The Guild

Felecia Day was once an out of job actress with a few guest appearances on Josh Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and similar TV roles.  She then played World of Warcraft and got to the point where she knew she had to stop and do something productive with herself to pay her bills.  So as an actress in LA she started writing a script about the one thing she enjoyed doing at the time - MMO gaming.  The Guild is humorous look at the in game and out of game lives of massive multi-player online role-playing gamers (MMPORGs) loosely based on Felecia's experience with World of Warcraft.  The show features fives fictitious gamers from very different walks of life who play some fictitious on-line role playing game together in a guild - a team of players who have dedicated their current game time to helping each other progress through the common game they play. 

The show is mostly written from the perspective of Syd Sherman (AKA Codex) who is also played by Felecia Day.  She is a 30 something prodigy violinist who had just lost her job at a local orchestra and has become a hermit with her online gaming as her only social outlet.  In game she plays her guild's healer (the fantasy equivalent of a combat medic).  She is supported by four other players from very different walks of life.  There is Herman (AKA Vork) who also is a hermit living off of his dead father's pension and is the guild's leader.  There's Clara (AKA Clara), a stay at home negligent mother of three and even more negligent wife, who is the guild's magician.  There's Sujan (AKA Zaboo), a "Hin-Jew" college student and guild warlock whose talents include cyber stalking and imposing his affections inappropriately on Syd.  Tinkerballa (AKA Tinkerballa) the guild's ranger is in real life a sulking Japanese tart and pre-med student.  Finally there's Simon (AKA Bladezz) the guild's rogue and machiavelli character who is in real life a street smart player, charmer, and ex-child model.

The shows are originally web-based and episodic and usually run for 5 minutes an episode following a story arc each season mainly about Syd and her guild mates going through some crisis that forces them work together (and meet) outside of their in game lives.  We actually never see the characters interact in game but instead get the anecdotes and dialogue that would normally have meaning just in the game. 

The show has gain popularity since it's webisodic release finding many fans into gaming and geek culture.  The fourth season featured geek star, Wil Wheaton, as the guild leader of a rival guild.  The show overall is well written and funny even for those not into (or aware of) the gaming culture.  The show was originally distributed on their web site, www.watchtheguild.com, via YouTube links but was then picked up on its second season by Microsoft for exclusive premiere viewing on Microsoft's XBox online network as free downloadable content.  The season would only be available on the show website once the season finished release and are as well released for purchase in DVD sets from their site and through I-Tunes.