Indie Soap Spring Preview Guide

Coming off the success of the recent Indie Soap Awards and a successful winter full of fabulous new episodes, the web series community is excited about what's next. WE LOVE SOAPS TV is happy to offer our Indie Soap Spring Preview Guide with the latest news and happenings from returning shows to crossovers and spin-offs. Check it out below.

SEASON PREMIERES


THEN WE GOT HELP!
Season Two Premiere Date: March 18

Creator and star Julie Ann Emery offers a preview of the new season: "The thing I think I'm most proud of is Season Two is fully fan funded. We did a crowd funding campaign and we surpassed our maximum budget asked for. We may not have the biggest audience on the web, but our fans are FIERCE!

"We used that money to improve our sound, get all our actors back, and add an impressive list of guest stars including Sam McMurray (Rasing Arizona, "Friends", Drop Dead Gorgeous), Marcia DeBonis (Letters to Juliet, "The Big C"), Darren Legallo (Date Night, "Big Bang Theory"), Eric Anderson (B'way's South Pacific), and more.

"In terms of story line, we've skipped ahead as if real time has passed since our last episode. Season 1 was about who these people are. Season 2 is about what happens to them. Dan & Eric are going through the ups and downs of the adoption process...as a Gay Couple. Gerry & Terry have taken their four kids and moved in with Gerry's outspoken father (Guest Star Sam McMurray). Kenny has become a jingle writer and Jenny doesn't know how to handle his more aggressive side. Anna gets a job and Thom is still out of work....oh...and they get a puppy. AND we finally meet Emily's husband!

"Also, The Swinger Couple returns, Gerry's Dad drops in for a couple of visits with the group, there's a bi-sexual man who can't make up his mind between his girlfriend and his boyfriend, and late in the season a Therapist in training comes to the meeting."


THE CAVANAUGHS
Season Two Premiere Date: March 17

THE CAVANAUGHS is an indie soap follows a group of friends on the path of creating a television sitcom that has hit a snag. "Friendships and loyalties are put to the test in Season Two," previews creator and star Adrian Morales. "The sitcom's new executive producer Hope (Kimberly Fox) wants Justin (Kevin Makely) and is determined to rid the cast of her rival, Maddie (2010 Indie Soap Award Outstanding Lead Actress Nominee Cwennen Corral). This will have a ripple effect on the entire cast. Noreen Cavanaugh (Ginger Snappz) steps up to the plate and will get a divine push from Shea (Ryan Kibby). Meanwhile the friendship of straight girl Sarah (Amanda Broadwell) and gay guy Scott (Daniel Rhyder) is strained when Scott becomes jealous of Sarah's new suitor Zack (Matthew Trbovich) and finds himself falling for straight guy hunk Mark (Grant Landry)."

THE CAVANAUGHS stars Ginger Snappz, Amanda Broadwell, Cwennen Corral, Kimberly Fox, Grant Landry, Kevin Makely, Adrian Morales, Deborah Estelle Philips, Daniel Rhyder, Percy Rustomji, Matthew Trbovich.

WORKSHOP!
Season Two Premiere Date: March 22

In a groundbreaking move, Hulu.com has signed on to distribute the second season of smash, independent TV sitcom WORKSHOP: The Series. Hulu will begin airing six, 22-minute episodes of the series starting March 22.

“We’re thrilled Hulu.com has decided to distribute Season 2 of WORKSHOP,” said the comedy’s co-creator, executive producer and star Nate Golon. “This deal will make WORKSHOP one of the first, scripted, independently-produced, half-hour comedies to air on Hulu!”

WORKSHOP revolves around a group of struggling actors in Los Angeles who often commiserate over the humiliating-yet-hilarious predicaments they find themselves in en route to achieving the Hollywood Dream. The series stars Golon as Jeff, co-creator Kimberly Legg as Kaitlyn, Phillip Jeanmarie (NBC’s PASSIONS) as Adam, Leanne Wilson (BBC 1’s CASUALTY) as Vivian, Jonathan Schwartz ( ABC’s NO ORDINARY FAMILY) as Matthew, Audra Marie (fiancé of TRUE BLOOD’s Joe Manganiello, CBS’s RULES OF ENGAGEMENT) as Sarah and Will Rothhaar as the sleazy junior agent.

