Difference between revisions of "Lonelygirl15"

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[[Image:bree.jpg|right|thumb|200px|lonelygirl15 in one of her video blogs.]]
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{{show
'''lonelygirl15''' is a fictional [[vlog|video blog]] that came to international attention via [[YouTube]], a popular video sharing website. The central character is a YouTube user of the same name, although she is commonly known as '''[[Bree]]'''.
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|name    = lonelygirl15
'''
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|image    = Cast BW season 3.jpg
The character achieved massive popularity with her series of videos, which acquired over 15 million total views. But after viewers grew suspicious (see [[Lonelygirl15 (production)#Revelations of fictionality|Initial speculation]]), lonelygirl15 was exposed as a fictitious character played by [[New Zealand]] actress [[Jessica Lee Rose]]. An interview with The New York Times then revealed the series creators, [[Ramesh Flinders]], a screenwriter and film-maker from Marin County, California, and [[Miles Beckett]], a surgical residency dropout-turned-film-maker.  
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|creators = [[Miles Beckett]], [[Mesh Flinders]], [[Greg Goodfried]], and [[Amanda Goodfried]]
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|cast    = {{Show/row|Bree|Jessica Lee Rose}}
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{{Show/row|Daniel|Yousef Abu-Taleb}}
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{{Show/row|Jonas|Jackson Davis}}
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{{Show/row|Sarah|Alexandra Dreyfus}}
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{{Show/row|Taylor|Becki Kregoski}}
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{{Show/row|Spencer|Maxwell Glick}}
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{{Show/row|Emma|Katherine Pawlak}}
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{{Show/row|Jennie|Melanie Merkosky}}
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{{Show/row|Gina|Crystal Young}}
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|crew    = {{Show/row|Directors|[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Greg Goodfried]]<br>[[Jackson Davis]]<br>[[Jennifer Roth]]<br>[[Kevin Schlanser]]<br>[[Marcello Daciano]]<br>[[Mesh Flinders]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]<br>[[Yumiko Aoyagi]]}}
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{{Show/row|Executive Producers|[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Greg Goodfried]]<br>[[Mesh Flinders]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]<br>[[Yumiko Aoyagi]]}}
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{{Show/row|Producers|[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Marcello Daciano]]<br>[[Mesh Flinders]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]<br>[[Yumiko Aoyagi]]}}
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{{Show/row|Production Manager|[[Greg Goodfried]]}}
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{{Show/row|Production Assistants|[[Jenni Powell]]<br>[[Ian Schwartz]]}}
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{{Show/row|Camera Operators|[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Brad Haley]]<br>[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Jennifer Roth]]<br>[[Justin Thompson]]<br>[[Kevin Schlanser]]<br>[[Mesh Flinders]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]<br>[[Yousef Abu-Taleb]]}}
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{{Show/row|Editors|[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[ElizKM86]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Ian Schwartz]]<br>[[Jennifer Roth]]<br>[[Justin Thompson]]<br>[[Kevin Schlanser]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]}}
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{{Show/row|Head Writers|[[Mary Feuer]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]}}
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{{Show/row|Executive Story Editor|[[Glenn Rubenstein]]}}
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{{Show/row|Writers|[[Alli Danziger]]<br>[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[Dwayne Smith]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Greg Goodfried]]<br>[[Jan Libby]]<br> [[Jennifer Roth]]<br>[[Marcello Daciano]]<br>[[Mary Feuer]]<br>[[Mesh Flinders]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]<br>[[Ross Berger]]<br>[[Vanessa Roveto]]<br>[[Yumiko Aoyagi]]<br>[[Jim Campolongo]]}}
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{{Show/row|Vidplays by|[[Amanda Goodfried]]<br>[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[Dwayne Smith]]<br>[[Glenn Rubenstein]]<br>[[Greg Goodfried]]<br>[[Jan Libby]]<br>[[Jennifer Roth]]<br>[[Marcello Daciano]]<br>[[Mary Feuer]]<br>[[Mesh Flinders]]<br>[[Miles Beckett]]<br>[[Ross Berger]]<br>[[Vanessa Roveto]]<br>[[Yousef Abu-Taleb]]<br>[[Yumiko Aoyagi]]}}
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{{Show/row|Music Supervisors|[[Colin Hargraves]]<br>[[Darren Boling]]<br>[[Seth Jacobs]]}}
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{{Show/row|Animator|[[Ian Schwartz]]}}
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|portal      = Portal:lonelygirl15
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|lov        = List of lonelygirl15 videos
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|headercolor = #194B95
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|headerfont  = #fff
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}}
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'''lonelygirl15''' (also called '''LG15''') was a fictional webdrama produced by [[EQAL]], which ran from May 24th, 2006 to August 1st, 2008. A Japanese dub was slated for release in 2009 but ultimately never materialized. It debuted on YouTube under the guise of a 16-year-old videoblogger named [[Bree]] and a group of her friends coined [[TAAG]]. The show gained popularity by posting video responses to and name-dropping other popular YouTubers.
  
