The second best thing to come out of last week’s San Diego Comic-Con was the announcement by Joss Whedon that’s there’s most definitely going to be a sequel to his original web series that
crashed a good portion of the internet, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.Karina reports from Whedon’s panel:
Great news that we’re going to see more of Neil Patrick Harris singing in a lab coat, and even better news that Whedon’s committed to the medium. I really couldn’t think of better hands to push web video into the mainstream.
In order for original, scripted online series to take hold, there needs to be (along with some technological advances) some hits. Not Long Tail, niche successes, but major hits. A lot of them. So many that when you overhear random bar conversations or talk to your friends who’ve never heard of Rocketboom and never knew Michael Cera starred in his own ridiculously funny web series they’re all saying, “What’s with all this stuff on the web? I hear, like, Whoever Famous has this new show called Something Cool that’s What’s His Name told me is really good.”
Marshall Herskovitz’s Quaterlife was supposed to be the internet’s first blockbuster, but then people watched the show and things didn’t exactly go as planned. Now, thanks to Whedon’s talent, connections, financial resources, and obsessive fan base, it looks like Dr. Horrible will claim the title. Those same attributes will also lead to more hits from Whedon and inspire Old Hollywood elites in similar positions to give the web a serious look.
People that know how to tell compelling stories, are familiar with marketing and promoting major productions, and treat the internet as more than a playground are desperately needed to legitimize the space. Whedon’s the first of many to come along to fulfill those qualificaitons.
If you need some evidence of what he’s capable of and you missed his online tour de force, you’re in luck. Dr. Horrible was relegated to the paid section of iTunes, but for a limited time, Hulu’s set it free. If you haven’t seen it, check it out:
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