WINNERS: 2nd Annual Streamy Awards

The 2nd Annual Streamy Awards are currently being broadcast around the web and the winners are coming in. Here are the soap-related winners.

Best Male Actor in a Drama Web Series
Mark Gantt, THE BANNEN WAY (Indie Soap Award winner Craig Frank was also nominated)

Best Directing for a Drama Web Series
Jesse Warren, THE BANNEN WAY (ANYONE BUT ME & COMPULSIONS also nominated)

Best Writing for a Drama Web Series
Bernie Su, COMPULSIONS (ANYONE BUT ME also nominated)

Best Drama Web Series
THE BANNEN WAY

Best Female Actor in a Drama Web Series
Rachael Hip-Flores, ANYONE BUT ME (Crystal Chappell and Tatyana Ali also nominated; Flores also won Lead Actress Indie Soap Award)

INDIE SOAP BEAT: March 11, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

There was huge casting news from REALITY BYTES this week as the show announced that former daytime soap stars Drake Hogestyn and Tonja Walker were joining the cast. Hogestyn will play Jerry Parker, while Walker will be playing Avery "the queen bitch of daytime" Meadows. If you missed the We Love Soaps interview with newcomer Jered Allen, who will play Ben, read it here. Look for more on the new cast members of RB very soon.

STEAMBOAT creator Michael O'Leary recently spoke to We Love Soaps about the series: "Each one of us is taking what are sensibilities are and trying to make it into a different format, with no money. But the only place you can do that is the internet. If you’re looking for a network to say yes to you, hell will freeze over. This is the great thing about the internet. At least it gives you the forum and opportunity to get your ideas out there. For Martha [Byrne] and Crystal [Chappell] and I, at least you want to get the shot at bat." Read the full interview here.

Winner for Best Indie Soap at the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM released another new episode on Thursday titled "Snap-back." Ocean happily takes life-changing action. Lupe flounders on her career path and feels judged by Ocean. Trina's need for attention takes a dangerous course involving Sammy. Indie Soap Award winner Billy Dee Williams is particularly amazing in this episode.

2010 Streamy Award Nominations Announced

The nominations for the 2010 Streamy Awards were announced live on Monday morning in Los Angeles. There were a number of soap operas and continuing dramas that received nominations, although there were several glaring omissions. Indie Soap Award winners in the lead acting categories are nominated (Craig Frank and Rachael Hip-Flores) but many of the deserving nominees did not get recognized by the Streamys.

Here are the soap-related nominees:

Best Drama Web Series
ANGEL OF DEATH
COMPULSIONS
OZGIRL
THE BANNEN WAY
VALEMONT

INDIE SOAP BEAT: February 12, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look back at the recent signing of some indie web series by the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), Crystal Chappell directs VENICE, and we reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

GOTHAM is now a WGAE signatory show. WGAE executive director Lowell Peterson told We Love Soaps that the writers' strike in 2007-08 was focused on web content but more for rebroadcast of television shows: "More recently we've been focusing our resources and analysis on made-for the web shows." Read our entire interview with Peterson here. GOTHAM recently reached a million page views since the show's website was launched. The show also edited the first four episodes together to make it easier for fans to catch up on the saga of Richard and Catherine. You can watch the new edit at gothamtheseries.com.

Winner for Best Indie Soap at the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM, returned on Thursday with an all new episode. Look for Season Two to play out every Thursday through March 25. The show is directed and produced by Robert Townsend and stars Monica Calhoun, Valery Ortiz and Janice Lynde, along with Richard Roundtree and Billy Dee Williams.

ANACOSTIA is back today with a new episode! You can watch it here. The episodes starts out by the cast giving fans a "taste of DC." This is must watch! ANACOSTIA is one of the longer web shows. This episode runs over 38 minutes including the fun intro. The show takes place in DC's Anacostia community neighborhood.

ALL'S FAIRE returned on Thursday with a new episode. King Gary investigates the camp of the enemy; Sir Drederick encounters a foreign invader; the women of the faire behold Sir Robert (former GUIDING LIGHT Robert Bogue). If you haven't checked out this absurd and hilarious comedy, check it out.

OUT ON THE TOWN: Mark Hapka & Craig Frank

DAYS OF OUR LIVES actor Mark Hapka was recently spotted near Urth Cafe in West Hollywood with Indie Soap Award winner Craig Frank wearing Company 81 and drinking Skinny Water.

Frank took home the Lead Actor prize at last week's Indie Soap Awards for his fantastic work on COMPULSIONS.

Photo Credit: David Scheck

INDIE SOAP BEAT: February 3, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look back at the Indie Soap Awards, have an interview with COVIES creator Len Collin, details on a Super Bowl contest from THE RULES, and reveal the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera and web series production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were broadcast on Monday, February 1 at We Love Soaps, Outviews, Daytime Confidential and several other websites. DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM won the award for Best Indie Soap, while ANYONE BUT ME and COMPULSIONS tied with four wins each. VENICE won the Fan's Choice Award in which thousands of fans voted for their favorite indie soap.

