MySpace rolled out an original scripted web series, Roommates, in collaboration with Iron Sink Media and sponsored by the 2008 Ford Focus. The first of 45 episodes goes live today on MySpaceTV with new episodes debuting each weekday at 1:00 pm PT/ 4:00 pm ET through December 21. Roommates is the company’s first co-development project and the first original web series created specifically for MySpaceTV.

Roommates is an original scripted web series that follows a group of eight former college roommates after graduation. The four main characters – Peyton, Violet, Heather, and Sigourney – move to Los Angeles where they are invited to participate in a “reality show” by living in a house wired with cameras and computers to document their every move. The series is a combination of raw and voyeuristic segments, confessionals, and college flashback footage, and allows old friends and romances of the main characters to address viewers interactively via video blogs.

MySpace’s co-development role in Roommates allows MySpaceTV to retain creative control over all aspects of the show’s development including casting, story development, location scouting, and wardrobe—allowing the company to create the series exclusively with the MySpace audience in mind.

With high levels of interactivity built into every aspect of the show, Roommates is uniquely suited to MySpace and the immersive experience it affords. The official Roommates profile will house all new episodes, individual profiles for each character in the series, exclusive video blog postings from the characters, on-demand archives, and other interactive content. By interacting with the characters through their individual profiles and participating in online discussions, the MySpace community will have the opportunity to influence the arch of the show as it progresses. The “Roommates” profile will also utilize a polling tool to gauge real-time audience opinions on character developments and specific aspects of the storyline.

MySpace partnered with Los Angeles-based new media entertainment production company, Iron Sink Media, to manage the day-to-day production of the show. Best known for the creation of the popular series “Soup of the Day,” “NoHoGirls,” “WeHoGirls” and “VanNuysGuys,” Iron Sink has a deep understanding of serial Web programming and production.

As part of the launch, the new 2008 Ford Focus will serve as a title series sponsor providing products which will be integrated into the storyline across multiple episodes. Ford branding will be featured prominently on the “Roommates” custom community profile (www.myspace.com/roommates) along with in-stream advertising.

MySpaceTV is an integrated component of the company’s worldwide community and content platform, continuing the evolution of the company’s video offering by aggregating the best elements of video and empowering MySpace users to view, create, and share videos in new ways throughout the community. Localized versions of MySpaceTV are available in seven different languages across the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Latin America, Denmark, Norway, and Finland.