Former Penn State student Matt Yeager had no idea what to expect when he got involved with the breakthrough Internet sitcom The Burg.

In early 2006, the creative team of The Burg wrote, cast and shot a few episodes as part of Season 1. The second season has not yet been started, but Yeager said it is upcoming.

"We were crazy to attempt an Internet series longer than three minutes on the Internet," Yeager said.

The Burg's Web site, theburg.tv, describes the sitcom as the first of its kind. It is about "hipster kids" in Williamsburg, Brooklyn -- a neighborhood known for its cool art, indie music and unusual fashion, said Yeager, who left the university before completion in 1999.

On The Burg's MySpace, the sitcom is described as "Trust fund kids pretend to be starving artists, starving artists pretend to be able to live off of credit cards, and everybody pretends not to notice."

Yeager's character fits that mold, he said.

"My character, Xander, is headstrong, arrogant, not talented, but rich on ambition," Yeager said. "I would say he is my less admirable qualities exaggerated."

Stephanie Denchak (freshman-public relations) said she heard about the show when a friend living in Williamsburg sent her the link.

"It's very clever, yet hard to follow because I feel like most of the episodes don't have any affiliation with each other," Denchak said.

But some other Penn State students said they quickly became fans.

"I feel like I can relate to the show, and the characters' dry humor makes it enjoyable and entertaining to watch," Melissa Sirolli (freshman-nutrition) said. "What got me hooked was seeing an episode with a Penn State football game."

The Burg is like Friends for the MySpace set, Yeager said.

"It is definitely similar. The characters and situations they find themselves in relate to Friends in a more modern-day spin," Sirolli said.

But Denchak disagreed.

"I don't think it is as funny as Friends," Denchak said. "The episodes are too short to have a moral that can tie into your own life."

Yeager and The Burg co-star Jeff Skowron have a new four-character sitcom launching soon titled Greg and Donny.

Set in Johnstown, Pa., Greg and Donny "lends humor to the big accents of that area," Yeager said.

"The teaser for Greg and Donny is hilarious," Denchak said. "The accents are so accurate that you can't help but laugh."

Both Denchak and Sirolli said they agree that the Internet sitcom phenomenon will continue to grow in popularity, and that season two of The Burg should be something to look out for.

"It has always been my intention to be recognized by mainstream media, but this experience has been an amazing opportunity to carve my own path," Yeager said.