2010’s CELL: The Web Series did not get much attention from the sci fi community when it first premiered, but it delivered an engaging tale with plenty of twists and turns that stands out as a must-watch genre entry.
What Is It?
This series begins with a man named Brian waking up in a cell after a night on the town, but not knowing why he is there. He screams to be released before he discovers that another person is in the neighboring cell; a woman who claims she does not remember her name and she warns Brian to keep his temper under control. A man then shows up–we do not get his name–and proceeds to punish Brian for his misbehavior with an electric cattle prod and other means. The man tells the woman it is her job to teach Brian and keep him in line. From there, a progression of humiliations follows to break the will and identity of both inmates in a nightmarish setting.
Aired: Koldcast.tv, 2010, 1 Season Totaling 13 Episodes
Cast: Danny Cameron, Jourdan Gibson, Kevin McCarthy
Crew: Mark Gardner (Creator/Writer/Director)
Legacy:
This web series has never received much attention from the sci fi community, but it delivers an immersive story with twists and turns and plenty of mysteries that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat throughout its run.
A Closer Look:
In the first decade of the 2000s and into the 2010s, web series emerged as a new outlet of creativity and an alternative to the formulaic episodic shows that dominated Prime Time television. The quality of these semi-pro properties varied widely, but some of the better entries came close to the production values of the professional shows airing on the broadcast networks and cable channels. Over a period of ten years or so, several hundred sci fi/fantasy web series emerged (often with short runs), and some of those still stand out as important works in the genre. One in particular is CELL: The Web Series which arrived on the internet in 2010.
This production delivered a series with similarities to The Prisoner and Lost–though in much tighter quarters–giving us engaging drama, confounding mysteries, and an emerging mythology. Most impressive, though, is that it accomplished all that on a single set with only three actors (until the final episode at least) and practically no special effects. And while this is definitely a small, intimate, claustrophobic story, it also has plenty of hints toward a grander tale much like what played out on Lost (which was at the peak of its popularity at that time).
The synopsis provided above basically gives the set up for the series, but the viewer will want no more information than that going in because this tale does not follow the linear direction you might expect, and it delivers several shockers while also giving us some intense, riveting, drama. It took plenty of chances and delivered twists and turns and diverged from the standard fare on the traditional television channels to offer a more challenging viewing experience. And while the acting does fall short in a few places and the series kind of drags in the middle, the actors do an excellent job for the most part and the few stumbles barely detract from the overall excellence of the production.
Mark Gardner, who has some professional work on his resume, created, wrote, and directed the series, and I certainly considered him an emerging talent at the time. But the entertainment industry is rather unforgiving, and I do not see that he has done much since producing CELL. And sadly, the independent web series format mostly died out by the mid-2010s as it proved unsustainable (more on that below) and as the streaming channels started to offer originals with high production values that attracted the viewers seeking alternatives from the offerings on the linear networks. CELL: The Web Series was one of the gems that emerged during that brief period of web series growth, and it is one that certainly still deserves some recognition. It delivered a minimalist approach at grand story-telling, and it stands out as a notable accomplishment for episodic sci fi programming that genre fans should seek out.
Cancelled Too Soon?
The series tells a mostly complete story with its first season, but the final episode definitely set up a continuation that could have taken the story in a grander direction. Mark Gardner wanted to produce a second season, but that came down to funding. He produced the first set of episodes mostly at his own expense and needed additional money to continue the series. At that time, however, a means to fund these productions was not well established. YouTube was not as far along as it is today where it has become an outlet that allows independent producers to sustain their work with ad revenue. And crowd-funding on the internet was mostly in its infancy. Plus, there was a lot of competition among web series at that time, so it was hard for one to stand out, even if it was a higher quality production like CELL: The Web Series. Ultimately, the one season is all that we got from this one, but it still provides a satisfying viewing experience.
Should It Be Rebooted?
It would be a shame to do a complete reboot of this property because the first season delivered such an excellent production. But if that allows the story to continue, it just might prove worthwhile. Carrying on the show with the original actors does not seem like an option seeing as fourteen years have passed since it was first produced. But if a new cast was brought in and Mark Gardner helmed the reboot, it could be just as strong as the first time around. And that would allow it to continue for a second season and beyond. With YouTube now as a viable option to support productions like this, as well as the advancements in crowd-funding, it sure seems like a second stab at this property is worth considering. Perhaps this could even go the revival route, with a new group of prisoners in the cell that ultimately links back to the first season and then carries on the story. It would not be that expensive to produce, and maybe one of the streaming services would even take a flyer on the property. Or if Mark Gardner were to try to raise the funds himself, I would certainly lend my support to a reboot or revival.
Interesting Fact:
While CELL: The Web Series never developed a huge following during its initial run, it did receive plenty of accolades. It aired at several international festivals and brought home multiple awards such as Best Thriller, Best Actress in a Drama, Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Cinematography, and more. You can see a list of its awards at the show’s website.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series is still available to stream at the show’s website. It is also available for viewing on YouTube.
Read More About the Show:
If you produced an independent sci fi/fantasy web series during the 2000s and/or 2010s, please contact us at cultscifi.com@gmail.com with the information about the show. Or if you know of productions from that time, please pass along that information as I am working on a project documenting the rise and fall of this format.
