After a couple decided to name their child Hashtag in the 2012, I thought the term was doomed to topping the trendiest baby names list for all eternity. Not the case. Reclaiming it and making it their own, comedian/producer pals Caitlin Bergh and Laura Zak wrote and starred in #Hashtag, a new series for tello films that is so good, I don’t understand why lesbians have been wasting so much of our time on things like The L Word, much less the “Real” version. Taking a quote from the series itself, it is “the best thing since comedically sliced bread.”
Like Girls with a digital twist, #Hashtag is about the online lives and loves of twenty-somethings. The series follows Skylar (Bergh) who’s struggling with the ill-effects of her long-term relationship on her comedy career, and her best friend Liv (Zak), whose Instagram obsession is interfering with her OkCupid goals. If for some reason you can’t identify with the premise (WHO ARE YOU?) – but seriously, watching the series is like putting a mirror up to queer millennial dating; those who don’t find familiarity in it’s a crash course through the digital age of relationships will find it light-hearted, affecting and genuinely hilarious. Words that could very much be used to describe it’s creators.
Caitlin Bergh is a comedic force whose talent continues to grow through her seemingly effortless acting abilities. As one of Chicago comedy scenes’ most outspoken voices, Bergh recently moved to LA and hit the ground running with writing her first web series.
“We can’t believe that Liv and Skylar, who’ve been living in our heads for so long, will be alive and kicking on tello in less than a month!” said Bergh, who has also appeared in the tello series Roomies with Julie Goldman and Brandy Howard.
There is definitely something special about Laura Zak. As half of the writing duo, Zak usually hangs behind the scenes. As a producer, writer and activist, #Hashtag represents her first foray into acting where she brings to life her own witty writing. She proves more than capable of delivering an honest, hilarious portrayal of the universal struggles and anxieties that come with dating after a break up.
What these two women have created is something to be proud of and I couldn’t stop watching. The writing and acting is far superior to most of the pilots cropping up on primetime and serves to further widen the quality gap between network and web series. The dialogue is so authentically conversational, I’m not sure whether to compliment the ladies’ improv skills or their writing.
Add in a seriously crushworthy supporting cast, including Marnie Alton (Cowboy Up), Kate Black Spence (The Throwaways) and Amy Thompson, and you’ve got yourself a new favorite show. Episodes start airing this Sunday, March 16, and will continue every Sunday exclusively on tellofilms.com.