The series, which began June 16, 2006 is still running, with new videos appearing regularly.  
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The series was followed by a sequel ''[[LG15: The Resistance]]'' in late 2008. On June 16th, 2016 (the ten year anniversary of Bree's [[First Blog / Dorkiness Prevails|first video blog]]), the series was [[Whatever Happened To lonelygirl15?|revived]] under the title ''[[LG15: Anchor Cove]]''. 
 +
 
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==Cast of characters==
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*'''[[Jessica Lee Rose]]''' as '''[[Bree|Bree Avery]]''', a bubbly teenage girl whose trait positive blood makes her the target of a dangerous cult called the Order. She gained a large following on YouTube due to her quirky video blogs.
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*'''[[Yousef Abu-Taleb]]''' as '''[[Daniel]]''', Bree's best friend who only wishes to protect her, but is often distracted by romantic engagements. He can often jump to conclusions, and battles with an alcohol addition along with his parents.
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*'''[[Jackson Davis]]''' as '''[[Jonas|Jonas Wharton]]''', a boy who meets Bree online and discovers that his family has more ties to the Order than he realizes. He can be too willing to trust others, which often leads the TAAG into unfortunate situations.
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*'''[[Alexandra Dreyfus]]''' as '''[[Sarah|Sarah Genatiempo]]''', a misunderstood 19-year-old who develops a crush on Daniel and travels with TAAG. While she struggles to figure out what to do with her life, she harbors a dark and dangerous secret.
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*'''[[Becki Kregoski]]''' as '''[[Taylor|Taylor Genatiempo]]''', Sarah's younger sister who has an impressive amount of computer hacking skills. A passionate soccer player, she has more social skills than the rest of her family and is often upset by their actions.
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*'''[[Maxwell Glick]]''' as '''[[Spencer|Spencer Gilman]]''', an employee at Neutrogena with connections to the Order's science division. Chosen as a good role model for Bree, he sets out to help engineer a Trait Negative Serum.
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*'''[[Katherine Pawlak]]''' as '''[[Emma|Emma Wharton]]''', Jonas's trait positive younger sister. She grows up significantly during her battle for her life against the Order, and goes out of her way to try and protect her friends.
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*'''[[Melanie Merkosky]]''' as '''[[Jennie]]''', a former Lullaby Project employee who becomes friends with Sarah. She begins a romantic affair with Jonas and gives the TAAG an insight on how the Order's structure works.
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*'''[[Crystal Young]]''' as '''[[Gina|Gina Hart]]''', Bree's trait positive older sister who was taken from her at birth and used as a lab rat most of her life. She is quiet and reserved, and feels more comfortable with art supplies than with other people.
  
 
==Theme and plot==
 
==Theme and plot==
The central themes of their video blogs are:  
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{{main|lonelygirl15 The Story So Far...}}
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[[Image:Vid9.jpg|left|thumb|200px|For a complete synopsis of the plot, see [[The Story So Far...]]]]
  
* Unrequited love/romantic confusion - Bree is unsure of how to react when her friend Daniel confesses that he 'likes her'.
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In the [[First Blog / Dorkiness Prevails|beginning]], Bree's videos were similar to those of many other popular vloggers on YouTube, making brief videos out of her bedroom about her life, her best friend, [[Daniel]], and her conflicts with her [[Bree's parents|parents.]]
* Rebellion against parenting - Bree is homeschooled by parents who she implies are also strictly religious.
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* Forbidden experimentation - her parents are apparently unaware of her video blogs.
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* The Occult - Bree has a picture of [[Aleister Crowley]] in her bedroom, and she is involved in preparing for a 'ceremony'.
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There are also other recurring motifs in the videosFor example, the phrase "Proving Science Wrong" is repeated on many occasions, often in reference to her spirited science experiments with Daniel.
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Bree was home schooled and lonelyHer only friend, who introduced her to YouTube and video editing, was Daniel, whom she met during a brief [[Poor Pluto|stint]] in public school two years earlier. Daniel's [[Boy Problems...|crush]] on Bree and the [[My Parents Suck...|strictness]] of Bree's parents were a part of the tensions behind many of the early videos.
  
In the blog entry "[[Swimming!]]" Bree refers to an old friend named [[Cassie]]. Since a second female character was listed in the project's initial casting call, the character is expected to appear at some point. Some videos called [[Cassieiswatching]] have appeared on YouTube, however the lonelygirl15 creators claim to be unconnected. [http://www.lonelygirl15.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=718]
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Eventually, it was revealed that Bree was a member of a secretive religion, originally believed to be [[Thelema]], but later recognized as the fictional [[Hymn of One]]. Selected to perform a mysterious [[The Ceremony|ceremony]], she was, at first, ecstatic by the honor, but soon found herself with many unanswered [[I Listened To Daniel|questions]] as to the motives of the [[Deacons]] who [[Life's Not Fair|insisted]] she perform it.
  
