Tokens (web series)

Last updated
Tokens
Tokens webseries logo.png
Also known asTokens On Call
Genre Comedy
Created byWinnifred Jong
Written by
  • Winnifred Jong
  • Trinni Franke
  • Carolyn Saunders
  • Lakna Edilima
  • Catherine Legge
Directed byWinnifred Jong
Starring
ComposerChris Reineck
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Producers
  • Trinni Franke
  • Winnifred Jong
CinematographyLainie Knox
Editors
Running time5-8 minutes
Original release
ReleaseMay 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)

Tokens is a Canadian comedy web series created by Winnifred Jong and produced along with Trinni Franke. The series premiered on Facebook and YouTube on May 6, 2019. It also stayed on Binge Networks for the first season and was later sold to Urbanflix TV. [1]

Contents

Tokens follows the lives of the actors of an "on call" casting agency who are dispatched to productions in order to fulfill diversity quotas. The series stars Connie Wang, Ryan Allen and Shelley Thompson. As of October 2019, Tokens has amassed more than 500,000 combined views across Facebook and YouTube. [2] [3]

Plot

The series follows the actors of On Call Casting, a fictional agency designed to help busy production companies meet their mandated diversity quotas. Dispatcher Betty sends out whoever is on call, with the actors often finding themselves cast in the roles they least expect.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

Season 1 (2019)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air dateLength
11"Courage"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)5:13
Sammie, an aspiring Asian actress, tired of stereotypical roles, joins On Call Casting and gets an assignment which challenges how she sees herself.
22"Your Inner Bruce Lee"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)5:44
Sammie has a moment of self-doubt when her parents see her on TV. She meets DeMar, a well-built tattooed stunt coordinator, who elevates her performance. She tells her best friend, and co-worker at the bubble tea cafe, Roxy, that she’s going all in with acting.
33"Finding Cinderella"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)5:46
DeMar joins On Call Casting and finds himself in a role that no one believes he can do. The director lets him improvise his dialogue and he magically captures the essence of the character and wins everyone over.
44"Include the Kitchen Sink"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)5:11
Betty, the owner of On Call Casting, fields a panicked call from production; inclusion riders are taking the industry by storm. DeMar, Sammie and Vasant, a Bollywood star, are sent out to a bizarre assignment that raises questions about Betty’s business model.
55"Put Your Best Head Forward"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)7:19
Priya, a South Asian acting newcomer, seems destined to audition for medical roles even though she dreams of a sci-fi space drama. She’ll even go to great lengths to “look the part” and finds her big moment take an unforeseen turn.
66"Whitewashing"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)7:51
Pressure from the Producer forces Jessica AD to get creative. Sammie and DeMar get an assignment that makes them uncomfortable. Back at the bubble tea shop, Sammie and DeMar reflect on the future.
77"Dreams Start Somewhere"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)6:46
Sammie makes her frustrations known. Betty’s origins in the entertainment industry reveal why she started On Call Casting. Handing out some tough love advice to Priya gives Betty an idea for the future.
88"This. Is. Real"May 6, 2019 (2019-05-06)6:53
Sammie’s parents make a big decision and Sammie faces a challenge at work. In the end, she takes a leap of faith to follow her dream.

Production

The first season of Tokens was funded through the Telefilm Talent-To-Watch program and the Bell Fund. [4] The series received additional funding through sponsorships from William F. White International and Grandé Camera (formerly Dazmo Camera).

Principal photography took place in November 2018 in Toronto. [5]

In February 2019, Tokens creator Winnifred Jong and producer Trinni Franke participated in the Prime Time Throwdown pitch competition at the 2019 Prime Time in Ottawa conference, where they were awarded in-kind marketing services to support the release of the first season. [6] The series premiered to a sold-out audience at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on May 6, 2019, the same day the first season was released worldwide on Facebook and YouTube. [5]

Reception

Tokens has received praise for its satirical depiction of the issues of tokenism and representation in the entertainment industry. [6] Critics have noted the cultural relevance of the show's themes, with Greg David of TV, Eh? writing "Tokens couldn’t be more timely. Or scathingly on point." [7] In a Calgary Herald review, Melissa Hank remarked that the series "tackles Hollywood diversity with grace and humour." [8] Spring Marie Cullen of Starry Constellation Magazine wrote "it's smart, it's funny and it takes a unique look at the entertainment industry," concluding that "anyone who considers themselves a dreamer, no matter what career avenue they're headed down, will find enjoyment in this series." [9] Writing for The TV Junkies, Bridget Liszewski described Tokens as "a funny, bold, tongue-in-cheek look at issues of diversity, inclusion, and representation." [10]

As of July 2020, the first season of Tokens has been selected to screen at T.O. WebFest, Minnesota WebFest, NYC Web Fest, Bilbao Seriesland, NZ Web Fest, the Asia Web Awards, Santa Monica Webfest, Bogotá Web Fest, Apulia Web Fest, Miami Web Fest, Copenhagen Web Fest, New Jersey Web Fest, Santa Monica Webfest, DC Web Fest, Seoul Webfest, and Oakville Film Festival. [11]

It boldly became the first short form series to be nominated as Best Ensemble at the 2020 ACTRA Awards, competing with Kim's Convenience, Baroness von Sketch, Anne with an E and the eventual winner, Schitt's Creek. It was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards in 2020, where Winnifred Jong won for Best Direction, Web Program or Series.

