Carbon Dating is a short web series by Poke In The Eye Productions which was successfully crowd-funded in the summer of 2015. The first episode aired on YouTube October 6, 2015 and the season ended on December 1st, 2015 concluding with a total of nine episodes.
It centers around two baby boomers, Madelyn and Amelia, who are lost in a youth-oriented society and are trying to find their place in this constantly evolving world. It is the chemistry between the two leading ladies that makes Carbon Dating a success and the two actresses play off one another remarkably well.
Madelyn (Marcie Barkin) is a rebellious spitfire who refuses to adapt to the public's view of middle aged women whereas Amelia (Amanda Serra) is a carefree and somewhat oblivious optimist who seems to just go with the flow. From first glance, one would get the impression that Carbon Dating is a show sharing traits to a family sitcom or talk show but the two leads reflect on their 'fantasies' so often it would be safe to call Carbon Dating a sketch comedy or satire in a fashion similar to Family Guy or Mad TV.
These 'fantasies' are the core of Carbon Dating's humor and they are pulled off in a tremendous fashion thanks to some expertise editing and visual effects. It's even more impressive that all of this is pulled off by a single person (Victoria Serra). On top of the magic being done behind the scenes, the extras presented in these sketches are always on point and help open the floodgates for a wide audience.
That's the magic of Carbon Dating. Take it from someone who is not even remotely considered the target audience of the show; Carbon Dating's humor welcomes everyone in to have a laugh or two be it man, woman, child, or adult. All of the actors are giving their A game and it's pulled off in a tremendous fashion.
Throughout the nine episodes, Madelyn and Amelia discuss very common issues from fashion to hair color to women's health and for the most part it never comes off as preachy. Just when the show starts to feel like a lecture, Carbon Dating loosens the reigns with a witty one liner or quirky facial expression and assures a state of comfort for its viewer.
Each episode is short and sweet only losing some focus around the middle when it falls victim to some standard television tropes such as a few misunderstandings, a budding romance, and an eternal rival. They're handled well but there's nothing that hasn't been done before. Luckily, these moments are few and far between, never overshadowing the rest of the episode they are featured in.
Carbon Dating is now a winner of numerous Film Festival awards and it certainly shows. Madelyn and Amelia take you on a wild ride and it seems like the fun has only just begun with a second season scheduled for 2016. Overall, Carbon Dating is a perfect blend of being both informative and humorous.
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