In one episode, the family's religion is revealed as the [[Denderah|Order of Denderah]] and "Denderah" is one of the keyword tags on the blog. Bree is learning the [[Enochian|secret language]] for an upcoming ceremony.
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The show gradually abandoned its premise of being a highly-realistic story about a young vlogger, taking the story out of the bedroom and [[On The Run|on the run]], as Bree and Daniel attempted to escape the Ceremony Bree was being forced into. Finding out that The Hymn of One was nothing more than a front for [[the Order]], a powerful society who want the [[Trait positive]] blood of young girls like Bree, propelled them further into a journey full of [[Tachyon|secret codes]], evil [[Shadows|henchmen]], and dark adventure. Although their path has been littered with [[Gemma|treachery]] and [[Subjects Apprehended|danger]], the two were able to find unexpected help in the form of an [[Jonas|orphan boy]], two very different [[Then and Now: A Look Back at Lonelygirl15 Through Time#Taylor & Sarah|sisters]], and a self proclaimed [[Spencer|lab rat.]] Amid [[Lonelygirl15 Season Finale 10 of 12 – 5 pm|tragedy]] and [[Claire|manipulation]], the teens [[Grand Canyon|vowed]] to continue [[The Resistance|fighting]] the Order by assisting the [[List of New Girl Candidates|young girls]] desperately in need of their help. They eventually find themselves traveling across America trying to overthrow their powerful enemy and going forward to meet their shadowy future together.
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==Notes about the series==
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*Although the series was originally posted through [[YouTube]], in September of 2006 the Creators signed a promotional deal with [[Revver]], another popular video sharing website. The first LG15 video seen through Revver was [[A Change In My Life]]. In late 2007 the website switched back to using YouTube to broadcast their videos.
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*lonelygirl15 won the VH1 "Big in '06" award for Biggest Download
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*The show remains the eightteenth most-subscribed channel on YouTube, with over 100,000 subscribers as of July 6, 2008.
  
 
==Revelations of fictionality==
 
==Revelations of fictionality==
Line 25: Line 69:
 
===Initial speculation===
 
===Initial speculation===
  
 
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Although, her blogs quickly became very popular, viewers grew suspicious that lonelygirl15 was not real and began to wonder if Bree was, in fact, a real person or if the posts were part of a teaser campaign for a television show or an upcoming movie. Others felt that the blog might be part of an [[Alternate Reality Game|alternate reality game]].  
Several fans of lonelygirl15’s video posts began to wonder if Bree was, in fact, a real person or if the posts were part of a teaser campaign for a television show or an upcoming movie. Others felt that the blog might be part of an [[Alternate Reality Game|alternate reality game]].  
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[[Image:DanielLight.gif|right|thumb|200px|Daniel attempting to light a candle underneath a picture of [[Aleister Crowley]].]]
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Fans pointed to small inconsistencies within the videos as evidence that the story might not be genuine.
 
Fans pointed to small inconsistencies within the videos as evidence that the story might not be genuine.
  
* The website lonelygirl15.com, supposedly created by a fan, was registered in May 2006, a week or two prior to Bree actually uploading her first video.  
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* The website [[lonelygirl15.com]], supposedly created by a fan named [[Bukanator]], was registered in May 2006, several weeks prior to Bree actually uploading her first video.  
  
* Bree has had several fights with Daniel, the boy in the video that supposedly does the video editing, on webcam. However, he still edits the videos and leaves the fights on video to be posted on YouTube. It should be noted that Bree has claimed to edit those particular videos, but it is still unlikely a girl who just endured real fights with her only friend would upload those fights to YouTube.
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* Bree had several fights with Daniel on webcam. It seemed unlikely a girl who just endured real fights with her only friend would upload those fights to YouTube.
  
* The only mention of specific YouTube users occurred in the first postings. Thereafter, the only responses to user comments were generic and vague, e.g.: "Some of you guys were asking about ..." This theory was shown to be incorrect, or at least incorrect in reference to the episode "Bree the Cookie Monster", which cites certain comments.
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* The appearance of [[Aleister Crowley]] on Bree's bedroom wall seemed improbable.
  
* A US federal trademark [http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=78957059 78957059], for the term ''lonelygirl15'' was filed on August 22, 2006, stating that it had been used in interstate commerce since May 24 2006.([http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1I1/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.gov.uspto.tow.actions.DetailViewAction/.c/6_0_CH/.ce/7_0_1JJ/.p/5_0_1CH Trademark Application])
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* The lighting, along with other cinematic elements, also seemed improbable.
 
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A post made at 1:41 AM on September 12, 2006 on a lonelygirl15 message board eventually broke the story, proclaiming that "Bree" was in fact an actress named [[Jessica Rose]].[http://alissabrooke.proboards56.com/index.cgi?board=jessr&action=display&thread=1158038202]
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===Media reports of fictionality===
 
===Media reports of fictionality===
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[[Image:Grillz.jpg|left|thumb|200px|For the full story of how fans unearthed the truth behind lonelygirl15, see [[Down The Rabbit Hole: The Hunt For Bree|The Hunt For Bree]].]]
  
