One of the most innovative and suspenseful series currently running new episodes is not on network television or cable. Instead, “The Scene” is a series available for download over the Internet, and it is another great example of the independent passion at work.

The series is innovative in its presentation. You are watching an active computer desktop, with a webcam image of the episode’s protagonist in an open window at the upper left and his conversations with other characters via chat IRC or instant messenger windows. The fictional characters are members of a movie pirating group in The Scene, turning stolen DVD masters of current movie releases into digital releases available over the Internet. They compete against other groups to be first.

The characters are everyday people in the real world but shadowy criminals in cyberspace. The surprising suspense is generated by the hierarchy and honor code of Scene members and the Shakespearean drama that is revealed through the words they type. None of them have met in person and all of them have secrets. The result is betrayal, greed, love, power struggles, and danger. Each episode tends to end with a surprising revelation that adds a new level of suspense to the plot.

“The Scene” was created by Jun Group Entertainment, a company that creates and delivers legal digital content for Internet file-sharing. The success of this series indicates the time is right for more independent works of digital art.