Tubefilter News

It’s the end of a chapter in web series next week as one of the internet’s most popular comedies is closing the book on its run as Atom’s most popular franchise to date. The Legend of Neil bows its series finale next Wednesday (Oct 27), but before then, Atom is making the most if it.

Creators Tony Janning and Sandeep Parikh hosted a special edition of AtomTV on Comedy Central last night—the network owns Atom and has been increasing the interplay between the two platforms. Sure, Comedy Central gives its internet stepchild the late night munchies timeslot—2:00 AM ET/PT—but that’s what DVRs were made for right? And I can’t say I haven’t stumbled upon some late night LoN episodes on accident a few times.

We have a sneak peek at The Legend of Neil finale above, along with a glimpse of Janning and Parikh doing their finest hosting gig to date. It’s fitting, since their series has seen more appearances on AtomTV than any other Atom web series.

Funny or Die’s Undercover Karaoke is like MTV’s Punk’d, except everyday Joe plumbers are the ones that get fooled, pop icons don’t cry, and everyone leaves the scene with warm fuzzy feelings.

Jewel stars in the web series’ premiere (and so far only) installment. The episode’s been viewed more than 3.3 million times, was conceived by comedy writer Eric Appel, and goes a little something like this:

A team of makeup artists did her up to look like middle management at a national agribusiness corporation. All brunetted out, she throws back a few beers at a local karaoke bar with “colleagues,” who “peer pressure” her to take the microphone. She sings Save Your Soul and totally nails it. Real Jewel (sans glasses, wig, fake nose, and plump suit) takes the stage a few minutes later to sing another number.

It’s a cute, family friendly take on hidden camera shows with innate star power that the whole family can enjoy. And that’s probably why TBS picked it up.

The basic cable television channel ordered a pilot of Undercover Karaoke, which Funny or Die will produce. The AP reports Funny or Die co-founders Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will contribute.

Pencil this in for the weekend. If you’re anywhere in Southern California working in new media or online video it’s worth a trip down to Orange County for the Anaheim International Film Festival. The five-day festival kicked off with an opening night gala on Wednesday at UltraStar Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk.

Web series creator Canyon Prince, behind comedies First Edition and The Romantic Foibles of Esteban, is one of the producers of the festival and a big reason for this year’s heavy push into new media at the fest. Emerging independent films are the mainstay of the festival, but Prince was able to program a lineup that’s refreshingly more than a passing nod to the internet’s impact on entertainment. It’s a mix of screenings, panels and even a New Media Market for creators to showcase their works to prospective buyers and distributors.

Sunday night is the world premiere of ChadMattandRob’s latest interactive adventure series, The Treasure Hunt, which I’ve been jonsing to see since the trailer dropped back in August. (It screens at 6:00 PM on Sunday.)

When it comes to dramatic television programming centered around medical professionals, I prefer the comedic stylings of Zach Braff’s J.D. Dorian (may he rest in peace) over the heightened sexualized workplace antics of Patrick Dempsey’s Dr. McDreamy. But for those fans of the doctors walking the halls of Seattle Grace, ABC has just the web series for you.

The Grey’s Anatomy online companion series is back for a second season.

Last year’s Seattle Grace: On Call focused on the doctors’ out-of-hospital social scene at Joe’s Emerald City Bar. This year’s Seattle Grace: Message of Hope “chronicles Chief Webber’s attempt to mount a publicity campaign in order to repair the image of the hospital following the dramatic events” and shootings of last season’s finale. Directed by Kevin McKidd, the six-episode web series stars McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt, James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber, Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery, and Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner.

Italian food brand Bertolli signed on as lead sponsor of the online companion series’ inaugural run. This year Carmex Moisture Plus hydrating lip balm is on board to foot the bill in exchange for advertising and intergration into the Seattle Grace storyline.

Catch a new episode of Seattle Grace: Message of Hope every Thursday through the Fall on ABC.com.

Hey kids, looks like fixies are hot on both sides of the pond.

