Bebo looks to secure further online drama content

by Sarah Crawley-Boevey, Media Week 22-Aug-08, 14:20

LONDON - Bebo has appointed a head of original productions to work on securing further internet dramas for the site, following the success of Kate Modern, The Gap Year and Sofia's Diary.

Kelly Brett joins the company after working on the latest series of BAFTA-nominated Kate Modern. She has previously worked on TV productions for the BBC, ITV and Sky.

Brett will be responsible for approving potential projects, while strengthening the relationship with Bebo’s production partners and advertisers.

At its peak, Kate Modern achieved 67 million views in a year, contributing to the increasing popularity of internet entertainment series.

Kate Burns, managing director of Bebo in Europe, said the website’s shows proved that Beboers are enthusiastic about truly engaging with media.

One of Brett’s first tasks will be to work on The Secret World of Sam King, a show about a young boy who secretly starts his own record label in the post room of Universal Music.

Sofia's Diary became the first online drama in the UK to transfer to television recently, when it was picked up by Five.

Bebo has a global membership of more than 45 million, with its core audience of 16 to 24-year-olds spending 2.14 billion minutes on the site every month.