In total, 13 shows were honored and they all sent representation at the ceremony. The passion and dedication from this talented bunch of producers, writers, actors, directors, etc. was inspirational.

Click here for a complete list of winners.

Irish soap COVIES has now been airing for a month. We Love Soaps spoke with creator Len Collin about the project.

We Love Soaps: For fans who may not have seen COVIES yet, how would you describe the show to them?
Len Collin: It's a drama that combines high comedy and fantasy with social issues, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mayo countryside. Other than that it's been described as TWIN PEAKS meets FATHER TED.

We Love Soaps: How many episodes have you produced?
Len Collin: We've made eight episodes, each approximately 15 minutes long, so two hours worth of drama and comedy.

We Love Soaps: Have you watched any other web series?
Len Collin: When I came up with the idea for COVIES there wasn't really much to watch. At least not in Europe. It was only later that I discovered series such as PROM QUEEN - which looks sumptuous, but probably only got so many viewers because "Prom" is very similar to another four letter word beginning with "P". I've also seen WEB THERAPY and NOVEL ADVENTURES. I've also looked at the nominees for the Indie Soap Awards. I like BUPPIES and COMPULSIONS.

Tonight's the Night! The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISAs) will air tonight at 9 p.m. ET at We Love Soaps and around the web. The show, taped in New York City, will feature a performance by comedian/musician Joanna Parson and appearances from presenters and winners in locations around the world.

BUPPIES leads all indie soaps with 13 nominations. COMPULSIONS received 11, and ANYONE BUT ME and DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM each received 10.

In total 16 indie soap operas received nominations, and another four are eligible for the "Fan's Choice Award," which fans voted on throughout the month of January. Six non-soaps are nominated in a special category recognizing the achievements in comedy. We will also be naming the winners of five special Editor's Awards.

In case you need a refresher on the nominees, here they are:

Best Indie Soap
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
CHICK
COMPULSIONS
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
HIGH RISE
LUMINA

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 27, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards telecast will be broadcast on Monday, February 1, at 9 p.m. ET on the Indie Soap Awards website, at We Love Soaps, Outviews, Daytime Confidential and several other websites.

The show will feature an original performance by comedian/musician Joanna Parson and appearance by several of your indie soap favorites.

For a complete list of nominees, visit indiesoapawards.com.

Voting for the Fan's Choice Award is still ongoing until Jan. 31. You can vote here.

The seventh episode of indie comedy series ALL'S FAIRE featured a guest appearance from former GUIDING LIGHT star Robert Bogue (ex-Mallet). The story takes place at the Southeastern Delaware Renaissance Faire. You can watch Bogue's first episode here. He shows up at the end to save the Faire.

THE LIKE US SHOW is a new radio soap opera set to air around the country beginning Feb. 1. Set on the campus of the fictional Atlanta University, LIKE US tells the dramatic story of the lives of the students of this Historical Black University. After being abandoned by her drug addicted parents, Kori was left feeling bitter and on a hunt for love. Her mother, Antionette Bell, recently recovered from several years of drug abuse and is now living with her two daughters Kori and Shannon. Shannon, whose nickname is "The Golden Child", feels her sister is on the same road to destruction their mother once traveled down. Deeply in love with Robert, its only a matter of time before Shannon discovers his selfish habits that will soon be unveiled and threaten their relationship.

Two stars from ANYONE BUT ME will be presenters at the Indie Soap Awards (tune in to find out!). If you missed the We Love Soaps interviews with Rachael Hip-Flores (Vivian) and Nicole Pacent (Astor), you can watch them here. Episode four of season two will air sometime in February.

The next new episode of VENICE will air on Friday on the show's website for subscribers. Creators Crystal Chappell and Kim Turrisi participated in the NOH8 campaign last week. Turrisi has been confirmed as a presenter for the Indie Soap Awards. VENICE music artists Jen Foster (who seems the show's theme song) and Vanida Gail performed at The Bitter End in New York City on Wednesday night.

SECRETS returned last week with five all new episodes. The show, which is shot in South Jersey and various locations in Philadelphia, had previously aired five episodes in early 2009. We Love Soaps asked creator and star Damian Tracy about the show's return.

We Love Soaps: Why did you decide to release five episodes at once? It's an interesting approach that most of the indie soaps are not follow.
Damian Tracy: When we released the first five episodes last year, I launched them weekly. Frankly, following the number of Youtube hits, I noticed viewership trailed off with each episode. I think people just forgot to come back each week and tune in. I thought for the second season, I'd try releasing them all at once and see how that changed the numbers... and sure enough, the numbers are much closer. The episodes are short enough that you can watch five in one sitting during your lunch hour.

Viva La (Indie Soap) Revolution!

