Fiver pays for Sofia’s Diary

UK terrestrial Five is to air Sofia’s Diary, the Portuguese multiplatform format that found fame on UK social networking site Bebo, after acquiring the series from Sony Pictures TV International (SPTI).

The show was created by prodco BeActive, which launched it online, on TV, on mobile and on the radio in Portugal in 2003, before selling it to SPTI, which turned it into a web drama for Bebo.

It has run for four series on Portuguese state broadcaster RTP2, and has since been adapted for audiences in Brazil, Chile, Turkey and Vietnam. Sofia’s Diary is produced by Campbell Ryan Productions on behalf of SPTI.

Starting from April 28 on Five’s digital channel Fiver (formerly called Five Life), the three-minute episodes will be screened each weekday at 16.55, with an omnibus 30-minute episode screened every second weekend.

Bebo president Joanna Shields said: “Sofia’s Diary is not simply another video series webcast over the internet, it’s a truly interactive experience based on the concepts of social networking, participation and creative contribution.

“When we commissioned the show for Bebo, we believed that providing an entirely engaging experience, on multiple media platforms, was perfect for our key demographic of 16- to 24-year-olds.”

Antony Root, SPTI’s senior VP of European production, added: “We are moving our production business quickly to meet the needs of viewers who want to access our content across multiple platforms.”

Fiver is also to air Generation Sex (6×60′) from Princess Productions, which explores “everything from modern sexual etiquette to virtual sex, sex toys and cyber sex,” and features reality stars such as Rebecca Loos and Calum Best.

The two shows sit on a Fiver slate which now includes Celebrity Rehab, the second series of Dirt, every episode of Sex And The City, Fashionista Diaries, Intervention, Madventures, The Shot, Ocean Force and Hidden Lives.