MTV to air scripted mystery series

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. cable television network MTV announced plans to air "Valemont," a new scripted, supernatural mystery series, starring Kristen Hager and Eric Balfour.

Co-produced with Electric Farm Entertainment, the show is to premiere Tuesday.

MTV said "Valemont" is the "first short-form series of its kind: a co-branded project that seamlessly weaves the narrative throughout linear, digital and mobile platforms."

For six consecutive weeks, 2 1/2-minute episodes of "Valemont" will premiere in the commercial pods directly preceding "The Hills" and following "The City."

The concluding 23 episodes of the series will be made available online at MTV.com and on V Cast Video from Verizon Wireless, along with other bonus footage.

"Valemont" follows 18-year-old Sophie, played by Hager, as she infiltrates Valemont University, an exclusive and distinguished East Coast college that her brother Eric, played by Balfour, attended. As Sophie delves deeper into the mystery of her brother's disappearance from school, more details emerge about her family and the origins of the elite Valemont students, MTV said in a news release.

The show will co-star Nikki Blonsky, Jessica Parker Kennedy and Dillon Casey.

"With 'Valemont,' we're taking storytelling to new heights by incorporating central parts of the show's narrative on-air, online and on mobile," said John Shea, executive vice president of integrated marketing at MTV Networks. "What's great about this integration with Verizon Wireless is how the mystery of 'Valemont' unfolds for its characters across platforms, mirroring the way the audience receives information and interacts with the show."