Indie Spotlight: ‘Crime Scene’ Is More Than Just An ‘NCIS’ Parody

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. 

Shows like CSI and NCIS are ripe for parody, as this clip proves pretty much on its own. The challenge, for web comedians who wish to poke fun at those series, is to create a series that goes beyond camera enhancement jokes and David Caruso one-liners. Crime Scene, a new series on the Night Moose YouTube channel achieves that goal by combining a satire of CBS’ crime serials with sly commentary about the actors who perform in those shows.

Episodes of Crime Scene move back-and-forth between parodies of typical crime show scenarios and in-studio scenes where the cast and crew interact with each other. There are plenty of gags about ridiculous TV hacking and overtly sexual dead bodies, but there is also a welcome amount of conflict, as the actors

struggle to obtain better roles, promote strong female characters, or make a simple human connection. A strong cast that includes Upright Citizen’s Brigade performer Livia Scott and YouTube content creator Paul Gale makes these interactions click.

In short, Crime Scene executes its “struggling actor” subplot better than many other web series that focus explicitly on that theme. And if you’re not into that, don’t worry: There’s still plenty of ridiculous one-liners to crack you up.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Standing Room Only. Each episode profiles a different sort of weirdo who stands next to you at a concert.
• Between The Sidewalk And The Street. An aspiring writer deals with the trials of life in the ever-changing big city.
• The Pioneers. A couple decides to sleep with as many people as possible ahead of their wedding.
• Do This Now. A pair of ladies poke fun at YouTube’s ubiquitous vlog format.

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.