CBS teamed with EQAL, the creators of lonelygirl 15 for the 13 – episode series and is launching the social aspect of the show with a site dubbed Harper’s Globe that will be complimentary to the television storyline of Harper’s Island.

The social site will go live on Wednesday March 18, several weeks prior to the debut of Harper’s Island on Thursday, April 9 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) and will coexist with the weekly television show concluding with the broadcast finale on Thursday, July 2.

Harper’s Island is about a group of family and friends who go to a secluded island for a destination wedding. As the wedding festivities begin a murder picks off the characters one by one.

In every episode someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals.

"It’s not a pre-requisite to go online in order to follow the series on-air, but those who do will have an authentic entertainment experience that drills deeper into the mythology and mystery happening on HARPER’S ISLAND," said Nancy Tellem, President, CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group.

"Since the pilot phase, the writers have been working with our colleagues at EQAL and CBS Interactive to make Harper’s Globe a destination that is a unique yet faithful connection to the television series while sustaining the curiosity and conversation before and between episodes."
 

Though lonelygirl15′s secret has been out for a while, the star power of her progenitors at EQAL remains appealing. They created a follow-up series, KateModern, in conjunction with social networking site Bebo; the show averages 1.5 million views online per week.

CBS hopes some of that online pixie dust will sprinkle good fortune over them. The network arguably pushes the most to get their content into as many Internet-accessible outlets as possible.

A deal announced today between CBS and EQAL means CBS will more actively look for new concepts for shows they can present beyond the world of television. CBS said the non-exclusive partnership gives them a “first look” at EQAL’s ideas for shows they can distribute across multiple platforms.

“This partnering signals CBS’s attention to the Web as a new medium across both Interactive and the Network,” Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive, said in a statement.

A hit or two on the Internet side of their business would be welcome at the network. CBS also plans some tried-and-true programming for the Internet; Hollywood Reporter noted the CSI franchise has daily webcasts on tap for the fall.

Spark Capital, which includes names like Conrad Riggs, Ron Conway, Marc Andreesen and George Harik, leads the way in funding.

Founders Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried cite the 150 million views of their web video creations as the foundation for forming EQAL, which they’ve dubbed as a "social entertainment company." The concept involves entwining online social networks with interactive content.

From their About Us page:

"We believe that the community is just as important as the content we create. With this as our blueprint, we construct interactive shows that transform passive viewers into active participants. Our shows entertain and enlighten, driving discussion and encouraging viewers and participants to immerse themselves in a shared entertainment experience."

Lonelygirl15 is the most recognizable example of social entertainment success. "Bree," a character outed as a character in 2006, was played by Jessica Rose, who was a bit of an online sensation. Rose has parlayed that success into another, currently taking on the role of Tina in a recently debuted movie called Blood Cell.

That Beckett and Goodfried secured funding for their company is significant because venture capitalists are still at odds about where the return on investment most likely lies: in content or networks.

In an interesting dialog relayed by NewTeeVee last November, ex-Sony executive Dennis Miller argues with other investors about business models. "If the studio was such a great business they would not be offloading the cost of making those films," said Miller. "The net return on a film is 4 or 5 percent. The only reason the studios make those is because they own the entire food chain, including television distribution.”

$5 million thrown toward a content company and not an entire online distribution pipeline is a nice vote of confidence for great content.