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Steve Silverman's award-winning comedy web series Pretty the Series returns for a new season, set to drop Monday January 5.

Web Series Review: ‘Pretty the Series’ Returns for Season Four

Pretty-Banner2 JPEGSteve Silverman’s award-winning  comedy web series Pretty the Series returns for a new season, set to drop Monday January 5.  Silverman’s love of kiddie pageants sparked the idea for the series and he masterfully takes it to the extreme.

The story of six-year-old Annette “Dakota” Champagne (Stacy McQueen) and her father’s dream to win a kiddie pageant has taken the web series world by storm, as fans couldn’t get enough of the wacky Champagnes and their dysfunctional family.

Who could forget Michael Champagne’s (Sam Pancake) burning denial of his sexuality, his marriage of convenience, and his chain-smoking, cheating wife Ribina (Dee Freeman), who was having an affair with her husband’s brother Ethan (Troy Conrad)? And then there is his “Recovering Atheist” and slightly off sister Meredith (Kristen Vangsness).

Of course there are the duplicitous right-hand man of the pageant director, Royce Adams (Michael Taylor Gray) who almost had the director taken out in hopes he’d gain the coveted position, and Parker Kensington-Parker (Terri Simmons) scheming to make money with outrageous fees, no matter if your kid was pageant material or not!  The plot thickened every season with new pageant rivals and their parents, as well as those hell-bent on robbing the ill-fated pageant show, making Annette’s quest to fame even more difficult.

We’ve all seen those overbearing, win-at-all-cost parents, demanding nothing but perfection from their little angels, but what happens when that “little angel” grows up?  What effect does the constant running from pageant to pageant, facing rivals and being forced into this insane life have on a person?  Not to mention the emotional toll from determined parents living out their dreams through their child.  The season four opener clearly depicts Annette’s current state of life, and let’s just say she has her demons!

What do you do after the lights and cameras are turned off and age sets in? Run a dance studio of course! That’s right!  She’s running a dance studio called “Annette’s Cadettes.” She vividly remembers all those crazy exercises and rehearsals to which she was subjected growing up. Think she’ll have compassion and never put her child through the same ordeal?  Think again!  The dance moms describe her as a Nazi!

A lot of new characters are introduced, including Annette’s daughter, her ex-husband and of course, those little rascals we saw as kids competing against Annette! That’s right– remember Lily Devonshire (Isis Silva)? Adrianne Wilkenson joins the cast as the all-grown-up version of Lily. Although they aren’t in the pageants any longer, the two rivals continue to compete in the dance community! How far will they go to ensure their troop wins? You’ll have to tune in to find out!

Not only will new characters be introduced, but some of our favorites will return, including Dee Freeman, Denise Alexander and Michael Taylor Gray.  We’ll also see several actors from other award-winning web series, including Emmy-nominated Michael Caruso (DeVanity/Winterthorne) as Shay, Annette’s ex-hubby and Diane Delano (Fumbling Thru The Pieces) as dance mom Gladys, who doesn’t quite fit in with the clique.

It’s the absurdity and ruthlessness of the characters that keep audiences wanting more! The first episode of the season reminds fans of what they loved about the show, classic ‘Pretty’, with Annette completely off her rocker!  If the first episode is any indication, it’s gonna be another season of wacky hi-jinks, dreams dashed and lots of needed therapy!

Don’t miss the season four premiere Monday, January 5! Haven’t seen Pretty or need to refresh your memory? Catch up now on the Pretty website.

Steve Silverman and Dee Freeman will guest on RHeart’s ‘Storytellers On The Net‘, Wednesday January 7 at 10:00 p.m.  ET.  We’ll take a behind-the-scenes look at the new season and chat about what it was like bringing the series back.

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About Chrissy Piccolo

Chrissy Piccolo the founder of RHeart Network, the Fan's Voice, the #1 Fan Connection Destination, supporting daytime, prime-time and online scripted digital content. Currently the host of RHeart Radio, the Fan's Voice, as well as Storytellers On The Net, and Sleepy Hollow Addicts on Blogtalk radio. In addition to writing for Blogcritics, she is also an author on Examiner.com. Web Series Today and currently co-hosts with Barbara Barnett and Jerome Wetzel on 'Let's Talk TV' on Blogtalk. She is also working on adapting her her first novel in The Kirsten Kelly Chronicles series into a webseries. Passionate about keeping scripted content alive, she continues to be an advocate for all forms. When she’s not working managing several websites or writing, one of her hobbies is investigating the paranormal with other enthusiasts and searching out possible cases through historic sites in the Northwest. Chrissy believes in being a positive influence in such a vast medium as the Internet.

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