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Netflix is Developing a Slate of Specials That Will Let Viewers Choose the Next Storyline in a TV Episode or Movie, Report Says (bloomberg.com)
Netflix is about to let you decide how your favorite show will end, Bloomberg reported Monday. From the report: The streaming service is developing a slate of specials that will let viewers choose the next storyline in a TV episode or movie, according to people familiar with the matter. The company expects to release the first of these projects before the end of this year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are still private.
Viewers will get to choose their own storylines in one episode of the upcoming season of "Black Mirror," the Emmy-winning science-fiction anthology series. The show is famous for exploring the social implications of technology, including an episode where humans jockey to receive higher ratings from their peers. The fifth season of the show is expected to be released in December.
The foray into choose-your-own-adventure programming represents a big bet on a nascent form of entertainment known as interactive TV. As Netflix expands around the world, it's looking for new ways to lure customers. By blending elements of video games with traditional television, the company could create a formula that can be applied to any number of series.
Viewers will get to choose their own storylines in one episode of the upcoming season of "Black Mirror," the Emmy-winning science-fiction anthology series. The show is famous for exploring the social implications of technology, including an episode where humans jockey to receive higher ratings from their peers. The fifth season of the show is expected to be released in December.
The foray into choose-your-own-adventure programming represents a big bet on a nascent form of entertainment known as interactive TV. As Netflix expands around the world, it's looking for new ways to lure customers. By blending elements of video games with traditional television, the company could create a formula that can be applied to any number of series.
If you are presented with 5 different ways a story ends, people would want to know how it really ends or which one is correct.
Those "choose your adventure" books always had one real ending (killing the princess and rescue the dragon.. whatever.. there's a reason why they work well with plain vanilla fantasy) and you had to get to that ending.
bickerdyke
This will be more "we filmed 3 endings", I expect. People's narrative choices tend to follow the 80/20 rule, so 3 endings will get you 99% of the audience. The exception to that is love triagles (or love dodecahedrons) where you can get a more even spread. I suspect romances will be the focus if this takes off, not "choose your own adventure".
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
I'm reminded of the 1961 film "Mr. Sardonicus", where the producer William Castle promised two endings. Supposedly, the audience could vote to punish the villain at the end or spare him. Of course, the audience always voted to punish him. Good thing too, because Mr. Castle, being an astute observer of human nature, only actually made the "punish the villain" ending.