Images: The highs and lows of digital drama

Young American Bodies (2008)
Like Quarterlife, Young American Bodies--created by indie director Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes The Stairs)--is the tale of the love lives of young people in Chicago. And also like Quarterlife, it went from indie Web roots (this time on Nerve.com) to mainstream-media distribution.

But in this case, the benefactor was IFC--and after inking the deal to distribute the show's third "season," it kept the series on its Web site rather than trying to awkwardly place it on TV. Young American Bodies is probably too racy for the airwaves, anyway. The provocative and edgy nature of the show means it's not meant for mainstream appeal, but it's snagged plenty of positive criticism and a loyal following spilling over from its Nerve days.