Indie Spotlight: ‘Talking Marriage’ Is The Best, Worst Show Ever

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now.  Read previous installments here. 

This edition of Indie Spotlight is sponsored by Tongal.

Having marital trouble? Ryan Bailey can help you. The Los Angeles-based actor is the man behind Talking Marriage with Ryan Bailey, a web series that takes place inside a worthless talk show about the trials of marriage.

Bailey takes the leading role as a host who is qualified to talk about marriage; after all, he has been married himself for five whole years. That joke explains the gist of Talking Marriage. It is a deadpan portrayal of the worst talk show in the world, with all sorts of little touches that add to the incompetence. Bailey spends most of the show bantering with his producer, ugly titles (in Comic Sans, of course) flash across the screen every few seconds, and the boom operator repeatedly lowers his microphone into the shot. Fans of intentionally bad comedies like Black Dynamite will appreciate the similar style on display here.

Bailey also manages to book some funny guests on his program, including Alison Haislip, Randall Park, and recent SNL hire Nick Rutherford, all of whom join Bailey in playing fictionalized versions of themselves. The 10-episode first season is a fun little treat, and fans of the series can look forward to more: The second season of Talking Marriage will begin on September 24th.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Singledom. This romantic comedy series begins with a classic “meet the parents” scenario.
• Day Drinking. The intensity of midday drinks leads to humorous conversations in this sketch series.
• Tarah Talking Tech. Women in the tech world explain how to break into an industry that sometimes feels like a “boys’ club.”
• Scoobie-Doo and the Doggie Style Adventures. The well-known cartoon hound gets an adult remix.

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.

This edition of Indie Spotlight is sponsored by Tongal. Tongal is changing the way creative work gets done, by making it accessible to people everywhere. For brands, studios, and causes, Tongal’s innovative platform provides continuous access to a global network of creatives, offering fresh ideas and insights, and top filmmaking talent to bring them to life. Tongal’s collaborative, merit-driven process enables everyone to focus on the work they do best. The result is outstanding content delivered with great speed and efficiency. Tongal is based in Santa Monica, California.