It’s Like TV But Shorter and on YouTube.

I’m not sure when it started, it was a passing thing -a fluke. A random lazy afternoon with nothing to do and, after reading through all the blogs, I followed a link. It was probably a link to this. I laughed and groaned and after 3 minutes and 19 seconds I thought, “That was pretty good. I might as well watch one more.”

You know how it goes. One more turned into an afternoon bingefest. I was hooked before I even realized it. I love binge watching a good tv show but binge watching a web series is almost even better because the time commitment is much shorter but the result is equally satisfying. After getting hooked on one show which eventually ended as all shows do, I had to seek out others. Now I have a growing list of YouTube subscriptions all to fun web shows that are largely based on books or at least somewhat literary.

I’m kind of an expert on dorky literary web shows so I thought I’d share with you my 10 favorites so that you can become a horribly addicted person, too. Tell your spouse it could be worse – you could be addicted to heroine or Dancing With the Stars (I’m not judging if those are your addictions, to each their own).

The 10 Best Subscriptions on my YouTube Account:

1. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: Where it all started and still probably the best, most successful web series out there. This modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice has everything going for it. A great cast, good writers and frankly excellent lighting, costume design and probably budget. It’s witty and heart wrenching and you will absolutely fangirl your heart out and get super concerned even though you’ve probably read the book and know how it ends already.
2. Emma Approved: For after you’ve finished Lizzie and aren’t ready to leave Austen behind just yet. Although Emma Woodhouse can be a little more annoying than Lizzie Bennet, you’ll find yourself rooting for the characters anyway especially when Knightly walks on camera. Then you’ll see him in that commercial on tv and squeal inappropriately and your husband will think you’ve lost your mind.
3. Kissing in the Rain: Stars Mary Kate Wiles of LBD fame, this is a really cool concept for a web series in which two actors who kinda hate/love each other are forced to work a project where they reinact famous kissing scenes from literature. It’s squeal worthy and a walk down literary memory lane.
4. Welcome to Sandition: Your chance to watch a story by Jane Austen that you don’t know the ending to! Based off Austen’s unfinished manuscript for Sandition. The cast is terrific and of course more shipping abounds.
5. Classic Alice: Stars Alice Rackham, a Type A college student and aspiring writer who receives a bad grade on an essay, goes into a tailspin over it, and partners with her friend Andrew to film a documentary about living her life according to classic literature. Mayhem of course ensues. This is one of my current faaaaaves. I love that rather than being based off a novel, it’s telling it’s own story while still delivering literary goodness.
6. The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy: I’m a sucker for all things Peter Pan and I addddooooore the actor who plays Peter in this series, Kyle Waters (who was also in Welcome to Sanditon). Imagine if Peter was a twenty something and had been living in a small town with Wendy and her siblings all their lives and while Wendy is ready to grow up, branch out and maybe leave the nest, Peter is… not.
7. Convos With My 2 Year Old: This one isn’t literary but it’s fantastic and if you haven’t heard of it yet, you absolutely have to check it out. Basically it involves a grown man reenacting conversations that  dad has with his 2 year old daughter (at the time the series started). These guys are geniuses and the show is hilarious.
8. Anne with an E: A modern Anne of Green Gables. Sometimes I feel almost too old to watch this one because, gosh, teenagers. But I adore all things Green Gables so here I am. Mandy Harmon does an amazing Anne Shirley and her hair is ridiculously gorgeous.
9. A Tell Tale Vlog: Edgar Allen Poe brought to life. This one is a little darker, a little less polished but equally hilarious especially if you are an English major (or a recovering English major).
10. The Mommy Shorts Show: I love her blog and her Vlog is equally hilarious. Ilana interviews celebrities in her NYC apartment while forcing them to interact with her young children, often doing arts and crafts or parenting related games with them. It’s like the talk show you always dreamed of, or perhaps had a nightmare about?

What is your favorite Web series?