Anacostia (web series)


Anacostia is a soap opera web series that premiered on October 15, 2009 on YouTube. It was created by Anthony Anderson, who also stars in, writes, produces, and directs the series. Anacostia chronicles the drama among residents of the titular community in Washington, D. C. Guest star Martha Byrne later became an executive producer on the series.
The series was nominated for a 2015 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series, and Martha Byrne won a Daytime Emmy the same year for Outstanding Performer in a New Approaches Drama Series for her performance as Alexis Jordan. Elizabeth Hubbard was nominated in 2016 for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for her role as Eva Montgomery, and Anthony Anderson made history becoming the first African American to be nominated in 2017 for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for his role as Sean Williams-Grey. In 2017, actress Jennifer Bassey received the show's fifth nomination, in the Outstanding Guest Performer digital category. Anacostia is also among the most-nominated shows at the Indie Series Awards, winning several.
In 2018, Anacostia was picked up by Amazon Video.

Cast

Season# of
Episodes		First AiredLast Aired
11020132013
21020142014
31020152015
41020162016
51020172017
61020182018

Episodes

No. In
Series		No. In
Season		Episode TItleWritten ByDirected ByViewers
11Covet Thy NeighborAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.032
22Breaking The SurfaceAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.015
33Beware of The Fine PrintAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.013
44Always Bet on Black Anthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.011
55Always Bet on Black Anthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.017
66L.O.V.E.Anthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.011
77Bad GirlAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.011
88You've Got The LookAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.009
99The End Is ComingAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.013
1010Arrivals & DeparturesAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.012

No. In
Series		No. In
Season		Episode TitleWritten ByDirected ByViewers
211Where Do We Go From HereAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.013
222Only In My DreamsAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.034
233Sign Your NameAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.024
244Helping HandsAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.023
255The Bigger They AreAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.028
266Show and TellAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.023
277The Gangs All HereAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.021
288The Power of GoodbyeAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.038
299Break-up To Make-upAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.028
3010Till Death Do Us PartAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.025

No. In
Series		No. In
Season		Episode TitleWritten ByDirected ByViewers
411You AgainAnthony Anderson & Martha ByrneAnthony Anderson & Martha Byrne0.013
422Why Me Anthony Anderson & Martha ByrneAnthony Anderson & Martha Byrne0.010
433Why Me Anthony Anderson & Martha ByrneAnthony Anderson & Martha Byrne0.006
444I Can See YouAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.007
455Road KillAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.004
466Speak No EvilAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.003
477The KnockAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.003
488Call It By Its NameAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson0.002
499Lost and FoundAnthony Anderson & Martha ByrneAnthony Anderson & Martha Byrne0.002
5010ConfessionsAnthony Anderson & Martha ByrneAnthony Anderson & Martha Byrne0.004

Production

Anacostia was created in 2009 by Anderson, who also writes, executive produces and stars in the series. Byrne serves as executive producer, with Benjamin Bryant as co-executive producer. Fritz Brekeller is the show's supervising producer, and Tommy Zamberlan is the show's Senior Producer. Lora Lee, Jamie Misiak and Alexis Robinson Smith are among the series' line producers. Marion Akpan, Christopher Bair, Kelvin Cook, Pasha Diallo, India Doy-Young, Antonio Harrison Jr., Kena Hodges, William Lash and Rolfini Whidbee serve as producers.
Byrne, known for her longtime role on the defunct CBS soap opera As the World Turns, joined the series in the role of high-powered madame Alexis Jordan in 2011. In September 2015, Soap Opera Digest reported that Byrne's former As the World Turns co-star Elizabeth Hubbard would also appear on Anacostia as Eva Montgomery, in scenes directed and co-written by Byrne. In 2016, the show announced that writer and broadcaster Benjamin Bryant would join the production as a senior producer and creative consultant for season five.
Over the series' successive seasons, Anderson has attempted to address a number of social issues through the series soap operatic lens, including realistic takes on mental illness, incest, male-male rape, and the real-life gentrification of the iconic D.C. neighborhood.

Awards and recognition

Anacostia was nominated for a 2015 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series, and Martha Byrne won a Daytime Emmy the same year for Outstanding Performer in a New Approaches Drama Series for her performance as Alexis Jordan. Elizabeth Hubbard was nominated in 2016 for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for her role as Eva Montgomery. In 2017, Anthony Anderson was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for his role as Sean Williams-Grey. Jennifer Bassey was nominated in 2018 for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Digital Daytime Drama Series for her portrayal of Beverly Newman.
To date, the series has won ten Indie Series Awards, and has been nominated for several more. Anthony Anderson holds the record for most Acting Nominations and is in 2nd place for overall Nominations at the Indie Series Awards.
YearAwardCategoryIndividualResult
20101st Indie Soap AwardsBest Ensemble
20112nd Indie Soap AwardsOutstanding Lead ActorAnthony Anderson
20112nd Indie Soap AwardsBreakthrough PerformancePasha Diallo
20123rd Indie Soap AwardsBest Guest Appearance Martha Byrne
20123rd Indie Soap AwardsBest Writing Anthony Anderson
20134th Indie Soap AwardsBest Supporting Actress Pasha Diallo
201542nd Daytime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding New Approaches Drama Series
201542nd Daytime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Performer in a New Approaches Drama SeriesMartha Byrne
20156th Indie Series AwardsBest Ensemble
201643rd Daytime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Digital Daytime Drama SeriesElizabeth Hubbard
20167th Indie Series AwardsBest Lead Actress Tamieka Chavis
20167th Indie Series AwardsBest Supporting Actress Tia Dae
20167th Indie Series AwardsBest Guest Actress Elizabeth Hubbard
20167th Indie Series AwardsBest Ensemble
2017-----
201744th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama SeriesAnthony Anderson as Sean Williams-Grey
20178th Indie Series AwardsBest Lead Actor Anthony Anderson
20178th Indie Series AwardsBest Supporting Actress Marion A. Akpan
20178th Indie Series AwardsBest Guest Actor Tremayne Norris
20178th Indie Series AwardsBest Guest Actress Elizabeth Hubbard
20178th Indie Series AwardsBest Ensemble
20178th Indie Series AwardsBest MakeupLora Lee
20189th Indie Series AwardsBest DramaNominated
Best Lead Actor Anthony AndersonNominated
Best Supporting Actor Wil Lash
Best Guest Actress Dee FreemanNominated
Best Guest Actress Jennifer BasseyNominated
Best Guest Actress Judi BlairNominated
Best Guest Actor Tremayne NorrisNominated
45th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Guest Performer in a Digital Daytime Drama SeriesJennifer Bassey
201910th Indie Series AwardsBest Guest Actress Lauren B. Martin
46th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama SeriesWil LashNominated

In December 2010, Anderson was named by We Love Soaps as one of the 15 Most Fascinating People of 2010.
In 2017, Gothamist Washington D.C. affiliate DCist named Anacostia "one of the best," in an article highlighting series set in the Washington D.C. area.

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