MUMBAI: BBC will launch an interactive reality court show, The Verdict next year. The show will be a cross-platform event that will witness 12 carefully selected celebrities sit through the judgement on a complete trial just like a real jury.

Commissioned from RDF Television, The Verdict will focus on a highly contemporary and controversial case, based on evidence and examples from real life, improvised by top actors and contested by real barristers and a real judge.

The celebrity jury, will include celebrities with different backgrounds. The first celebrity juror, who has agreed to serve on The Verdict's jury is former UK Conservative Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo. Viewers will actually be able to see how a jury reaches its conclusions.

The series goes into production soon and will air next year. It will show the highlights from the trial, building from the prosecution case to the moment when the jury will have to retire and reach their judgement.

The jury will be sequestered together in a hotel and a switch-over programme will show how the jury have reacted to the day's proceedings in court. An interactive service will ensure that viewers can fully engage with The Verdict, taking part in discussions on the messageboard, finding out background information, registering for email and SMS updates and registering their own verdict on the trial.

The Verdict has been funded by the Think Big Fund, which has been set up by BBC director of television Jana Benett. The aim is to support big ideas across platforms and channels to ensure they have maximum impact.