Over the past two decades, television has moved rapidly into an era marked by increased choice, flexibility and greater diversity of representation. Coinciding with this is a rise in new storytelling forms, such as web series, which have gained traction online and via traditional means. These developments have also manifested the phenomenon of the web series to television crossover. This article looks to Starting From … Now (2014–2016), a lesbian-themed web series that was broadcast on SBS2 in 2016 and, subsequently, described as a ‘revolution’ in Australian television. Examining the industrial context and critical reception of the series, this article assesses the validity of this claim. This research elucidates the place of web series in Australia’s shifting television landscape and highlights how Starting From … Now confronts the lack of diversity in Australian TV drama.
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