damn, I just got reminded of Literary inspired webseries, and thinking of all my favourites, I realized why Public History stands out for me so much. It's so sad it came out in a time when many people had stopped caring about webseries and the fandom had mostly dispersed due to drama and discourse. But Public History?? It really is the peak of that genre.
following the liw trend back to its beginnings with the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, you could really watch a whole new genre evolve and grow. creators taking classics and translating them into a modern setting, finding reasons why vlogging would make sense for them, and how to justify that even dramatic, private moments are put on the internet. Experimenting with the format, telling a story from multiple perspectives, sometimes even via social media. then, with shows like nmtd and call me Katie, slowly realising you were allowed to put queer characters in there, not just in a throwaway mention in the background, but front and center. realising that sometimes, it's not just 'diversity' to cast actors of colour, but it makes a story make more sense in a modern setting, like with Project Green Gables.
And Public History (a David Copperfield webseries) is the culmination of all of that. Everything creators learned about how to make compelling webseries comes together in that show. You have an incredibly diverse cast, where the casting choices feel genuine and make sense for the story. same goes for the queer representation - the lesbian, the gay, the bi, trans, polyamorous storylines. they are deeply rooted in the source material, woven effortlessly into the story, showing that they've always belonged there. there's a deep understanding for the story in general and the ways you can modernise a classic. the way it's told understands its format so perfectly.
I'm still sad that the fandom around that time was so small and that this show never got quite the attention it deserved. So, if you ever feel nostalgic about that good old webseries era, all I'm saying is. give Public History a try.