* The ''Los Angeles Times'' reported in an article dated September 8, 2006, that three lonelygirl15 fans - Shaina Wedmedyk, Chris Patterson, and an anonymous law student - set up a sting operation using IP address tracking software that showed that e-mails sent from a lonelygirl15 [[MySpace]] account were traced to the offices of [[Creative Artists Agency]] ("CAA"), a powerful Hollywood talent agency based in Beverly Hills.[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-lonelygirl8sep08,0,5310001.story]
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* [[Richard Rushfield]] of ''The Los Angeles Times'' reported in an article dated September 8, 2006, that three lonelygirl15 fans - [[Shaina Wedmedyk]], Chris Patterson, and an anonymous law student (these three fans are known as the [[Phorum 3]]) - set up a sting operation using IP address tracking software that showed that e-mails sent from a lonelygirl15 [[MySpace]] account were traced to the offices of [[Creative Artists Agency]], a powerful Hollywood talent agency based in Beverly Hills.
  
* The ''New York Times'', on September 12, 2006, confirmed that the creators of the series are represented by CAA and that CAA was one of several locations used by Flinders and Steinfeld to send emails from lonelygirl15 accounts.
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* On September 11, 2006, a commenter on the website TMZ.com said that he recognized Bree, and posted a link to her MySpace account.  At 1:41 a.m. Sept. 12, members of [[The Children of Anchor Cove]] used Google cache to discover that the account belonged to New Zealand actress [[Jessica Lee Rose]]. Several other blogs quickly uncovered cached photos of Jessica Lee Rose and took credit for her discovery.<ref name = Applause>{{cite news | url = http://screens.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=77 | title = Applause for lonelygirl15, and DVD Extras | publisher = [[New York Times]] | date = [[2006-09-12]] | accessdate = 2006-09-13 | work = Screens | author = [[Virginia Heffernan|Heffernan, Virginia]] }}</ref>
  
* The ''Los Angeles Times'' On September 13th, 2006, featured the first interview with the creators of lonelygirl15, confirming the link between the creators and the CAA. [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-lonelygirl13sep13,1,3672640.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews&track=crosspromo]  
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* [[Virginia Heffernan]] of ''The New York Times'', on September 12, confirmed that the Creators of the series are represented by CAA and that CAA was one of several locations used by the Creators of the series to send emails from lonelygirl15 accounts.  She identified [[Miles Beckett]] and [[Mesh Flinders]] as the Creators of the project. One main source for her story was [[Grant Steinfeld]].
  
* The website Top Of The Tube, on September 12, published a video identifying the character Bree as a woman called Jessica Rose, on the basis of photographs found on the photo hosting site Photobucket.[http://topoftube.blogspot.com/2006/09/lonelygirl15-revealed-jessica-rose.html][http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU8iYeAzL1U] The website also revealed Jessica Rose as an "aspiring actress" from New Zealand who currently lives in [[Los Angeles]], which explains her occasional accent.
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* The ''Los Angeles Times'', on September 13th, featured the first interview with the Creators of lonelygirl15, confirming the link between the Creators and the CAA. This story also identified [[Greg Goodfried]] as one of the Creators.
  
* The Silicon Valley Watcher, also on September 12, published several articles, "[http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2006/09/the_identity_of.php The identity of LonelyGirl15] " , "[http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2006/09/the_hunt_for_lo.php The Hunt for LonelyGirl15: Life in a blogger household...]", and "[http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2006/09/how_the_secret.php How the secret identity of LonelyGirl15 was found]", likewise naming Jessica Rose as the actress portraying Bree, and reporting on the uncovering of the hoax.
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==Other shows==
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===Mini-series===
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* [[Nikki Bower Report]] videos were posted from November 1st, 2006, until February 4th, 2008. The main character, [[Nikki Bower]], investigated [[the Order]] and helped fight it. Nikki appeared in several videos in the parent series, as well.
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* [[Watchyourjack]] ran from November 19th, 2007, to February 10th, 2008, was a mini-series for lonelygirl15 that involved many parts of it -- including the main character [[Taylor]]. Watchyourjack's plot centered around the character of [[Jack]]. Watchyourjack was [[product placement]] for the movie "Jumper."
  
