Currently in its second series, KateModern is one of the first and most successful internet-based dramas that does not appear on TV, averaging at nearly two million views per week. The short one to five minute episodes, which take the format of video blogs, appear weekly on the social networking site Bebo and tell the tale of a small group of friends who become caught up in a world of mysterious cults, bizarre kidnappings and lots and lots of sandwiches. It was fitting, therefore, that I was bundled into a shady black van to talk to the cast, all the while fearing that I may be kidnapped, whisked away and tested for ‘trait positive’ blood.
The thrilling adventure story, however, only accounts for part of the appeal. “All the characters have their own profile pages on Bebo,” says Tara Ruston who plays Charlie in the show, “so a fan can write to any of the characters and then get a response back as though speaking to a living, breathing real person.”
Ralf Little, who takes on the role of technical whizzkid Gavin, elaborates. “Once we put out an episode and it gets watched, the show then has a life of its own right the way through to the next episode, with people talking on chat room forums, discussing what they think might happen next. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with!”
Yet while the actors may have a hard time keeping track of their millions of fans, the fans themselves have a considerably easier job. The show is one of the forerunners of the ‘Snack TV’ format. “Viewers can dip in and dip out and continue to watch at their own leisure,” explains Tara. “They can recap on series one, or any new episodes they may have missed.”
The first season, which ran from August 2007 to January 2008, saw the mysterious art student Kate (Alexandra Weaver) take on an underground cult who wanted her for her life-extending blood. Flatmate Charlie, her boyfriend Gavin and Kate’s ex Tariq (Jai Rajani), teamed up to find Kate when she was kidnapped by the ominous ‘Order’.
Season two begins on a sombre note; Kate has been found dead and the show has a new name: Who Killed Kate Modern? The team are reunited when Gavin and Charlie are recruited at the same TV station. They are soon joined by the madcap Lee (Sam Donovan) and Julia (Lucinda Rhodes-Flaherty). “Series two has become a sort of murder mystery,” says Sam “with Charlie trying to find out who killed Kate. It’s all very exciting, only four people in the whole world know.”
Meanwhile, the fun and frolics continue as the cast hit the road to film episodes in Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh that the public have been encouraged to attend. This is yet another interactive feature of the show which was met with enthusiasm last year. “We filmed these live scenes in public spaces like Waterloo Station and Parliament Square and urged the fans to be there at a certain time,” says Lucinda. “They show up with their own video cameras or their phone cameras and we arrive in character to act out the scene before them.”
A weeklong treasure trail of clues in London climaxed the last season, which saw one particular enthusiast from Manchester take a whole week off work just to attend. “It’s a great element of the show,” says Ralf, “the first one we did in Carnaby Street attracted one fan who filmed the whole scene and then dived into an internet café and had it uploaded onto Bebo before we could even make it back to the office.”
No less eventful were the scenes filmed in Platt Fields Park where, prior to my arrival, one passer-by became so enthralled by the filming that she walked head first into a lamppost. As she was attended to by Ralf Little, her friends were given bit parts in the new episode.
While on the subject of these recent excursions round the country, Sam explains, “The road trip episodes have my character, Lee, presenting a TV show that Charlie has devised. Students are asked to identify items of Mancunian memorabilia, but they are also a good excuse to get all the characters out and about together.” And with such a rapid fire plot and hyperactive characters, sparks are bound to fly – especially when the unpredictable public has the writers and actors on their toes. So, is this the future of television? If fan enthusiasm is anything to go by, then this could be the new Big Brother (albeit with more brains and more excitement).
The success of KateModern, and of its sister show Lonelygirl15, has even attracted academic attention with rumours of it featuring on a university media studies course. Check out both shows on www.bebo.com to get involved and decide for yourself. Keep those webcams off though, because you never know who might be watching…
Who Is Kate Modern?
Name: Kate Modern a.k.a. Genevieve Strathcorran a.k.a. <abstractheart>
Born: 1984
Died: 2008
Circumstances of Death: Suspicious
Hometown: London, UK
Likes: Art, internet blogging
Dislikes: Werewolves, doctors
About Kate: Troubled young art student who, prior to being kidnapped and murdered, enjoyed hanging out with her three closest friends: Australian wild-child, Charlie, ex-boyfriend and young entrepreneur, Tariq, and the somewhat sleazy computer whizzkid, Gavin.
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