Oh urban cycling culture, whose diehards are the blue collars of hipsters, there’s a new web series glorifying the art of the fixed-gear bike. Babelgum launched Freewheelers today to a global audience with three episodes showing off London’s diverse taste in fixies. There’s everything from the modern gentleman’s mini Penny Farthing (above) to the classic Indian-made Hero courier to a homemade BMX conv

Today Comedy Central’s Atom.com and Studio 8 launched their newest collaboration, The House That Drips Blood On Alex—the horror parody that we caught wind of early this summer—starring cult movie legend The Room’s Tommy Wiseau.

If ever a web series upheld the adage that the key to happiness is fast cars, fine wine and big bling it’s Robb Report TV. The program makes players around the world rejoice and open their checkbooks for a spending spree. Robb Report TV creates videos that are perfect for people who have an extra hundred grand burning a hole in their pocket or can’t decide how to spend those seven-figure paychecks.

From private dinners with Dom Perignon to interviews with jewelry and watch designers, Robb Report gets the inside scoop from the companies that make high quality luxury items. Robert White originally started the publication in 1976 as an unofficial newsletter for Rolls-Royce owners. His publicaiton tapped into a previously unexplored luxury market, took off, and was acquired by Curtco Media in 2002. For more than thirty years, Robb Report has served as a trusted resource for “ultra-affluent consumers.”

Now the site and magazine offer news of extravagant items around the world. For those of us who fantasize about owning a private island or zooming down Mulholland in a black on black Aston Martin, but don’t have the disposable income to do so, Robb Report TV is for you. The automobile episodes go inside the vehicle, highlight the special features. While high rollers shopping for a BMW, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bigatti, Range Rover, Jaguar, Bentley, or Audi may find the car of their dreams from the comfort of their computer screen, the videos may also inspire economy cars drivers to fantasize about their future billionaire days.

Did you know the Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black has seats made from carbon fiber that takes 37 pounds off the standard model. And a special key fob has a crystal display of the Aston Martin logo and is inserted in the middle of the dashboard to start the vehicle? Fascinating, I know.

Check out Robb Report TV for the next sports car, posh location, or sparkly gem. Their latest ultimate gift guide includes The Macallan, Ellagems Pearls, Patek Phillippe’s pocket watches, a Ferrari, a Blue Moon custom yacht, a David Linley dining table, a Holland African safari, and $35,000 John Lobb shoes.

In this economy, the prices are beyond unrealistic, but a little computer screen shopping never hurt anyone.

It’s check week at blip.tv. The online video hosting, distribution, and advertising network splits ad revenue 50/50 with content creators who upload shows to its platform. Every quarter, it sends out payments. On Monday, blip cut a check to a single show in the amount of $143,000. And that’s not even the company’s biggest news this week.

Blip co-founder and CEO, Mike Hudack announced his “next-generation television network” is poised to have its biggest, most lucrative quarter yet. Site traffic is up 14% in the past two weeks alone and more advertisers are coming on board than ever before. “Every quarter for us is bigger,” Hudack said over the phone as he explained his simple formula for blip’s growth. “The advertising works and we help sell more products. The more advertisers you sign up and the more you help them sell products, the more they stick around. If you do all that, every quarter is your biggest quarter yet.”

Hudack wants all online video content creators to get in on this year’s Q4 action. A laundry list of brands (including Columbia Sportswear, EA Games, Samsung, Reebok, Kraft, Starbucks, Canon, Zappos, American Express, LendingTree.com and Microsoft) are ready to advertise on your show, all you have to do is use the blip.tv player and flip the pre-roll-or-overlay-ads switch to on. Now, more than ever before, Hudack sees this as an opportune “moment to take make independent show production truly sustainable….to take hobbies and turn them into businesses.”

Although Hudack was hesitant to give me any hard numbers, he did say that for a growing number of people shows are becoming full-time jobs. “We’re at the beginning of what’s happened with the music industry,” Hudack said. “It’s easier than ever before to make a living as a musician without labels, and the exact same thing is happening in television.”