* The website Blogger's Blog, on September 12, produced evidence that the actress' name is "Jessica Lee Rose". [http://www.bloggersblog.com/cgi-bin/bloggersblog.pl?bblog=912061]
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===Spin-offs and others===
 
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* [[KateModern]], which ran from July 16th, 2007, to June 28th, 2008, acted as the first spin-off or "sister series" of lonelygirl15. As well as this, KateModern and lonelygirl15 characters were able to interact with each other and merge storylines in what the Creators called a crossover. KateModern and lonelygirl15 had one crossover.
== Admissions by Creators, and Latest Developments ==
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* Inspired by the lonelygirl15 series is the [[LG15 Franchise]] line-up, which includes lonelygirl15, KateModern, [[LG15: The Resistance]], [[N1ckola]], [[LG15: The Last]], and [[LG15: Outbreak]]
 
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* Heavily promoted by lonelygirl15 is [[Harper's Globe]], another EQAL show.
''New York Times'' reporter Virginia Heffernan expanded on the series of revelations on September 12th out with an article which confirmed Jessica Rose's identity, and revealed the identities of her "co-conspirators", [[Ramesh Flinders]], a screenwriter and filmmaker from Marin County, Calif., and [[Miles Beckett]], a doctor-turned-filmmaker.  According to Heffernan, speculation that a professional studio was used for the filming is incorrect &mdash; Bree's bedroom scenes were in fact filmed in Mr. Flinders’ very own bedroom using nothing more than a [[Logitech QuickCam]], a Web camera that retails for about $150. Software engineer Grant Steinfeld was also involved in this project, as a photographer. Amanda Solomon Goodfried, an assistant at Creative Artists Agency, assisted in their efforts to hide their identities, and a lawyer &mdash; Ms. Goodfried's father-in-law, Kenneth Goodfried &mdash; handled various legal matters.  The personnel involved worked under an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) according to Grant Steinfield.  Steinfield has verified most of this information to the ''Times'', and provided photographs he took on set of Ms. Rose as proof.<ref name = NYTimes/>
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The three main "creators" gave an interview to the Los Angeles Times, which appeared even later in the day on September 12.<ref name = Brainchild/>  Besides Mr. Beckett and Mr. Flinders, already revealed, the third major partner was revealed as Greg Goodfried, who presumably is related to Amanda and Kenneth Goodfried, although he states that the CAA connection came "through a friend who works at the agency."<ref name = Brainchild/> [[Associated Press]] published an interview with Jessica Rose on September 14 in which she described how she had become involved in the project and stated that she would continue working on it.<ref name = "JessicaRoseInterview" >{{cite web | url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060914/ap_on_hi_te/online_mystery_solved | title = Sudden fame amazes 'Lonelygirl15' star | work = Associated Press | accessdate = 2006-09-15 }}</ref> In addition to the Associated Press interview, she also [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1540910/20060914/index.jhtml?headlines=true appeared on MTV News on September 14th] alongside Ramesh Flinders.
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On September 13, the site Top of the Tube began circulating the trailer for Jessica Rose's first film ''Dearly Beloved'' directed by [[Leah Salvesen]] in which she starred as a distressed bride-to-be.<ref>{{cite web | title = Exclusive: lonelygirl15 a.k.a. Jessica Rose in Dearly Beloved trailer | url = http://topoftube.blogspot.com/2006/09/exclusive-lonelygirl15-aka-jessica-rose.html | work = Top of the Tube | date = [[2006-09-13]] | accessdate = 2006-09-13 }}</ref>
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On the evening of Thursday, September 14th, Jessica Rose made a surprise appearance on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' with [[Jay Leno]]. During her brief appearance she stated her name, where she was from, her actual age, and that she was not lonely anymore. Following her last remark, [[Tucker Carlson]] came out on stage and music was cued. The two began dancing together until the commercial break. Jessica Rose (referred to as Lonelygirl15) also appeared on the Internet talk-show [[Tom Green Live]] on September 29, 2006 in which she danced with Danielbeast and friends while the band [[Reel Big Fish]] played live music in host [[Tom Green]]'s living room studio<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuiGWgKxuDg Video of LonelyGirl15 appearance on Tom Green Live]</ref>.
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The actor behind Danielbeast is named Yousef Abu-Taleb.  He was discussed by name by Ramesh Flinders and Jessica Rose during their September 14 MTV News appearance.  Photos of Abu-Taleb from outside of the lonelygirl15 project have started to appear, and were compiled on YouTube into a video scrapbook called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_A2EqFsLgU "Danielbeast Exposed".]
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Since the fictitious nature of lonelygirl15 has been revealed, the storyline continues to develop via new videos posted to both [[YouTube]] and [[Revver]]. The continuation of the series fulfills the promise that the authors made in a New York Times article, stating that they will continue the story of lonelygirl15 and Danielbeast despite the public's awareness that the blog is fictional.<ref name = Applause>{{cite news | url = http://screens.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=77 | title = Applause for lonelygirl15, and DVD Extras | publisher = [[New York Times]] | date = [[2006-09-12]] | accessdate = 2006-09-13 | work = Screens | author = [[Virginia Heffernan|Heffernan, Virginia]] }}</ref>
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From September 9, 2006 onwards, lonelygirl15.com has served the series from [[Revver]], a service that allows video creators to make money from their videos by having ads automatically inserted after their videos. When the creators came forward on September 13, 2006, Revver was publicized [2] as the official home of lonelygirl15.  Recently, videos have appeared on lonelygirl15.com significantly in advance of appearing on youtube.com.  Internet traffic comparisons may bear out that additional traffic is being directed to lonelygirl15.com.
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The online star was recently hired by the United Nations to fight poverty through an online anti-poverty video. Rose will be playing her infamous LonelyGirl15 role as she sits by herself in her bedroom talking to the camera. This time, however, she will be talking about the antipoverty cause rather than her boyfriend troubles. The anti-poverty video has been posted on YouTube in the hopes of sparking a buzz online for a call around the world to “stand up against poverty.” The online videos are part of a broader ad campaign designed by WPP Group’s ad agency Y&R. Y&R will be working with the United Nation’s Millennium campaign to front the campaign and is now available for all to see.
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==Production Techniques==
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[[Image:Lighting the set.jpg]]
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This picture shows what appears to be [[Miles Beckett]] lighting the set with relative simple equipment.
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[[Miles Beckett]] also appears to participate in the video editing.
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The video editing style uses frequent [[jump cuts]].
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[[Cast]]
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== Trivia ==
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* The series was developed under the working title ''The Children of Anchor Cove'' [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkxNjcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY5OTI4MTEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3].
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* lonelygirl15 has various signature items/props that appear in its episodes. Recurring props include a pink feather boa, a safari hat, and her beloved puppet Purple Monkey (a.k.a. "P-Monkey").
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* There are references to the occultic philosophy of [[Thelema]]; on the lonelygirl15.com website, the greek letters θέλημα ("Thelema") appear at the bottom of the page, along with three unicursal hexagrams on the header bar, and the phrase "Site design by Darbyite Design" at the bottom.
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* The total number of views in the lonelygirl15 series is estimated to be about 28,000,000 views.
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==Chat Room==
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Fans of the show can now chat about it in the [[LG15 Chat room]].
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==References==
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* Richards, Jonathan; "[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2319463,00.html Worldwide fame for a lonely girl]", 2006-08-19
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* Glaser, Mark; "[http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/09/lonelygirl15_outedmatt_foremsk.html Matt Foremski’s Sleuthing Leads to Jessica Rose]", 2006-09-12
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==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.LG15.com/lonelygirl15 lonelygirl15 on LG15.com]
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*[http://www.youtube.com/lonelygirl15 lonelygirl15 on YouTube.com]
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*[http://www.myspacetv.com/lonelygurl15 lonelygirl15 on MySpaceTV.com]
 +
*[http://www.revver.com/u/lonelygirl15 lonelygirl15 on Revver.com]
 +
*[http://www.youtube.com/InsideLG15 Behind the scenes of lonelygirl15]
  