When I was growing up I loved watching soap operas. I was fascinated by seeing the adult characters tackle life's challenges and navigate their way realistically through emotional hardships. Watching Julie Williams or Kimberly Brady on DAYS OF OUR LIVES thrive, despite dealing with the worst situations life could possibly throw at them, fueled my inspiration and hope that I could do the same. The underlying but implicit message on all shows was: These people can survive in spite of their problems, and you can too.

But somewhere around fifteen years ago, daytime dramas lost their way. They focused less on the triumph of the human spirit, and more on mobsters, cartoon villains, baby switches, bombs, and weird weather patterns. It seemed they no longer had an interest in inspiring and educating their audience. In fact, one actress on a popular show around this time was told by her executive producer, "We're not in the business of helping people."

Fortunately, the Indie Soap Revolution is here, and they are picking up online where the television networks left off. By reviewing the nominees for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards, I have been entertained, enriched, and enthralled. Not since my childhood have I been so excited and inspired about the power and relevance of the continuing story format. Sure, I will always love the network soaps out of loyalty, tradition, and nostalgia. But I’m telling you readers here and now that my focus, passion, and devotion is now electrified on the web, and you will be hearing a lot more from me from now on about the new worlds turning out in cyber space.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 20, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were revealed on January 6 and you can find a complete list of nominees and details on how to vote for the "Fans Choice Award" at indiesoapawards.com. The winners will be announced on a special episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV on February 1. Comedian/musician Joanna Parson will perform on the show.


We Love Soaps was on the set of EMPIRE this past weekend as the show continued production on its second season. Damon L. Jacobs and I played bartenders (that's all we can say!). Will we make the final edit? And just how amazing did new cast member Orlagh Cassidy look that day? Find out when new episodes of EMPIRE begin airing this Spring.


The ninth episode of Indie Soap Award nominated BUPPIES, "Come Close," is now playing on the show's website.


ANYONE BUT ME snagged 10 nominations for the Indie Soap Awards. Stars Rachael Hip-Flores and Nicole Pacent will be appearing on WE LOVE SOAPS TV later today. Season 2 Episode #3, "Identity Crisis," is currently playing on the show's website.


We Love Soaps interviewed hilarious new GOTHAM star Kin Shriner (Jon) and you can read that interview here. If you missed Shriner's debut on this week's all-new episode, you can watch it on the show's website and YouTube. This was the first of a new batch of episodes shot two months after the first four. The improvement in all areas - editing, sound, music - is a promising sign this show is going to continue to get better and better. Former ANOTHER WORLD star Matt Crane has also joined the show's cast as Perry.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 13, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were revealed on January 6 and you can find a complete list of nominees and details on how to vote for the "Fans Choice Award" at indiesoapawards.com.


BUPPIES lead the Indie Soap Award nominations with 13. The eighth episode, "The One You’re With," is now playing on the show's website.


ANYONE BUT ME snagged 10 nominations in the Indie Soap Awards. Stars Rachael Hip-Flores and Nicole Pacent will be appearing on WE LOVE SOAPS TV next week. Season 2 Episode #3, "Identity Crisis," is currently playing on the show's website.

INDIE SOAP BEAT: January 6, 2010

In this week's "Indie Soap Beat" feature, we take a look at the latest happenings from around the world of independent soap opera production. Click the show logos to visit the official websites.

The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards were revealed on Wednesday and you can find a complete list of nominees and details on how to vote for the "Fans Choice Award" at indiesoapawards.com.


BUPPIES lead the Indie Soap Award nominations with 13. The show is currently airing on BET but it was definitely an indie production. The seventh episode, "99 Problems," is now playing on the show's website.


COMPULSIONS was nominated for 11 Indie Soap Awards. The show wrapped up Season 1 in December. Creator Bernie Su wrote on the show's website when asked about Season 2: "I wish I did but so goes the world of Independent Online Web Series. We can only do so much by ourselves, and we need some big help. Those of you who know film production can tell that this is not a cheap series to make."


ANYONE BUT ME snagged 10 nominations in the Indie Soap Awards. You can read an excellent interview with the show's writer and producer, Susan Miller, here. Look for Damon L. Jacobs' ABM interviews coming soon. Season 2 Episode #2, "Quickly, to the Exits," is currently playing on the show's website.

NOMINATIONS: 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards

NEW YORK (We Love Soaps) January 6, 2010 -- The nominations for the 1st Annual Indie Soap Awards (ISAs) were announced today. BUPPIES received 13 nominations to lead all web series. COMPULSIONS received 11 nominations, and ANYONE BUT ME and DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM each received 10.

In total 16 indie soap operas received nominations, another three are eligible for the "Fan's Choice Award," and six non-soaps are nominated in a special category recognizing the achievements in comedy.

The winners will be announced on February 1, 2010.

For more details, visit indiesoapawards.com.

Best Indie Soap
ANYONE BUT ME
BUPPIES
CHICK
COMPULSIONS
DIARY OF A SINGLE MOM
HIGH RISE
LUMINA