Beth Connolly (played by Beth Chote) from online teen drama Reservoir Hill. Photo / Supplied
Beth Connolly (played by Beth Chote) from online teen drama Reservoir Hill. Photo / Supplied
Reservoir Hill, the online drama that earned itself a digital Emmy for its innovative take on audience interaction, has been commissioned for another season.
David Stubbs, who co-produced the show with Thomas Robins for their production company Krafthaus Flow Media, said the next series would push the social networking sidefurther and have a more twisted storyline than before. The first block of eight episodes were broadcast on TVNZ's website in October last year and later ran as a 70-minute feature on TV2. Stubbs hopes to follow the same format this time around.
Last year viewers were encouraged to interact with the lead character Beth Connolly (played by Wellington actress Beth Chote) via text message and online networking site Bebo. The next season will encourage the 1500 or so Bebo friends to switch to Facebook, where they will be able to interact with all the characters. TVNZ's website will also give audiences a chance to step inside Beth's subconscious, where they may pick up clues to the season's mystery. An extra pair of hands has been hired to take care of the round-the-clock social networking.
The show is pitched at teenagers but research showed older viewers were also downloading the episodes. This year, as Beth grows older, the show should hit a slightly older demographic, Stubbs says. He hopes that pushing the boundaries a second time will prompt the British and American networks, who have already sounded their interest in the series, to buy the format. Production will start in August and the series is due to air around September.
