In life, it’s always good to have friends who will stick with you through good times and bad. Yet, when it comes to matters of love and romance, close friendships often meet their greatest test. Nowhere is that more evident than in the hilarious new comedy web series DIBS, created by and starring Jessie Jolles and Tracy Soren. The series debuted September 10th on its official web site and Youtube pages (see links below), and recently wrapped up its first season of 7 episodes on October 16th.

DIBS follows the lives of two roommates, both friends since childhood: Joey (played by Jolles), and Emily (played by Soren), who experience the ups and downs of life and love, while trying to maintain the closest relationship they have – theirs. The series also stars John Purcell as Pat, Emily’s former boyfriend, Pat Wise as the obnoxious Dwayne, and Trevor Lyon as the sensitive troubadour Michael. Though the series is not currently closed-captioned, Jolles and Soren hope to utilize captioning for the show in the future.

Jolles and Soren, who both study at the famed comedy theatre and school UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade), created DIBS as a way of not only working together, but also to give viewers a funny, realistic and heartfelt view of life, love and relationships – both friendly and romantic. “We were classmates at UCB and decided we wanted to work together. We wanted to create a show that was grounded but funny, focused on delicate, real-life moments, and the unbreakable bond between two friends. Our most basic goal was to be relatable and engaging. We wanted people to love our characters, to want to hang out with them, to want to just talk to them. And like any creators, we created something we wanted to watch with the hopes that others will too,” they say.

Having gained valuable experience through UCB, Jolles and Soren knew just where to look when it came to finding the rest of the show’s talented ensemble cast. “The comedy community in New York is stacked with awesome, talented people. Luckily, we were able to reach out to our friends in the community who are not only hilarious but dedicated. We really scored an amazing cast. These people are going to go far. Watch out for them,” says Jolles and Soren.

Like many web series, the production process can be a challenge, and DIBS was no exception. Yet, thanks to the hard work of its cast and crew, including director and fellow UCB performer and instructor Nicole Drespel, director of photography Gabe Elder, assistant director Matthew Strickland, editor Erek Michalak, audio man Dave Murray and line producer Alissa Crist, as well as a dedicated group of production assistants, the filming of the series’ 7 episodes was made a lot easier.

“The entire process took about a year, from deciding what we wanted to write to launching the final episode. Actual production took two long weekends, which is crazy to think about, but we did it! Again, we had a killer team,” Jolles and Soren say. DIBS is a comedy that proves that no matter how crazy life can get, it’s always more bearable when you’ve got a friend to share it with. “We think it’s extremely relatable for all ages and very believable. We also think the comedy is truthful and grounded in everyday life,” they say.

(On-set photos courtesy Matt Torres.)

ON THE WEB: www.dibstheseries.com

WHERE TO WATCH: http://www.youtube.com/dibstheseries

and http://dibstheseries.com/episodes

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/DIBSseries

TWITTER: @DIBStheseries