.

HIGH RISE yanks you right up to the dramatic and comedic edges as it rips into the lives of seven diverse neighbors living in TERMINUS. A quirky mix of FRIENDS, ENTOURAGE and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, HIGH RISE pulls no punches as it explores the political, romantic, economic and racial diversity to be found in the hot and happening city of Atlanta.

HIGH RISE, filmed at Terminus in Atlanta, is Power. Money. Seduction. Love. Deception. And Heartbreak.

Love changes, friendships fail, ambition destroys and DRAMA ELEVATES at the corner of Peachtree & Piedmont.

Visit www.highrisetheseries.com

Watch the HIGH RISE Premiere

Check out HIGH RISE at highrisetheseries.com.

Coming Soon: HIGH RISE

Steve Barnes, former 99X and Dave FM morning host in Atlanta and actor-producer, is about to start production on a new local TV series called HIGH RISE which he said will be a bit like MELROSE PLACE but less campy. “Think GREY'S ANATOMY,” he told the Atlanta Juornal-Constitution.

The show will be available online at www.highrisetheseries.com twice a week, starting March 31 for 10 weeks. It also will be available at Comcast on Demand. It will air in five-minute segments adding up to a total of 100 minutes.

The cast will feature local actors, including Bryan Brendle, Leland Jones, Kaira Akita, Greg Corbett, Heather Smith, Rob Pralgo and Cynthia Evans. Barnes will have a recurring role as an entertainment attorney. He said his former Dave FM host and current “Atlanta & Company” co-host Holly Firfer has netted a small role as well. He invited former 99X host Jimmy Baron to play a record executive, but he said Baron was out of town on the scheduled shooting day.

The show’s two writers are Mike Stiles, a former Star 94 morning show producer for Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke and currently a part of the Atlanta sketch comedy ensemble Sketchworks, and Charles Van Eman, a former actor who was on ALL MY CHILDREN.

Barnes also got local Atlanta rock singer Shawn Mullins (“Lullaby”) to play a bartender-singer, and Mullins will be performing some tunes for the show.

Production starts Jan. 25 in Buckhead at the Terminus building.