;Official sites
+
{{clr}}
* [http://www.lonelygirl15.com/ Lonelygirl15.com]
+
{{LG15index}}
* [http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=lonelygirl15 YouTube: Lonelygirl15]
+
[[Category:Lonelygirl15]]
 
+
;Related official sites
+
* [http://www.myspace.com/lonelygurl15 MySpace: Lonelygirl15]
+
* [http://www.myspace.com/danielbeast Danielbeast on MySpace, complete with "Behind the Scenes" blog] (maintained by an administrator of the official message forum, but approved by Yousef Abu Taleb)
+
 
+
;Articles
+
 
+
* [http://www.caffeinemarketing.com/online-marketing/lonelygirl15-hired-by-united-nations/ "LonelyGirl15 Hired By The United Nations"], ''CaffeineMarketing.com''
+
* [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14816502/wid/11915829&GT1=8596 "Creators of Lonelygirl15 blogs go public"], ''MSNBC.com''
+
* [http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=2&subID=903 Lonely Girl 15, real name Jessica Rose, exposed as fake. Published 9/12 4pm GMT]
+
* [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1540910/20060914/index.jhtml?headlines=true Jessica Rose Interview (print and video) on MTV]Jessica Rose on MTV larger interview, also with "DanielBeast" (Video not available to those outside the U.S.)
+
* [http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=1762 "LonelyGirl15 exposes the Net's illogical sense of community"], article on the deception of the lonelygirl15 project''www.eurekastreet.com.au''
+

