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MySpace unveils today its first online fake (scripted) reality show, "Roommates."
"We are entering the creation business," said Jeff Berman, general manager of MySpace TV. "There are certainly more to come. We'll see how we do."
Roommates will feature several underdressed young women (and a dog) and each episode will last three minutes. The show will air until Dec. 21 and will be supported by an array of fake blogs and other online resources. It will run only on MySpace for 45 three-minute episodes, with a new one appearing at 4 p.m. EDT Monday-Friday.
The serial is to be supported by Ford, which will use it to promote is 2008 Ford Focus. They will promote the car in an innovative way, as the promotion will be integrated within the show's script. One of the show's female characters will be purchasing the Ford car, among other product placements. Reportedly, there will be also short ads from the carmaker before each episode.
"Ford Focus is targeting a young, socially connected female consumer. She is very similar to the characters starring in these Webisodes," says Usha Raghavachari, a communications manager at Ford.
The show's script will allow slight modifications from users, but it's not like they are will be able to write their own storyline. "Users can suggest storylines, and we will take input from viewers from Seattle to Stuttgart who will have a say on where the show should go," said MySpaceTV G.M. Jeff Berman. Viewers will be able to vote on such things as "whether Violet should break up with her boyfriend or quit her job or get in a fight with her roommate," Berman said. Production duties will reportedly be handled by Scott Zakarin's Iron Sink Media.
Let me say that I watched the first episode and I'm not impressed. Maybe I'm the wrong audience, but I can tell I probably won't be watching this again, unless I have to comment on it again. They should accentuate the comedy part of the show. The sexy part is alright, although is less revealing than the usual MySpace videos.
Also, "Quarterlife," originally created by Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick as a pilot for network television, will launch on MySpace in November, but it essentially only has a distribution deal with the social network.
Check the Roommates page on Myspace.
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