At the Netflix Labs press event earlier in March, Netflix confirmed its ongoing commitment to interactive entertainment in several ways. Journalists at the event got advance peeks at a few more children’s shows that would let viewers pick their protagonist, or unlock areas on a map during viewing. One breakout session was devoted to the process behind the creation of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Charlie Brooker’s movie-length interactive Black Mirror episode. And during the event, Netflix revealed its plan for a new series called You Vs. Wild, an interactive spinoff of Bear Grylls’ Man Vs. Wild, starring Grylls in a variety of survival scenarios where viewers get to pick his next move.
Could you survive in the wilderness? Netflix is letting its viewers put their survival skills to the test in its next crack at interactive television, this time featuring the celebrity survivalist Bear Grylls.
The show, named You Vs. Wild, looks like a spin-off of Grylls’ Man Vs. Wild which saw him face the dangers of nature with nothing but a camera crew (and probably various unseen safety measures) to look after him.
Launching on April 10, You Vs. Wild will follow a similar format to Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, last year’s surreal sci-fi thriller about a video game designer who starts to lose his sanity.
The first trailer for the series has arrived, and it relies heavily on dramatic situations forcing dramatic choices, with Grylls barking “You decide!” at the viewers. He even implies that a wrong choice could have real consequences: “You’re in charge here! You’re on this journey with me! And if you don’t make the right choices, it might not end well for me!”
