It’s not quite accurate to call Lien on Me a black comedy; “bleak comedy” seems to apply better. But there’s something quite engaging about this recession-inspired web series.
Johnny (David Beatty) is a real estate agent who’s much less successful than his wife Theona (Heather Dara Williams), who runs a suicide hotline. That doesn’t seem to bother him, though — what does is being taken advantage of by friends, family, his boss and co-worker, especially as they all begin to move into his house and intrude on his life.
And… yeah, the above’s all I really have to say about the plot description — clearly, the concept isn’t all that complicated. However, while on the surface it might seem like a series ripped off from ABC’s TGIF line-up, the execution is a lot less Full House and a lot more Arrested Development (plus sex toy jokes). The use of flashbacks and cutaways especially does a lot to give the series some life and imagination.
The cast is largely made up of actors with plenty of network television procedural experience, and each performer seems committed to having fun with the material and their characters. Beatty’s performance at times feels a little forced, given that his role is largely reactive, but Ammar Ramzi as the creepy nephew of Johnny’s boss is a standout.
With a small-scale project like this (all the action takes place on a suburban block or inside what’s quite likely a house) represents a low-budget investment, the editing and cinematography are solid and the sound design decidedly above average (which is impressive given that many scenes are shot outdoors).
The key, though, is that the writing is solid, with a number of laugh-out-loud moments. Of the three episodes produced so far, the first is probably the best — thanks to some of the darker, but also funnier, sight gags.
Lien on Me is a collaboration by nine UC Davis graduates, shot entirely in Huntington Beach, CA, and so far the first episode hasn’t even cracked 1000 views. This is an indie with some creative potential, though the audience for it may not be out there. After all, during a recession the last thing people really want to dwell on is the recession.
Related GigaOm Pro Content (subscription required): By The Numbers: Budget Analysis of a Web Series

{"source":"https:\/\/gigaom.com\/2010\/07\/16\/indie-lien-on-me-a-bleak-but-funny-look-at-recession-era-suburbia\/wijax\/49e8740702c6da9341d50357217fb629","varname":"wijax_d659b7cc9a4472b22fc33465d77ce152","title_element":"header","title_class":"widget-title","title_before":"%3Cheader%20class%3D%22widget-title%22%3E","title_after":"%3C%2Fheader%3E"}