Commissioning online drama

More from Broadcast (free registration required): Robin Parker looks at plans for commissioning original online content.

Having reworked international dramas for the UK, Bebo is now looking to commission original content. Sarah Gavin, the network's head of global communications, says she wants the site to have four or five scripted and reality formats at any one time, ideally pitched at slightly different audiences. Sofia's Diary targets teenagers, while Kate Modern appeals more to twentysomethings. In between these demographics, Endemol's reality format The Gap Year is pitched at students.

"People can come to us with trailers already shot or just the kernel of an idea, but it's important they think about what users are doing and how they can interact beyond the show," Gavin adds.