BBC plans interactive youth soap

A not-for-broadcast pilot episode has already been filmed

The BBC is to launch Wannabes, an interactive web-based soap opera about young people in Brighton, in 2006.

Wannabes will follow the trials and tribulations of a group of youngsters attempting to start creative careers in music, television and film.

Two episodes will be available online each week, with interactive elements enabling viewers to influence content.

The project follows the launch of Jamie Kane, an online game involving a fictional pop star.

Produced by independent company Illumina Digital, the show - aimed at 14- to 18-year-olds - will begin in the spring and run for seven weeks.

The series will be shot on video and be pre-scripted, with a multiple-choice element that will enable it to "respond" to suggestions and advice given to its characters by its online audience.

A not-for-broadcast pilot has already been shot, though it is not yet known how many of its cast members will return for the series proper.

The show will use a mix of traditional drama writers and those from a games industry background.