Virtual series

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A virtual series is an unproduced series of teleplays, TV scripts, stories, which a screenwriter, or a group of screenwriters, post onto the internet, either as an unauthorized continuation of an ended, existing series, as fanfiction for an existing series which may still be in production, or in some cases, as a completely original creation of the writer(s) that simply hasn't found a network audience. Unauthorized continuations and otherwise fanfiction-based virtual serials are based on copyrighted material and therefore have little to no production potential; however, original virtual serials not following a pre-existing franchise may have potential for production, and their web-sites are often designed as online pitches -- both to potential producers, and to potential audience members.

Due to the draw of virtual series for new writers to both practice their craft and get their ideas in front of audiences, "virtual networks" have sprung up on the internet to cater to these specific interests. The purpose of these networks is generally to both foster the creativity of its members, and to host the different series that its members write. These virtual networks are often stringently run like regular television networks with deadlines and pitches and execs in charge who make the big decisions; all they lack are the pictures.

Monster Zero Productions (MZP, for short) is one of the larger VS networks has a forum as its home page with over 850 registered members and over 57,000 posts where series ideas of any kind are pitched, as they might be in a regular network setting, detailing the idea of the series, characters, episodes, and arcs for the inner circle of "execs" to determine which shows have enough viability to work on. Once a pitch is accepted, it goes into development where the MZP execs put their heads together with the show's creator to build out the show into a full season or more, and a call for writers is posted onto the site. Once they have a list of characters, season arcs, episode synopses, and writers assigned, the show is announced for a following season, and the writers begin writing the episodes, the final drafts of which are usually posted once a week on a set schedule just like a regular television network...but without the final production of the show. This show can be either a spin-off or virtual continuation of an established show or an fully original series.

Many series 'cast' their characters with actors to create a more authentic feel to the series, and to help readers' visualization. One of the more frequently used actors in the VS World to 'represent' is Eliza Dushku. She has appeared in dozens of shows, most notably Faith: The Series, The Emancipation Sisters, Watchers, One Day, and countless others. Her wide usage, according to one discussion on the MZP discussion board, has to do with her familiarity to the target audience of the Virtual Series that she is cast in thanks to her role as Faith in both Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Angel.

1 Using Pre-existing Universes
2 Creating Your Own Universe
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Using Pre-existing Universes

Have you ever liked one character in a TV series that you wanted to follow more than the series allowed? Have you ever loved a series only to have the networks cancel it before you were ready to say good-bye? Have you ever thought that you could use the universe created in a particular series and write something just as good or better? Then you've found the basis of why writers create series based on pre-existing shows.

There are several existing series that have already appeared on the small screen that have been used as fodder for the creators of virtual series when they aren't trying to create original works. Some of these are the so-called "Buffyverse," centering around the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel created by Joss Whedon and the Star Trek universe, centered around the futuristic world created by Gene Roddenberry and the Stargate universe that was reinvented in the Showtime series Stargate SG-1 and its own spin-off Stargate: Atlantis.

These three are a very small number in the unlimted internet world, and undoubtedly there are many more. These are here as a small sample of what has been done. Naturally, most of these sites provide disclaimers to the series' creators and copyright holders claiming that the shows are written by fans and not for profit.

The Buffyverse is so widely used that MZP has its own section devoted to Buffyverse series entitled "Virtual Mutant", named after the real production company that produced Buffy, Mutant Enemy Productions. Two other spin-offs of the Buffyverse are [www.thewatcherscouncil.net Watchers] and [www.btvschosen.com Chosen], each of which utilizes characters or situations from either Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel as its basis.

The Star Trek VS phenom has Virtual Star Trek, giving readers immediate access to five of the online series: Renaissance, Frontiers, Star's End, Avalon, and Knight's Haven. After VST, other Virtual Trek sites have srung up, each with unique series of their own Quadrant is one suh HUB containing three single authored series: Discovery, Uprising, and Illustrious. Trek Online is a third HUB website which contains virtual continuations of pre-existing Star Trek shows such as Enterprise and Deep Space Nine as well as reimaginations of Enterprise called Foundations and of the voyages of the Enterprise-B entitled Star Trek Legacy.

Stargate: Horizon was one of the eariest of the Stargate virtual spin-offs and is currently entering it's third season. Two other spin-offs have followed entitled Destiny and Genesis. SG Universe is the central hub for these series.

[edit] Creating Your Own Universe

Have you ever come up with an idea that you think is just as good or better than anything you've seen on television? This far rarer form of Virtual Series creates a unique world that may or may not resemble what you've seen before, but doesn't use copyrighted situations, characters, etc. As previously mentioned, the existence of these series online is often intended as a pitch to potential buyers who might be looking for such a show to develop and broadcast.

One example of an original virtual series include Somewhere Inbetween, which was created by MZP's creator Lee Chrimes. Originally a Buffy spin-off using the characterof Sunday, Lee refashioned the series into an original one primarily because he did not like being bound by the rules of the Buffyverse and felt he could do much more by having his own universe to write. Eighteen episodes of the original "Chris and Sunday" were released before Lee pulled all the episodes down and rewrote them in their entirety with Sunday renamed Twist and the rules and situations completely revised to remove the Buffy references entirely.

Another is Banana Chan, created by Canadian Alan Holman based on his love of Anime cartoons. Banana is a 16 year old girl with an unusual family including a 14 year old grandson who has traveled back in time and is now stuck living with her and and her mother. This grandson has an uncle who is a demon from which he received the power to travel through time. Time travel, space travel, and other items bizarre to our modern world permeate Banana's world creating a unique universe that has received periodically positive praise on the message board at simplyscripts.com. Along with this positive praise, however, comes some negative as Holman's obsessive desire to perfect the Banana Chan series means that the existing episodes are often rewritten meaning the reader has to re-read the entire series from the beginning to understand anything new.

A third is The Fempiror Chronicles, created by George Willson. This series began on both MZP and simplyscripts.com as screenplays before branching into a series format. The releases of this particular series have been infrequent, including a seven month hiatus in 2006, but reviews of the series have noted the episodes to be worth the wait. This series revises the vampire myth into more of a calling than a curse, creating two distinct sides to the creature, renamed as Fempiror. One side protects humanity from genocide from the other, who wishes to either kill or "transmutate" humanity into Fempiror as well.