Worth Watching: "Viralcom" from Warner Bros. Studio 2.0

"Viralcom." Now here's a smart, webby Web comedy. The show's premise alone is enough to earn it a few critical stars: It's the story of a  movie studio whose mission it is to make  professionally scripted "user-generated" viral videos.  In the world of the show, Viralcom is actually responsible for "Chocolate Rain," Baby Laughing and a hit Mentos prank vid.

Two of the show's starlets score an online smash with the "Wet T-shirt makeout" series— basically two girls getting it on at frat parties. Of course, the  clips in question were not candid cellphone videos at all — they were shot by a huge crew on a soundstage in front of a green screen. Ha!

One more layer of irony is that "Viralcom" itself is a production of Studio 2.0, the digital content lab that Warner Bros. put together last year. So the media giant is making a show about how media giants are bamboozling the public by faking user-generated content. A little self-effacement is always nice.

"Viralcom" hits a Web comedy sweet spot that I haven't quite seen yet: It has the snappy, slick feel of a Hollywood production, but also manages to be casual and Web-wise, so the comedy feels airy. The show's creators, Joey Manderino and David Young, are New York transplants (Manderino Young worked on "The Daily Show") and have shot 10 episodes for Studio 2.0. 

Can't link directly because there's (oooh) cursing and the L.A. Times is a family website, but the creators' Website, linked above, can get you there (or Google "Viralcom" and you'll find links right there at the top). 

(Photo of Tay Zonday taping "Chocolate Rain" at "Viralcom" studios, from Joey and David's website)

Comments

[Jay G]

I found Viralcom on Daily Motion's website. They're hilarious.

[Ted]

Incorrect. David Young worked on the Daily Show.