• by John Capone , April 7, 2010

Take five parts narcissistic would-be lifecasters, one part American Idol striving, two parts technology. Shake well. Serve with a twist.

The new reality show "If I Can Dream" - taking its title from the old Elvis Presley song of the same name - follows five cast members who live in a house Real World-style as they follow their dreams for stardom, competition show pap-style. It won't air on a major network, but rather once a week on Hulu. But that's not what makes this reality show different.

In a plot twist that could have come out of some '90s cyber-punk novel, the cast will be filmed 24/7 by Web cams in every room of the house. And fans can check on them live at any time, day or night, on the Web site ificandream.com.

Poke New York created the interactive Web site for the show which features various interface points for fans to customize their experiences, one of which is a 3-D model of the house (complete with virtual tie-ins with sponsors like a soda machine for Pepsi and car out front for Ford) and another which is a giant mission control-display of all the cams in the house (there are many, sometimes six or seven to a room).

Welcome to the transition from the Real World to the Chat Roulette World.