The Interactive TV Edition

On choices, Bear, and hybrids

Ben Young (BWAGY) is a Kiwi entrepreneur and media thinker. His company, Nudge, helps companies with a simple & easy to use analytics platform for their digital properties.

Ben here. Ever since its inception, TV has been a sanctuary for relaxation—a passive mode of entertainment. We sit, we watch, and stories unfold before us. However, in 2018, Netflix threw a curveball into this passive experience with their interactive offering, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. Since then, a few more interactive titles like the child-focused Jurassic World in 2022 have been rolled out. The catch? Most of us watch TV to unwind, not engage in active decision-making.

Why is this interesting?

This summer, a not-so-new but gripping title on Netflix caught my family’s eye. Bear Grylls' "You vs. Wild." Unlike previous interactive attempts, this isn't a scripted plot that you can slightly nudge in different directions. Here, you're placed in actual life-or-death situations Bear often finds himself in. A wrong decision means Bear might have to abandon the mission.

What's different about "You vs. Wild" is the immediacy of it all. Bear is with you, speaking directly to you, urging you to choose. The stakes feel real, not like an animated dilemma in Jurassic World. It's interactive TV but feels less like TV and more... interactive. After the second episode, it dawned upon us: this wasn't just a show. It was a game.

Each episode kickstarts with a briefing: Find the lost doctor, retrieve anti-venom from a plane crash, or lead Bear back to civilization. Peppered with hints, these overviews are glimpses of what's to come. Yet, it wasn't until the end of episode two that a revelation hit us. There were parts of the journey we hadn't explored. An entire abandoned town we bypassed.

The urge to "play" the episode again and chart a different path was strong. After all, wouldn't it be intriguing to gather all three venoms instead of settling for just two? This replayability is where "You vs. Wild" struck gold. It wasn't just about forging a path, but revisiting decisions and exploring alternatives.

Netflix has been making strides to introduce gaming into their platform. But perhaps the real sweet spot is this hybrid model – a blend of TV and gameplay. As we huddled together debating Bear's next move, it wasn't just entertainment. It was a lesson in survival. And with every replay, the teachings sunk in deeper, making us wonder what else could be possible in this format. (BY) 

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) Ben (BWAGY)

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