Awards and nominations

Season 1
YearFestivalAward CategoryResult
2019T.O. WebFest [12] Diversity Story SpotlightNominated
Minnesota WebFest [13] Best Comedy SeriesWon
Best Representation of Communities of ColorWon
NYC Web Fest [14] Best ComedyNominated
Best Supporting Actress (for Shelley Thompson)Nominated
Bilbao Seriesland [15] Starlet Amets (for Connie Wang)Nominated
NZ Web Fest [16] Best Ensemble (International Narrative)Nominated
Best Director (International Narrative)Nominated
Asia Web Awards [17] Best Actress in a Comedy (for Connie Wang)Nominated
Best Creator in a ComedyNominated
Best Director in a ComedyWon
Best Editing (for Ben Lawrence & Gloria Tong)Nominated
Best Ensemble Cast in a ComedyNominated
Best Screenplay in a ComedyNominated
Best Web SeriesNominated
2020 ACTRA Toronto Awards Outstanding Performance – Female (for Jessica Greco)Nominated
Members' Choice Series EnsembleNominated
Women's Comedy Film Festival in AtlantaBest Web SeriesWon
Canadian Screen Awards Best Writing, Web Program or Series (for Winnifred Jong)Nominated
Best Direction, Web Program or Series (for Winnifred Jong)Won
Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series (for Connie Wang)Nominated
Best Supporting Performance, Web Program or Series (for Jessica Greco)Nominated
Apulia Web FestBest Actress (for Connie Wang)Won
DC Web FestBronze AwardWon
Seoul WebfestBest Web SeriesNominated
Canadian Cinema Editors Awards Best Editing in Webseries (for Ben Lawrence for Episode 3)Nominated

Related Research Articles

Jason Keng-Kwin Chan is a Malaysian actor best known for his role as Cameron Watanabe, the Green Samurai Ranger, as well as his clone, Cyber Cam, in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taryn Southern</span> American actress

Taryn Southern is an American storyteller, artist, speaker and brand strategist who works with emerging technologies. She was formerly known for her work as a TV host, actress and YouTuber.

Robi Axiata Limited, doing business as Robi, is the second largest mobile network operator in Bangladesh currently owned by two major stakeholders being Axiata and Bharti Airtel. In this company, Axiata of Malaysia holds a major controlling stake of 61.82%, Bharti Airtel of India holds 28.18%, and remaining 10% stake is hold by investors in DSE and CSE. Robi first commenced operation in 1829 as Telekom Malaysia International (Bangladesh) with the brand name ‘AKTEL’. In 2010 the company was re-branded to ‘Robi’ and the company changed its name to Robi Axiata Limited. Robi Axiata has spectrum on GSM 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz bands. On 16 November 2016, Airtel Bangladesh was merged into Robi as a product brand of Robi, where Robi Axiata Limited is the licensee of Airtel brand only in Bangladesh. Having successfully completed the merger process, Robi has emerged as the second largest mobile phone operator in Bangladesh.

<i>Anyone But Me</i> American web series

Anyone But Me is an American web series created by Tina Cesa Ward. The series first aired on Strike.TV in 2008, and has since been offered on its own website and on other online streaming platforms such as YouTube, Binge Networks, and Hulu. The series focuses on LGBT themes and is presented in serial short-format webisodes, each lasting between six and fifteen minutes, following the lives of a group of teenagers in New York City and Westchester County, New York.

Reality on Demand is an American science fiction-comedy web series, created by Marx Hernandez Pyle. Pyle is also known as a cinematographer for Star Trek New Voyages and Fight Choreographer for Aidan 5.

Noirhouse is an Australian dark comedy indie web series, starring Melanie Irons, Nathan Spencer and Mick Davies. It plays on film-noir archetypes, featuring three main characters - a shady detective, femme fatale and Russian mobster. It premiered in September 2013 with an early screening at the Peacock Threater in Hobart, before beginning broadcast on its own website for a 3 episode first series. It was picked up by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for a six episode second season to be released on its iView broadcasting platform, to begin running in November 2014. It was originally funded by Screen Tasmania and Screen Australia.

Chop Socky Boom is a comedy web series created by Darlene Sellers and Heath Ward and filmed in Seattle, Washington. The series is broadcast on the internet and premiered on May 1, 2012. Season one includes eight episodes, with season two currently under development. Chop Socky Boom follows the adventures of misfit indie film actors cast in the fictional kung fu film, “Final Zodiac Warrior.” CSB focuses on main character Khanh and her friends, Scottie, Paige, Daisy and Max, as they audition for a poorly run chop socky series created by Trick, an Ed Wood like Director with his own unique vision.

