TVSquad

The marriage of the internet and television production continues to mature. The latest entry, launching this week, is Gemini Division. While it's too early to tell how the 50 episode saga is going to ultimately be received, it's still worth talking about. Gemini Division is another big step for the future of internet-based productions.

The show is being produced by NBC Universal Digital Studios, which, among other things, means a much larger budget. Something evident in the cast which includes the star of the show, Rosario Dawson. That's a pretty big name for what is ultimately another experiment in the medium. She's joined by Justin Hartley, Danny Woodburn, John Kapelos, Kevin Alejandro, Fransois Chau, and Elizabeth Bogush, among others. It's not exactly Ocean's 11, but those are all pretty recognizable actors.

The story revolves around Detective Anna Diaz (Dawson). While on a romantic trip to Paris, her boyfriend Nick (Hartley) proposes. But something just isn't right. And before Anna can get things straight so she can answer his proposal, she witnesses his murder. Her quest to find those responsible takes her on an adventure that has her peeling back the layers on a global conspiracy involving covert military operations, bizarre genetic experiments, and a mysterious organization known as Gemini Division.

Have a look at the trailer.

You can catch the first two episodes of the series at the official site right now, and two more are coming next week. As the show ramps up, new episodes will be available Monday through Thursday. Gemini Division is created by Brent V. Freidman, who some of you may recall from his earlier web-series, Afterworld.

So, what does it all mean? I have to say, given how much of the story they put out in the press release, and on the about section of the website, the first two episodes feel a little slow. We already know Nick is doomed, because they told us, so they should get to it. That being said, the show does have a very interesting look. The huge amounts of green-screen footage are a concession to the budget, but they also give the show a unique feel. One of the producers described the show as taking place "five minutes in the future." The strange look brought on by the green-screen lends itself well to that. Bits of it do occasionally look hokey, but overall I think the production quality is going to hold up.

The story, I'm not so sure about. I think I'm going to really like it, but I'm not sure this is the stuff of mass appeal. Government conspiracy, high tech weaponry, and future gadgets (I really want Anna's PDA), all on a show that has to be watched on the computer, lean to the niche. There is also a companion game that begins on the 29th where viewers will be able to become Gemini agents. That's even more niche, but it is all another step in what I think is the right direction. Getting bigger names involved, and bigger budgets, is just what web-based series need.