Netflix to Release More Interactive Shows For kids
Netflix is turning three of its popular kids programs into interactive specials.
The company plans to make interactive episodes or specials out of “Carmen Sandiego,” “Boss Baby” and “Last Kids on Earth,” reuters reports, citing "people familiar with the company’s plans." They will all be movies or one-off specials rather than full series, the report says.
The episodes are a hybrid of traditional narrative TV series -- where the viewer just sits back and watches -- and video games, where the viewer controls the protagonist. Each episode presents the viewer with choices to select what a character does, or where they go next.
With the new offerings, Netfilx will offer a total about 12 interactive series, which is more than any other major TV network.
The company started off its first interactive experiments with kids programs in 2017 because young people grow up with screens. Early successes encouraged Netflix to try the approach with adults, starting with “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” a spinoff from the titular dystopian drama, in which viewers made decisions to help adventurer Bear Grylls survive in the wild.
The company plans to fund interactive specials in new genres, such as romance, comedy or drama.
YouTube also plans to fund choose-your-own-adventure original series, and Walmart has invested in Eko, a startup that specializes in interactive programming.