LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - MySpaceTV, the video wing of theonline community network, late on Sunday unveiled its firstoriginal Web se
ries to give its users a television-likeexperience with the interactive benefits of the Internet.
"Roommates" will track the lives of four women in their 20swho have recently graduated from college and are livingtogether in Los Angeles.
The Web show debuts on Monday, October 22, and runs throughDecember 21 for a total of 45 episodes. A new, three-minutesegment will play each day, Monday through Friday at 4 p.m.EDT. Fans are expected to engage characters online andinfluence the plot.
"There is an opportunity to interact with a show indifferent ways than have been done before," said Jeff Berman,general manager of MySpaceTV.
"Roommates" will utilize a real-time "polling tool" inwhich viewers' opinions on characters and plot developmentswill be sought. Fans can chat online, as well as post commentson the characters' individual Web profiles. The informationwill be scrutinized and the plot changed, accordingly.
Berman said MySpaceTV and the show's producers, Iron SinkMedia, had enough episodes to get the program started, andfuture segments would be taped as it progressed.
"This was an opportunity for us to take some of the lessonsfrom online series to date and apply them in a show where weare directing the creative development and working with anestablished Internet producer," Berman said.
Iron Sink has produced several Los Angeles-based Webseries, including "WeHoGirls" and "VanNuysGuys."
With the success of video-sharing sites like YouTube, theWeb is seen as an emerging medium where advertisers can findviewers who previously might have been drawn to TV.
Web shows like "LonelyGirl15" and "Prom Queen" have builtloyal followings among teenagers and young adults.
MySpace is owned by media giant News Corp, which alsooperates the Fox TV network, and most U.S. TV networks arerapidly ramping up production of short "Webisodes" to recaptureviewers they may be losing to the Web.
"Roommates" will be sponsored by Ford Motor Co's 2008 Focusautomobile. The car will appear in episodes and ads will be onthe show site.
Berman declined to comment on the show's production cost orrevenue MySpaceTV will receive from Ford.
...