2012 Writers Guild Award nominee

Named one of YouTube’s Top-10 Made-for-the-Web Shows

Official Selection Cologne Conference, Germany

about the show

Considered one of the pioneering web series, this Writers Guild Award nominated dramedy follows the desperate and absurd choices of a diverse group of New Yorkers as they try to balance life, love and their checkbooks during the economic crisis.

“I don’t understand why you’re charging me for a bounced check. If I didn’t have the money before, what makes you think I’ll have $30 extra?”

The dramatic series, told mosaic style, follows the entanglements between several New Yorkers of different economic backgrounds.

“The only thing you have a right to is a grudge, and the expiration date has even passed on that!”

There’s Beth (Daryn Strauss), an ambitious millennial account manager who is let go from her corporate job by a downsizing effort masterminded by cool executive Maura (Michele Mavissakalian) and her efficiency expert Lowell (Duncan Murdoch)… an overworked real estate attorney Connor (Chris Henry Coffey) who finds himself entranced by his Turkish immigrant cleaning lady Leyla (Esra Gaffin)… beauty pageant coach Astrid (Shannon Conley) who cons unsuspecting parents like smitten daddy Nate (Kaipo Schwab) into spray tans and hair extensions for their pre-teen children in order to pay off her credit card debt… office temp Andy (Conan McCarty) who is trying to fund his recession-based self-help program and Andy's ex, Priscilla (Meredith Zinner), a suburban business owner who finds her privileged life in shambles when her investments go in the red.

“When they start collecting your assets, give us a ring. There’s a couple of things that I’d love to throw into a fire!”


A touching dramedy.
— Fast Company
Touching... darkly funny.
— Boston Globe
Think HBO’s Hung meets Up in the Air, only worthy of the hype.
— Daytime Confidential
The best of the straight-ahead dramas (on the web)
— Los Angeles Times
Some of the most thoughtful visual compositions you’ll find in any web series, the style of which perhaps most defines Downsized’s quietly moody atmosphere.
— Tubefilter
Downsized has succeeded in giving relevant drama a home on the web.
— Tubefilter

CAST

Chris Henry Coffey, Shannon Conley, Esra Gaffin, Brian Keane, Michele Mavissakalian, Conan McCarty, Kaipo Schwab, Daryn Strauss, Gerard Urciuoli, Meredith Zinner with Aysan Celik, Michael Cyril Creighton, Sevrin Anne Mason, Anna Stone, Maitely Weismann, and Dawn Vicknair

CREATIVE TEAM

Written, produced, and directed by Daryn Strauss

DP and editor: Chris Shimojima

Full creative team on IMDB

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Nominee, 2012 Writers Guild Award — Daryn Strauss

Named one of YouTube’s Top-10 Made-for-the-Web Shows

Official Selection, Cologne Conference, Germany

Nominee, Best Comedy, Clicker.com

Named to Best of the Web Lists from Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Boston Globe, indiewire, Fast Company, and more