Latest revision as of 19:54, 26 June 2016

lonelygirl15
Cast BW season 3.jpg
Created by Miles Beckett, Mesh Flinders, Greg Goodfried, and Amanda Goodfried
Cast
Bree Jessica Lee Rose
Daniel Yousef Abu-Taleb
Jonas Jackson Davis
Sarah Alexandra Dreyfus
Taylor Becki Kregoski
Spencer Maxwell Glick
Emma Katherine Pawlak
Jennie Melanie Merkosky
Gina Crystal Young
Production Crew
Directors Amanda Goodfried
Colin Hargraves
Glenn Rubenstein
Greg Goodfried
Jackson Davis
Jennifer Roth
Kevin Schlanser
Marcello Daciano
Mesh Flinders
Miles Beckett
Yumiko Aoyagi
Executive Producers Amanda Goodfried
Glenn Rubenstein
Greg Goodfried
Mesh Flinders
Miles Beckett
Yumiko Aoyagi
Producers Amanda Goodfried
Colin Hargraves
Glenn Rubenstein
Marcello Daciano
Mesh Flinders
Miles Beckett
Yumiko Aoyagi
Production Manager Greg Goodfried
Production Assistants Jenni Powell
Ian Schwartz
Camera Operators Amanda Goodfried
Brad Haley
Colin Hargraves
Glenn Rubenstein
Jennifer Roth
Justin Thompson
Kevin Schlanser
Mesh Flinders
Miles Beckett
Yousef Abu-Taleb
Editors Amanda Goodfried
Colin Hargraves
ElizKM86
Glenn Rubenstein
Ian Schwartz
Jennifer Roth
Justin Thompson
Kevin Schlanser
Miles Beckett
Head Writers Mary Feuer
Miles Beckett
Executive Story Editor Glenn Rubenstein
Writers Alli Danziger
Amanda Goodfried
Colin Hargraves
Dwayne Smith
Glenn Rubenstein
Greg Goodfried
Jan Libby
Jennifer Roth
Marcello Daciano
Mary Feuer
Mesh Flinders
Miles Beckett
Ross Berger
Vanessa Roveto
Yumiko Aoyagi
Jim Campolongo
Vidplays by Amanda Goodfried
Colin Hargraves
Dwayne Smith
Glenn Rubenstein
Greg Goodfried
Jan Libby
Jennifer Roth
Marcello Daciano
Mary Feuer
Mesh Flinders
Miles Beckett
Ross Berger
Vanessa Roveto
Yousef Abu-Taleb
Yumiko Aoyagi
Music Supervisors Colin Hargraves
Darren Boling
Seth Jacobs
Animator Ian Schwartz
lonelygirl15 Portal
List of lonelygirl15 videos

lonelygirl15 (also called LG15) was a fictional webdrama produced by EQAL, which ran from May 24th, 2006 to August 1st, 2008. A Japanese dub was slated for release in 2009 but ultimately never materialized. It debuted on YouTube under the guise of a 16-year-old videoblogger named Bree and a group of her friends coined TAAG. The show gained popularity by posting video responses to and name-dropping other popular YouTubers.

The series was followed by a sequel LG15: The Resistance in late 2008. On June 16th, 2016 (the ten year anniversary of Bree's first video blog), the series was revived under the title LG15: Anchor Cove.

Cast of characters

  • Jessica Lee Rose as Bree Avery, a bubbly teenage girl whose trait positive blood makes her the target of a dangerous cult called the Order. She gained a large following on YouTube due to her quirky video blogs.
  • Yousef Abu-Taleb as Daniel, Bree's best friend who only wishes to protect her, but is often distracted by romantic engagements. He can often jump to conclusions, and battles with an alcohol addition along with his parents.
  • Jackson Davis as Jonas Wharton, a boy who meets Bree online and discovers that his family has more ties to the Order than he realizes. He can be too willing to trust others, which often leads the TAAG into unfortunate situations.
  • Alexandra Dreyfus as Sarah Genatiempo, a misunderstood 19-year-old who develops a crush on Daniel and travels with TAAG. While she struggles to figure out what to do with her life, she harbors a dark and dangerous secret.
  • Becki Kregoski as Taylor Genatiempo, Sarah's younger sister who has an impressive amount of computer hacking skills. A passionate soccer player, she has more social skills than the rest of her family and is often upset by their actions.
  • Maxwell Glick as Spencer Gilman, an employee at Neutrogena with connections to the Order's science division. Chosen as a good role model for Bree, he sets out to help engineer a Trait Negative Serum.
  • Katherine Pawlak as Emma Wharton, Jonas's trait positive younger sister. She grows up significantly during her battle for her life against the Order, and goes out of her way to try and protect her friends.
  • Melanie Merkosky as Jennie, a former Lullaby Project employee who becomes friends with Sarah. She begins a romantic affair with Jonas and gives the TAAG an insight on how the Order's structure works.
  • Crystal Young as Gina Hart, Bree's trait positive older sister who was taken from her at birth and used as a lab rat most of her life. She is quiet and reserved, and feels more comfortable with art supplies than with other people.

Theme and plot

Main article: lonelygirl15 The Story So Far...
For a complete synopsis of the plot, see The Story So Far...

In the beginning, Bree's videos were similar to those of many other popular vloggers on YouTube, making brief videos out of her bedroom about her life, her best friend, Daniel, and her conflicts with her parents.

Bree was home schooled and lonely. Her only friend, who introduced her to YouTube and video editing, was Daniel, whom she met during a brief stint in public school two years earlier. Daniel's crush on Bree and the strictness of Bree's parents were a part of the tensions behind many of the early videos.

