EastEnders in online soap

BBC's 'E20' is "a naughty little brother or sister to the show"...

10:37 22 October 2009

EastEnders' first ever online spinoff has been commissioned by the BBC. The soap aims to target its younger audience.

Described as a "naughty little brother or sister to the main show", 'EastEnders: E20' follows the lives of four teenagers who turn up in Walford in search of an escape from their troubled pasts.

13 stand-alone webisodes have been penned by new London writing talent aged between 17 and 22 who all attended a summer school where the drama was proposed.

The 6-12 minute instalments are due to begin airing online via the show's official website from January.

The shows, which will also be viewable on the BBC's iPlayer, will tie in with EastEnders' 25th anniversary celebrations.

The miniseries will be made available three times a week, immediately after the main show has aired on BBC One.

Casting for the teenage roles is unknown, but it has been confirmed that regular EastEnders characters will make cameo appearances.

EastEnders' executive producer Diederick Santer said: "These talented writers are creating a whole new Walford, infused with their own experiences of London life.

"A fresh perspective on a British classic, EastEnders: E20 will - I hope - delight new audiences and EastEnders diehards alike."