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Netflix is doubling on interactive television, according to a new Bloomberg report this morning. The streaming service plans to develop a number of projects that will allow viewers to control the progress of the story in a television show or movie, including an episode of the sci-fi anthology series "Black Mirror ".
According to the report, the episode "choose your own adventure" will be part of the fifth season of "Black Mirror", which will arrive in December.
This is not the first time that Netflix has tried interactive TV, but it is interesting to note that it now brings its experience to more high-profile, adult-focused programs.
The company first announced its intention to offer this type of interactive story last June, but at the time it focused on children's shows. The original lineup included "Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale", "Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile" and "Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout".
These appear in the Netflix user interface with a small icon representing a game controller on the show's thumbnail to indicate its interactive and playable nature.
In December 2017, Ted Sarandos, content manager at Netflix, told Bloomberg that he was preparing an experimental show for an older audience, after seeing how the kids had reacted to the format.
The next controllable "Black Mirror" episode will be the first time Netflix will use this format in a live action series – and it's the first interactive show designed for adult viewers. It's also the first of at least two confirmed real estate projects, Bloomberg says, noting that Netflix is negotiating rights with others. Two of the projects would be video game adaptations.
Interactive television is always an experience. It is not clear that this is something that adults will want in their visual experience. In addition, the production of a ramified story is much faster and costly, which can be prohibitive in terms of developing these projects beyond the occasional "special episodes".
But people can come to Netflix out of curiosity about the format.
Netflix is not the only company to try interactive television. Steven Soderbergh's HBO Mosaic project has also been interactive with a companion app for iOS and Apple TV.
Reached to comment on today's report, a Netflix spokesperson sent TechCrunch the following reply:
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