Eventually, it was revealed that Bree was a member of a secretive religion, originally believed to be Thelema, but later recognized as the fictional Hymn of One. Selected to perform a mysterious ceremony, she was, at first, ecstatic by the honor, but soon found herself with many unanswered questions as to the motives of the Deacons who insisted she perform it.

The show gradually abandoned its premise of being a highly-realistic story about a young vlogger, taking the story out of the bedroom and on the run, as Bree and Daniel attempted to escape the Ceremony Bree was being forced into. Finding out that The Hymn of One was nothing more than a front for the Order, a powerful society who want the Trait positive blood of young girls like Bree, propelled them further into a journey full of secret codes, evil henchmen, and dark adventure. Although their path has been littered with treachery and danger, the two were able to find unexpected help in the form of an orphan boy, two very different sisters, and a self proclaimed lab rat. Amid tragedy and manipulation, the teens vowed to continue fighting the Order by assisting the young girls desperately in need of their help. They eventually find themselves traveling across America trying to overthrow their powerful enemy and going forward to meet their shadowy future together.

Notes about the series

  • Although the series was originally posted through YouTube, in September of 2006 the Creators signed a promotional deal with Revver, another popular video sharing website. The first LG15 video seen through Revver was A Change In My Life. In late 2007 the website switched back to using YouTube to broadcast their videos.
  • lonelygirl15 won the VH1 "Big in '06" award for Biggest Download
  • The show remains the eightteenth most-subscribed channel on YouTube, with over 100,000 subscribers as of July 6, 2008.

Revelations of fictionality

Initial speculation

Although, her blogs quickly became very popular, viewers grew suspicious that lonelygirl15 was not real and began to wonder if Bree was, in fact, a real person or if the posts were part of a teaser campaign for a television show or an upcoming movie. Others felt that the blog might be part of an alternate reality game.

Fans pointed to small inconsistencies within the videos as evidence that the story might not be genuine.

  • The website lonelygirl15.com, supposedly created by a fan named Bukanator, was registered in May 2006, several weeks prior to Bree actually uploading her first video.
  • Bree had several fights with Daniel on webcam. It seemed unlikely a girl who just endured real fights with her only friend would upload those fights to YouTube.
  • The lighting, along with other cinematic elements, also seemed improbable.

Media reports of fictionality

For the full story of how fans unearthed the truth behind lonelygirl15, see The Hunt For Bree.
  • Richard Rushfield of The Los Angeles Times reported in an article dated September 8, 2006, that three lonelygirl15 fans - Shaina Wedmedyk, Chris Patterson, and an anonymous law student (these three fans are known as the Phorum 3) - set up a sting operation using IP address tracking software that showed that e-mails sent from a lonelygirl15 MySpace account were traced to the offices of Creative Artists Agency, a powerful Hollywood talent agency based in Beverly Hills.
  • Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times, on September 12, confirmed that the Creators of the series are represented by CAA and that CAA was one of several locations used by the Creators of the series to send emails from lonelygirl15 accounts. She identified Miles Beckett and Mesh Flinders as the Creators of the project. One main source for her story was Grant Steinfeld.
  • The Los Angeles Times, on September 13th, featured the first interview with the Creators of lonelygirl15, confirming the link between the Creators and the CAA. This story also identified Greg Goodfried as one of the Creators.

Other shows

Mini-series

  • Nikki Bower Report videos were posted from November 1st, 2006, until February 4th, 2008. The main character, Nikki Bower, investigated the Order and helped fight it. Nikki appeared in several videos in the parent series, as well.
  • Watchyourjack ran from November 19th, 2007, to February 10th, 2008, was a mini-series for lonelygirl15 that involved many parts of it -- including the main character Taylor. Watchyourjack's plot centered around the character of Jack. Watchyourjack was product placement for the movie "Jumper."

Spin-offs and others

  • KateModern, which ran from July 16th, 2007, to June 28th, 2008, acted as the first spin-off or "sister series" of lonelygirl15. As well as this, KateModern and lonelygirl15 characters were able to interact with each other and merge storylines in what the Creators called a crossover. KateModern and lonelygirl15 had one crossover.
  • Inspired by the lonelygirl15 series is the LG15 Franchise line-up, which includes lonelygirl15, KateModern, LG15: The Resistance, N1ckola, LG15: The Last, and LG15: Outbreak
  • Heavily promoted by lonelygirl15 is Harper's Globe, another EQAL show.

External links


LG15 Franchise
Primary Series lonelygirl15 · KateModern · LG15: The Resistance · N1ckola · LG15: Anchor Cove
The Show Is Yours LG15: The Last · LG15: Outbreak (Masonishappy)
Additional Content OpAphid ARG · Nikki Bower Report · Watchyourjack
Cancelled Projects LG15 in Italy · LG15: The Misfits · LG15 in Japan
See also Lonelygirl362436