In fact the only difference between Second Life and your nine-to-five existence is that it all goes on in a virtual world, run on computers and accessed via the internet.For a staggering 26 million people virtual worlds are places to explore, enjoy and relax in. Within these virtual worlds people can socialise but they can also work, selling anything from houses to land and even themselves as escort services. The virtual currency has an exchange rate value against the US dollar so money earned in these places can provide a real world income.

But in contrast with other virtual worlds Second Life is NOT a game; there are no tasks, no endgame, no objective – 300,000 ‘residents’ simply live there, doing whatever they want, whether it be making money, art or love.

The series discovers what draws people to live a second life away from the prying eyes of the mainstream, and examines how virtual worlds have become a haven for zealots, outsiders, entrepreneurs and artists. Tim Guest is an author and journalist, who grew up in a commune, with a particular interest in virtual worlds; John Palmer runs a support group in the virtual world of Second Life for those suffering from depression and other mental illnesses; Steve Millar is a multimedia artist who uses the virtual world of Second Life to express his creativity. He is also researching the possibilty of uploading his mind into a computer; Alayne Wartell runs a successful business in the virtual world Second Life, where she also met her husband Chris.

Carolyn is a 37 year-old mother of four in the midst of a passionate affair. She’s spending up to 18 hours a day with her lover online on Second Life, the website. She has never met him, but, to her husband of nine year’s dismay, she is abandoning her family and flying 5,000 miles to London to start a new life with her lover, Elliot.