Fans of relationship dramas should start getting excited for the return of Tufts University Television's (TUTV) original program, "In Motion," which comes back today for its sixth season. The show, which is created, written and directed by Tufts senior Thomas Martinez, follows the lives of fictional Jumbos as they deal with college life and relationship struggles. This year could possibly be the end of the series, as Martinez and much of the cast will be graduating in May.
"As much as I want to keep it going, I don't know if I can find that person to hand it off to," Martinez said. "I put a lot into it because it's my creation, and I'm not sure if I could find that person who would feel the same way about it. I'm going to give it the ending I want and we'll see if it goes on."
"In Motion" will, however, feature a few fresh faces this season, so the show can build upon new characters if it does continue.
"Each main character is going to get an ending this year, but we'll also be creating some new younger characters as well. It's a balance," Martinez said.
The series has greatly expanded since its beginnings, and Martinez is no longer the sole writer. Sydney Post, a sophomore, is one writer brought aboard in recent years.
"I watched all of ‘In Motion' before joining. I felt like I understood the characters, so it wasn't too scary," Post said. "In the beginning, I was worried that I would screw things up, but I got over it quickly. It was also nice to bring a different perspective to the show, because I wasn't a part of it at the start. I could bring a fresh view to things."
While the show often takes inspiration from programs such as the British "Skins" and "The O.C." (2003−2007), much of it comes from Martinez and the other writers' lives. Although the series is not autobiographical, the writers draw from their experiences over the course of the semester.
Despite airing for a few years now, this character−driven drama has cost nothing to produce.
"Everyone wears their own clothes, we use real people's rooms so we don't need sets and TUTV provides cameras," Martinez said.
Martinez, who is now president of TUTV and has been involved with the organization since his freshman year, wants to use TUTV to help more people produce shows.
Each season is a new experience for "In Motion."
"Every season feels different. I draw from experiences from my semester so each year of the show ends up seeming slightly different," Martinez said.
Though they haven't shot the scene yet, Martinez said "In Motion's" upcoming season should include an appearance by University President Anthony Monaco. Were he to appear on the show, he'd be following in then−University President Larry Bacow's footsteps — Bacow also had a stint on the show.
"Hopefully, we'll have Monaco on show," Martinez said. "We tweeted at him and he said he'd do it. He won't play himself. He'll be someone's father, which is going to contribute to a big story."
This upcoming season will also tackle different contemporary issues, including Adderall use at college, living with new housemates, convoluted hook−ups and coming out. Martinez is excited to introduce these new themes to the series.
"One thing I was excited for this season was having a gay character who we will show come out over the season. We haven't had a gay character on the show in a while, and I think at Tufts a lot of people grapple with coming out, so it was fun to have that on ‘In Motion,'" he said.
The season will attempt to stretch the limits of what people know about the characters. Personality flaws will come to the fore, affecting characters in unexpected ways.
The "In Motion" crew has achieved minor celebrity status on campus.
"It's really cool. Getting recognized for being on the show is fun," Martinez said, grinning. "The first time was funny — during the third season, I was working at The Rez, and someone said, ‘Mind if I say something? I'm really glad Nick and Natalie finally got together.' It was great, that they not only watched, but knew my character's name."
According to Post, "In Motion" is a series as enjoyable to make as it is to watch.
"For me working on this has been fun," she said. "It's a safe environment for me to write in that isn't a class, which is really great. I also got to know some excellent new people from it."
Jumbos should check out "In Motion" this semester, as its six−episode season returns to the web later today. New episodes are added on Tuesdays, and can be viewed on the show's Youtube channel.
