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Classic Alice is an American drama/comedy web series about a college student making decisions according to the actions of characters in classic literature. It was created by Kate Hackett and stars Kate Hackett, Tony Noto, Elise Cantu, and Chris O'Brien. It premiered on YouTube on March 4, 2014.

Format
Classic Alice is divided into narrative arcs that correspond with the books main character Alice is reading, with overarching storylines and character development running throughout. The book arcs to date have centered on Crime and Punishment, Pygmalion, "The Butterfly," Macbeth, Rip van Winkle, The Wind in the Willows, A Christmas Carol, and Walden.

The show began with weekly vlog-style episodes shot in Alice's bedroom. Beginning with the second book arc, Pygmalion, vlog-style episodes on Tuesdays were followed by short reality TV-style confessional videos featuring various characters on Thursdays. In the eighth book arc, Walden, the show expanded beyond the vlog format and incorporated a larger variety of styles and settings.

Plot
Classic Alice begins when college student Alice Rackham gets a bad grade because her professor doesn't think she's connecting emotionally with the books she's reading. She decides to start living her life according to the actions of characters in classic novels, and her film student friend Andrew makes a vlog-style documentary about it. In Crime and Punishment, Alice steals a test, but before she can turn herself in and deal with the consequences, Andrew takes responsibility for her actions and uses his father's money and influence to avoid punishment. This causes a rift between Andrew and Alice, who only lets him continue with the project when he promises to stop interfering with her actions.

In Pygmalion, Alice makes over nerdy student Ewan McBay and dates him briefly, but he quickly abandons her in his quest for power and popularity. She reacts, in "The Butterfly," by enlisting her cousin Reagan to help her date more and trying to meet men at events like a football game and speed dating. Ewan returns in Macbeth, when he uses his new social capital to oust the student government president and try to seize power himself. Alice runs against him and wins, but not before Ewan's dirty campaign tactics hurt the people she cares about. Meanwhile, Andrew's girlfriend, jealous of the time he's spending with Alice, gives him an ultimatum, and he breaks up with her rather than leave the project. Alice recovers from the stress of the election in Rip van Winkle, when she and Andrew ignore school for a week in favor of drinking and bowling. Alice has a crisis of confidence about her writing, and Andrew secretly submits one of her stories to literary magazines.

In The Wind in the Willows, Alice tries to act impetuously by briefly getting a belly button ring. She and Andrew join Reagan for a disastrous family Thanksgiving, after which Alice is injured in a car accident while out with Reagan. This makes her question the project and, after they almost kiss and she pulls away, her friendship with Andrew. She tries to continue the project on her own with A Christmas Carol, but the book causes her to reflect on her life and admit to herself that she loves Andrew. She finds out that the story Andrew submitted is being published, finally making her feel like a real writer, and at the end of the arc she tells Andrew about her feelings for him and they begin dating.

Characters

 * Alice Rackham (Kate Hackett) has always been a good student - smart, well-mannered, perhaps a little weird. Alice grew up in a competitive home where intelligence was highly regarded and drive was intensely rewarded. As a student at prestigious Valeton University, she puts a lot of value on school and academic performance and wants to be a great writer. She has a particular affinity for Poe, the Russians, and Twain.
 * Andrew Prichard (Tony Noto) is a fun guy, with a devil-may-care smile and attitude to match. He came from a well-to-do background but he isn’t sure he’s okay with that. Andrew isn’t a bad guy, but on the surface he can sometimes seem like a jerk. He finds it easy to charm people into doing what he wants, but deep down he is passionate and driven. While his stock-market-loving father didn’t approve of a "frivolous" major like filmmaking, Andrew fought long and hard to make sure it happened.
 * Cara Graves (Elise Cantu) is a cool, down-to-earth chick who knows who she is and what she likes. She decided to do a double major in mathematics and music theory and really wants to apply mathematical principles to original compositions of her own. Meanwhile, she makes sure she’s doing well in her classes, but she leaves ample room for fun too and frequently tries to drag Alice out with her.
 * Ewan McBay (Chris O'Brien) is a nerd. He loves Dungeons and Dragons, live-action roleplaying, and any game that gives him a position of power. He also really enjoys programming. He is an engineer and writes on the Ocelot Call, the student paper.
 * Nathan, Andrew’s unseen intern, is an “uninvolved participant” and refuses to alter the course of the show or to appear on camera, though he does use Twitter and Instagram. He is often (though not always) the one filming.
 * Reagan Starkie (Reid Cox) is Alice’s party-loving cousin. She is very different from Alice, but they generally get along even if they don’t entirely understand each other. Reagan attends OCCC, a community college a few hours south of Valeton, and still lives at home with her parents. She has a particularly tumultuous relationship with her mother.
 * Marcus Hauers (James Brent Isaacs) is a stoner who probably shouldn’t really be in Valeton. He has connections and can dispense materials very easily.
 * Lily Oh is Cara's girlfriend and friends with the whole group. She is a music major at Valeton.
 * Josh (Gentry White) was Alice's RA during Crime and Punishment.
 * Anthony White (Brent Bailey) is a hot Valeton TA who came to Alice's free makeover session in Pygmalion.
 * Beth Marmie (Joanna Sotomura) is an extremely quiet and shy Valeton student.
 * Anna Knight (Robin Thorsen) is an activist and Valeton student.
 * Stacey Bell (Dayeanne Hutton) is a Valeton sorority girl.
 * Whitney Spaulding (Arielle Brachfeld) is a Valeton student with lots of jobs.
 * Weird Coat Guy (David Nett) may or may not go to Valeton, but wants to hang around with the students.
 * Chris Kim (Junot Lee) is a Valeton football player and a big flirt.
 * The History Majors (Shanna Malcolm, Yuri Baranovsky, Caitlin King) are called in by Alice to predict Valeton's political future.
 * Heather Verratti (Erin Wert) is Lily's roommate and Andrew's ex-girlfriend.
 * Nathan's Best Friend (Eric Wilhite) resents the amount of time Nathan spends on Alice and Andrew's project.

Transmedia
Classic Alice expands its world beyond its videos by using transmedia to provide an immersive experience for fans. Characters use Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook accounts, as well as less common social media sites that fit their individual interests, such as Goodreads and Instagram. Classic Alice also uses other innovative forms of transmedia to flesh out its world, including university newspaper The Ocelot Call, podcasts recorded in-world by characters about books, movies, and music, and an interactive fan literary magazine.

Reception
Classic Alice has received many positive reviews from publications including AfterEllen, GeekyNews, The Daily Dot, .Mic, WPCC, and more. Reading Rainbow called the show "smart, funny, and absolutely addictive," while Tubefilter pointed out that "the decision to spread a narrative across multiple books keeps Classic Alice fresh while still allowing it to develop its characters in the way its fans want." Hello Giggles included the show on their list of "Literary-Inspired Web Series You Should Be Watching," and it appeared on New Media Rockstars' Weekend Web Series Watch List.

External Resources

 * Official Website
 * Classic Alice series on YouTube
 * Classic Alice on Facebook
 * Classic Alice on Twitter
 * Classic Alice on Tumblr
 * Classic Alice at Internet Movie Database