It started out as a film short, but now Alison McDonald’s mini-movie is about to become a full-blown TV series. ABC liked the musical-comedy pilot She Got Problems so much  that it has inked a deal with McDonald.

As many observers say, the best creative ventures are those that are based on reality. And Problems is an “autobiographical, screwball laffer … that centers on the life of an African-American writer who escapes her romance and career problems with a world of musical fantasy,” reports Variety.  The antics ensue when she starts working for an outspoken mogul. On her website, McDonald, who is the sister of Broadway star Audra McDonald, describes “Problems” as “Bridesmaids meets Flight of the Conchords.”  The show is actually based on two short movie-musicals McDonald created and starred in called She Got Problems and Alison Is Having a Really Bad Day.

McDonald is no newcomer to television. Her TV writing credits include: Nurse Jackie, Everybody Hates Chris, and American Dad. She has also directed various short films, including The Life & Times of Little Jimmy B., which aired on PBS, and won a Directors Guild of America Student Filmmaker Award. She was Fulbright scholar and honors graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and Columbia University’s Graduate Film Division.

When Problems begins airing on ABC, McDonald will continue to write as well as receive a supervising producer credit.

Black cinema hopefuls are starting to make a killing with original web series and you can add Allison McDonald’s new show “She Got problems” to your list of webisodes to look out for. The veteran TV writer and story editor created the online series to combat the mainstream mess we’re all tired of seeing and she definitely executed it well.

“Everything is grouped to death, with the unattainable goal of appealing to every being on the planet,” she said talking about the entertainment industry. “And the resulting product is bland indistinquishable matter.”

Her new web series is anything but. In the first episode we get an introduction Allison’s messed up personal life and her romantic ills all in a funny “Awkward Black Girl” for the 35 and up approach. As a bonus, Allison’s sister, singer/actress Audra McDonald also makes an appearance in this first show.

Allison says the series is six years in the making and she’s currently working to raise the money to create full-length versions of the episodes. I definitely hope that happens because I’m loving what I see so far.

Check out episode one here. Do you like?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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