Where We Are and Where We Were in Literary Web Series: 2013 - 2017

DISCLAIMER: I have not seen all of the series I speak about. I have looked into the ones I have not watched, but it is possible that, for example, an actor is white passing but actually a POC, or a character is queer but I missed the episode where they were established as such.

Fitz Williams (Craig Frank) with Lizzie Bennet (Ashley Clements) in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Fitz was the first queer character in a literary web series, and also the first queer character of color.

2013: 

• Of the 8 literary web series active in 2013, there were 18 characters that can be considered leads. Of these 18 leads, 6 (33.3%) were POC, and 0 were queer.
• Of the 8 literary web series active in 2013, there were 61 characters that can be considered leads or regulars. Of these 61, 20 (32.8%) were POC, and 2 (3.3%) were queer. Only one character (1.6%) was a queer POC — Fitz Williams from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Jamie Watson (Sara-Renee Weatherby) and Mary Morstan (Reva Stover). Mary was the first queer woman of color in a literary web series.

2014: 

• Of the 19 literary web series active in 2014, there were 51 characters that can be considered leads. Of these 51 leads, 4 (7.8%) were POC, and 7 (13.7%) were queer.
• Of the 19 literary web series active in 2014, there were 141 characters that can be considered leads or regulars. Of these 141, 16 (11.4%) were POC, and 12 (8.5%) were queer. Again, only one character (0.7%) was a queer POC — Mary Morstan from The Adventures of Jamie Watson (and Sherlock Holmes).

A Document of Madness was notable for both its Hamlet (Xavier Pacheco) and Horatio (Michelle Taplin) being played by people of color.

2015: 

• Of the 22 literary web series active in 2015, there were 60 characters that can be considered leads. Of these 60, 11 (18.3%) were POC, and 21 (35%) were queer. 6 leads (10%) were queer people of color.
• Of the 22 literary web series active in 2015, there were 187 characters that can be considered leads or regulars. Of these 187, 34 (18.2%) were POC, and 59 (31.6%) were queer. 15 leads or regulars (8%) were queer people of color.

Anne Shirley (Laura Eklund Nhaga) confessed to having a crush on her best friend Diana Barry (Jutta Majava) in a 2016 episode of the long-running series Project Green Gables.

2016: 

• Of the 25 literary web series active in 2016, there were 72 characters that can be considered leads. Of these 72, 25 (34.7%) were POC, and 38 (52.8%) were queer. 15 leads (20.8%) were queer people of color.
• Of the 25 literary web series active in 2016, there were 223 characters that can be considered leads or regulars. Of these 222, 54 (24.3%) were POC and 96 (43.2%) were queer. 26 leads or regulars (11.7%) were queer people of color.

Bisexual Alex Everett (Liv Chavez) and lesbian Adriana Hill (Grace Brunson)’s romance was a key element in the 2017–2018 web series Twincidents. Chavez also played Alex Everett’s twin Alex Seymour, who was bi as well.

2017: 

• Of the 21 literary web series active in 2017, there were 55 characters that can be considered leads. Of these 52, 18 (34.6%) were POC, and 37 (71.2%) were queer. 16 leads (30.8%) were queer people of color.
• Of the 21 literary web series active in 2017, there were 162 characters that can be considered leads or regulars. Of these 162, 38 (23.5%) were POC, and 81 (50%) were queer. 26 leads or regulars (16%) were queer people of color.

Below I have created graphs of this information.

Graph of leads over time by percentages

Graph of leads and regular characters over time by percentages