EastSiders

EastSiders is an American dark comedy web series created by Kit Williamson. It premiered on YouTube on December 14, 2012, and began streaming through Logo TV's website on April 23, 2013. Set in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, the series follows couple Thom (Van Hansis) and Cal (Williamson) as they struggle with infidelity and substance abuse. It also explores the relationship between Kathy (Constance Wu), Cal's best friend, and her boyfriend Ian (John Halbach) as they reach their six-month anniversary, making it Kathy's longest relationship.
The first two episodes of the first season premiered on YouTube, and the subsequent seven episodes were funded by a Kickstarter campaign. On April 2, 2013, it was announced that the series was picked up for distribution through Logo TV's website, and the remainder of the season premiered on April 23, 2013. The second season premiered on September 15, 2015, through Vimeo's on demand service. The series was later sold to Netflix, and the third season premiered November 28, 2017.
Since its release, the series has received numerous accolades, including two Indie Series Awards and several Daytime Emmy Award nominations.
The fourth and final season premiered on December 1, 2019.
Series overview.
In Silver Lake, Los Angeles, Cal (Kit Williamson) learns that Thom (Van Hansis), his boyfriend of four years, has been cheating on him with Jeremy (Matthew McKelligon). Though upset, Cal decides that he does not want to end the relationship. However, Cal also cheats with Jeremy. Though he intends to tell Thom about the affair, he does not. At the same time, Cal's best friend Kathy (Constance Wu) and her boyfriend Ian (John Halbach) reach their six-month anniversary, marking the relationship as Kathy's longest but Ian's shortest.
Episodes.
The first two episodes were released through YouTube on December 14, 2012, and December 21, 2012. On April 2, 2013, Logo TV announced that it secured the rights to stream the series. The first two episodes were posted to the network's website on April 19, 2013, with the remaining episodes beginning a weekly release schedule starting April 22, 2013. Wolfe Video acquired worldwide digital and DVD rights to the feature film cut of the first season on January 15, 2014. It was released on DVD and digital download on August 12, 2014. It also became available through iTunes.
The second series premiered on September 15, 2015 with the simultaneous release of its first three episodes on Vimeo's on demand service. At the time the series would release exclusively through Vimeo until October 3, 2015, on which release on other digital platforms and on DVD.
Production.
After the initial two episodes aired, the remaining seven were funded through crowdfunding via Kickstarter. The campaign began on January 7, 2013 and met its goal $15,000 four days later on January 11, 2013. The campaign closed on February 6, 2013, with $25,785 raised. The series launched a second Kickstarter campaign to fund the second season on April 14, 2014, with a goal of $125,000; the campaign closed on May 19, 2014, with $153,170 raised.
The series is filmed on location in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
Reception.
After the release of the first two episodes, "The Daily Dot" described the series as "charming, sharply written, and well-acted," specifically praising Guarino and Wu, and felt that the future of the series was "promising." "Next Magazine" also felt that the first two episodes were "top-notch", especially as it noted "the demographic [depicting the lives of young gay men] is still pretty unrepresented when it comes to well-produced series," and included the first season Kickstarter among those it recommended for backing. IndieWire recommended the series, because it was "giving Logo the kind of soap opera they should have on-air." "NewMediaRockstars" felt that the first season was met positively because fans "were eager for a quality series that portrayed realistic LGBT relationships without making sexual orientation the characters' defining feature."
Awards and nominations.
The first season was nominated for a 2013 Satellite Award for Original Short-Form Program. "LA Weekly" awarded the series a 2013 Web Award for Best Web Series – Drama. It won the 2013 Indie Series Award for Best Ensemble and was nominated for five others. In 2016, "EastSiders" received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series, and Hansis was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for portraying Thom. The series also received ten Indie Series Award nominations in 2016, including Best Web Series – Drama, and won for Best Ensemble – Drama.