THAT 70'S SHOW alum Don Stark will be appearing in four of the six episodes during season two. Other guest stars include Mad TV’s Josh Meyers and soap star Marie Wilson (ABC’s PORT CHARLES, CBS’s AS THE WORLD TURNS). The first airdate for Season 2 of WORKSHOP: The Series is March 22.

WINDSOR HILL
Season Two Premiere Date: Late June

In the upcoming second season of WINDSOR HILL, the show will be moving in a new direction, exploring new characters, and new events as the characters cope with the
aftermath of the gas explosion, Tamara’s disappearance, Cameron’s coma, and a supernatural force that looms over Dowell University that will cause real trouble for the theater majors.

The Season Premiere will be a first of sorts for the ten-episode season of the soap. Creator Lawrence Weber previews, "We will shoot it 'live' - an episode shot straight through with no stopping, as close to live television as YouTube can get!

"The new season also brings new characters and actors. And another goes behind the scenes as Canae White(ex-Jennifer) will direct an episode this season. We begin with a casting shake up as the role of Jackson Winchester will now be played by Martin Bradford. Cherelle Palmer and Daranisha Ingram join the cast as A.J. Lawson and Rhonda Wynn, Margaret Anne Davis plays Dr. Autumn Richardson, and Jhory Buskey returns as Frankie Simms. Plus, a surprise guest will show up towards the end of the season. Who will it be? You’ll just have to tune in to find out."

SEEKING SIMONE
Season Two Premiere Date: March 15

Indie Soap Award winner Renée Olbert returns as Simone on March 15 as the show finally kicks off its much-anticipated second season.

NEW EPISODES

BESTSELLERS
The most recent episode of the new series featured former GUIDING LIGHT actress Mandy Bruno prominently. Bruno plays mommy blogger Nina on the show which has two more episodes to air from its first season on March 14 and 21. BESTSELLERS is from Indie Soap Award winning writers Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward.

IN BETWEEN MEN 
The sexy soap returned March 10 with its fourth episode and the promise of an all new website coming soon.

SECRETS 
There are three more episodes remaining in Season Four which will air on March 14, 21 and 28. Producer/star Damian Tracy revealed the next season is already being planned, "We'll start filming again in April, most likely releasing new episodes mid-summer."


TRAILER MADE 
The hilarious indie series returns March 14 continuing its first season with new episodes coming out every other week. Currently, we are also in talks with our cast about resuming production in the Spring/Early Summer.

If you haven't noticed already, TRAILER MADE already has a spinoff vlog, featuring recently introduced character, Loretta Jenkins, called 'How I Seize It.' Loretta drunkenly deals with celebrity gossip, current events, or whatever has pissed her off that given morning.

RAGGED ISLE
RAGGED ISLE is a new indie soap that launched March 9. It tells the story of Vicki Burke, who has accepted a job as a newspaper photographer on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Shortly upon her arrival, she finds herself in the midst of a bizarre murder mystery. No one is safe, everyone is suspect, and the final outcome is more shocking than anyone involved could ever have imagined.

SPIN-OFFS/SPECIAL EPISODES

THE BAY and FAR FROM THE BAY
THE BAY creator Gregori J. Martin revealed to WE LOVE SOAPS TV that the Pete Garrett character will go on East Cost journey in a eight part between seasons prequel mini-series. These special webisodes, to be shot starting March 14, will include crossovers with STEAMBOAT (Michael O'Leary) and EMPIRE (Afton Boggiano) as well as appearances by daytime veteran actors Anna Holbrook, Agim Kaba, Ilene Kristen, Tonja Walker and Miriam Colon. THE BAY will also be shooting another prequel to Season Two titled "Confessions of the Ramos" starring Lilly Melgar, Diego Serrano, Ignacio Serricchio, and Jade Harlow that will lead right into the new season.

