Back in the day, we all wished that we could fast-forward through commercials. Well, with a DVR, now we can. And with streaming shows, we can watch as many episodes in a row as we want. It’s a powerful feeling, especially since it seemed like an impossible dream just decades ago. Now, another seemingly impossible television dream is coming true. Netflix is reportedly working on a feature where you can actually choose the end of certain shows.
Now, this can’t be true for everything — after all, the creatives behind big series probably have their own vision. Plus, how weird will the watercooler conversation be if everyone saw a different show? But according to Bloomberg, the feature will appear in at least one show set to air by the end of the year. And it’s one of the few shows that’s a perfect match for this new idea.
Bloomberg confirmed that the upcoming season of Black Mirror will feature an interactive episode where viewers get a say on what happens next.
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If you’re unfamiliar with Black Mirror, it’s a sci-fi anthology series that explores the topic of technology in many of its episodes. Almost every episode will make you think, and some might even haunt you at times. The new season is expected to drop this December, and surely it’ll be talked about all of next year.
Just think — if this choose-your-own-ending episode is a hit, Netflix will surely want to give viewers even more interactive episodes in the future. Can you imagine what it’d be like to have a say in Orange Is The New Black or Stranger Things?
Even though this might be the first time you’ve heard of interactive programming, technically, this isn’t the first time that Netflix has offered up something like this. According to The Verge, their kids programming series, Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale, offered young viewers a chance to control the story in one of their episodes. And since it’s being marketed toward kids, there’s a good chance that interactive episodes might change television forever. Once you’ve gone interactive, it’s hard to go back.