Indie Spotlight: In The Charming Comedy ‘Ding Dongs,’ A Young Mormon Finds Himself

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.

In this week’s Indie Spotlight column, we’re talking about a series that observes a young man’s personal transformation — and plays it for laughs. The show is called Ding Dongs, and it stars its creator, Joseph Baken, as a Mormon who grapples with his gay identity during a missionary trip to Los Angeles.

The arc of Ding Dongs — at least in its first episode, which is now available on Baken’s YouTube channel — centers around its young protagonist, Elder Clark. While he is committed to God and his faith, his trip to the big city also ignites a personal journey within him. At the same time, Elder Clark plays straight man (no pun intended) to a slew of offbeat supporting characters. Ding Dongs‘ excellent casts includes well-traveled actor Drew Droege and drag queen Willam Belli.

As Baken explained in an article he penned for Advocate, Ding Dongs draws from his own tryst with a Mormon during his teenage years. “Anyone who follows their heart and leaves home will ultimately have to ask themselves if everything they grew up believing was a complete and utter fantasy,” he wrote. “With dreams and religion — you’re either in, or you’re out.”

Baken’s passion for this subject matter shows. Ding Dongs is made with plenty of heart and care, and there are more than enough funny jokes to keep your attention. Keep an eye on Baken’s channel to see new episodes as they arrive.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Seven Days Straight. This examination of different types of crime made some noise at the LA Web Fest.
• Inconceivable. Two friends must grapple with topics like love and sexuality due to an unplanned pregnancy.
• Breaking Breaker. The rise of an ascendant young pop star is chronicled.

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.