PRETTY and GUMDROP THE ANIMATED SERIES
Indie Soap Award's Best Song "GUMROP THE UNICORN" is getting his own animated series. The creator of PRETTY Steve Silverman has written a three part web series event to go up online in mid-May/early-June. The animated spin-off will take you deep inside the mind of six year old Annette Champagne to find out the happenings of her favorite imaginary friend, Gumdrop. Animated by award-winning artist, Justin Marchert, episodes will be voiced by the cast including Sam Pancake, Stacy McQueen, Dee Freeman, Troy Conrad, Terri Simmons, and Michael Taylor Gray, with guest voice appearances by Alison Quinn, David May, and, yes, CRIMINAL MINDS star Kirsten Vangsness. And rumor has it Gumdrop will be voiced by Steve Silverman himself. Cast completed recording the voices in an audio session on Saturday, March 5th.

PRETTY's first ever live video chat took place on Saturday, March 5th with series stars Stacy McQueen, Dee Freeman, Troy Conrad, Terri Simmons, Michael Taylor Gray, Alison Quinn and Kirsten Vangsness taking to the internet for a one hour live chat. They were joined by creator Steve Silverman and Exec Producers John Carrozza and Doug Prinzivalli, talking all things PRETTY, answering questions in the chat room and giving shout outs to fans. PRETTY plans to do monthly live chats like this one, next one is being prepped for April.

Steve Silverman is already scripting Season 3 of PRETTY with production plans to begin in early June. The main cast of Sam Pancake, Stacy McQueen, Dee Freeman, Troy Conrad, Terri Simmons, and Michael Taylor Gray are all set to return and Silverman confirms two of Season 2's guest stars, Kirsten Vangsness (CRIMINAL MINDS) and Denise Alexander (GENERAL HOSPITAL) will both definitely be returning. Silverman is keeping hush-hush on the plot, but he is giving up one big secret to We Love Soaps: We will discover proud pageant dad Michael Champagne was indeed in a boy band back in the late '80s called "Champagne Toast" - and this will come back to haunt him in the third season. "Champagne Toast," of course, had a hit song back in the day, which Steve has finished the lyrics for and sent on to his brother Bret Silverman to put to music. After writing the song "Gumdrop The Unicorn" together, can they catch lightning in a bottle a second time? Oh just wait and see.

INDIE SOAP NEWS

EMPIRE
Produer/writer Greg Turner promises that Season Four is coming, "Yes, we will be shooting Season Four this spring for a late summer/fall premiere." As previously reported, daytime vet Ellen Dolan has joined the cast for the upcoming season.

MISS BEHAVE
Producer/writer Susan Bernhardt previews, "I think we might do a music video to hold fans over in the next few months."

OUT WITH DAD
Producer/director/writer Jason Leaver says, "OUT WITH DAD is definitely returning. We're not sure when the first episode will go up, but the plan is to get shooting in a month from now. We're in full-on pre-production and have even started some casting."

Leaver is also excited about the show's upcoming television broadcast debut saying, "Rogers TV, the local cable station here in Toronto, is going to air a one-hour cut of our show, which is basically our first season smooshed together. We're very excited and proud, we'll be taking pictures at our party the night of the debut."

SQUATTERS
The logline of SQUATTERS is: "They made a bet to live rent free. They didn't know what it would cost them."

SQUATTERS is the multi-award-winning online series about two best friends who make a bet to see who can last in New York City the longest without paying rent. The show was called "the best indie comedy on the web" by Tubefilter News and picked up as DailyMotion’s first original comedy series. Winner of 6 Indie Intertube Awards including BEST COMEDY and named a BEST OF CLICKER 2010 Finalist.

JEFF & RAVI FAIL HISTORY
JEFF & RAVI FAIL HISTORY follows slacker Jeff and genius Ravi as they bumble from the dawn of man to a post apocalyptic future in Ravi's scrapped together (but very cool) time machine. The show is a collaboration between Subway, IFC & MyDamnChannel.

THROWING STONES
If you missed our recent interview with THROWING STONES creators Bart Van Bemmell and Jason Wheeler, you can read it here.

VIDEO GAME REUNION
The latest flagship comedy from Atom.com and GameTrailers.com follows your favorite '80s video game characters hoping to reboot their careers at a Vegas Reunion.

DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
Look for our exclusive interview with Indie Soap Award winning Lead Actress Monica Calhoun coming soon.  The show recently was named Indie Soap of the Year for the second consecutive year.