The Amazing Gayl Pile is a Canadian web series created by Morgan Waters and Brooks Gray, which follows one man's misguided quest to conquer the world of home shopping, and become king of the TV pitchman game. First created in 2014, the show stars Morgan Waters, Brooks Gray, Inessa Frantowski, Andy King, Leo Scherman, Daniel Stolfi and Natasha Bromfield. The series has received numerous awards and has screened at festivals around the world; in 2017, it won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Directing and Best Original Program or Series produced for Digital Media - Fiction. Also in 2017, the series broke the record for most nominations at the Indie Series Awards in Los Angeles.

Tough Love is a web series that premiered on YouTube on November 8, 2015. The series started as a micro budget project that eventually attracted more than 45,000 unique viewers with over 1 million channel views.

My Roommate's an Escort is a Canadian comedy web series created, written by, and starring Katie Uhlmann and Trish Rainone. All 11 episodes of the first season are directed by Uhlmann, and the series premiered on YouTube on April 3, 2017. Rainone plays a non-confrontational, small-town girl living in Toronto who suspects her new roommate Kesha, played by Uhlmann, is a call girl.

Running with Violet is a Canadian comedy-drama web series created by and starring Rebecca Davey and Marie-Claire Marcotte. The series premiered on a dedicated YouTube channel on February 13, 2017. As of January 2020, Running with Violet had generated over 1.5 million views on YouTube.

That's My DJ is a Canadian web series created by D. W. Waterson. The series, created in 2014, follows the lives of several people who work in the Toronto nightlife industry. It has been funded through various Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns. The first season originally premiered online in 2014, before being re-released in 2016, following the release of the second season on YouTube. A third and final season premiered online July 7, 2017.

<i>Penny on M.A.R.S.</i> English-language television series

Penny on M.A.R.S. is an Italian teen dramedy television series that premiered on Disney Channel in Italy on May 7, 2018. The series is a spin-off of the Italian series Alex & Co. The series is commissioned by 3Zero2 in cooperation with The Walt Disney Company Italy. The series premiered on June 4, 2018, on Disney Channel in the United Kingdom. In April 2018, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on 18 February 2019. The show's third and final season premiered on 17 February 2020, also in the United Kingdom.

How to Buy a Baby is a Canadian comedy web series, which premiered in November 2017 on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's web platform and on YouTube. Created by Wendy Litner and based on her own experiences having to pursue fertility treatment to conceive a pregnancy, the series stars Meghan Heffern and Marc Bendavid as Jane and Charlie, a couple going through the fertility treatment process.

The Benza is a Japanese web television comedy that premiered on Amazon Prime Video via Prime Video Direct in April 2019 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. It then premiered in Germany in July 2019. It is currently available in over 130 countries via Amazon Prime Video and Plex.

Blind is a seven-part Australian web television dramedy series, created and written by James Cripps and directed by Andre Muller. Set in one room over the course of a summer, the series follows five young friends as they try to navigate the world and each other.

For the Canadian Paralympic athlete, see Chelsea Clark.

<i>Unicorn Hunters</i> American reality TV series

Unicorn Hunters is a reality television series that debuted in 2021 on Amazon Prime.

Homeless Sam & Sally also known as Sam & Sally, is an American black comedy film released in 2020 and a television series with the same name released in 2019, directed, produced, and written by Tyrone Evans Clark. The film and series were inspired by Clark’s adolescence and follow a mother, Sally Silver and her child Sam Silver who become homeless and find ways to cope with their homelessness.

Holly Melissa Shervey, is a television and film actress and writer. She is an Australian-born New Zealander.

References

  1. Articles, KHTS (2022-09-09). "It's Time To Binge On Binge Networks!". Hometown Station | KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  2. "Tokens On Call". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  3. "Tokens On Call". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  4. "2018 5 to Watch: Winnifred Jong" . Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  5. 1 2 Pinto, Jordan (27 May 2019). "How a simple misunderstanding gave rise to Winnie Jong's Tokens". Playback. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  6. 1 2 "WATCH: Winnifred Jong's TOKENS -- The Hilarious Send-up Of Diversity Quotas". Shedoesthecity. 2019-05-09. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  7. "Tokens". TV, eh?. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  8. Hank, Melissa (2019-06-17). "Web series Tokens tackles Hollywood diversity with grace and humour". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
  9. "Web Series Wednesday – Tokens". Starry Constellation Magazine. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  10. "TOKENS Makes Issues of Diversity and Inclusion Accessible to All". The TV Junkies. 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  11. "Tokens On Call | web series". Tokens | web series. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  12. "2019 Series". T.O. WebFest | Toronto, Canada. Archived from the original on 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  13. "The 2019 Minnesota Web Fest - 3rd Edition". www.mnwebfest.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  14. Currinn, Jonathan (2019-09-16). "The Sixth Annual NYC Web Fest Nominations Have Been Revealed". CelebMix. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  15. "Bilbao Seriesland Festival Selection Amets 2019 | Bilbao Series Land" . Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  16. "#NZWF19 Finalists". NZ Web Fest. 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  17. "Asia Web Awards 2019 Nominations | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-12-07.