After the darkness of <em>Bandersnatch</em>, we get a wackier, more ambitious take.
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Netflix’s first interactive sitcom: Good for laughs, deserves a better app
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They still haven't addressed the slowdown problem that makes the UI impossible to use after 5 minutes. I'd rather they fix that first.
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From Netflix’s help site:
What interactive content can I watch on Netflix?
We have several original interactive titles, with more on the way.
Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale
Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile
Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout
Minecraft: Story Mode
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Bear Grylls' You vs. Wild
Captain Underpants Epic Choice-O-Rama
Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
Now I have to remember how I watched in my TV that only has an Apple TV attached currently. Cast from my phone probably.
What interactive content can I watch on Netflix?
We have several original interactive titles, with more on the way.
Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale
Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile
Stretch Armstrong: The Breakout
Minecraft: Story Mode
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Bear Grylls' You vs. Wild
Captain Underpants Epic Choice-O-Rama
Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
Now I have to remember how I watched in my TV that only has an Apple TV attached currently. Cast from my phone probably.
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The common wisdom appears to be that the Netflix app on Apple TV is the last relic of an old build of their app, which remains because Apple requires native 24p support. I have no idea whether or not there's even a vague bit of truth in that - but certainly, despite semi-regular updates, Netflix on Apple TV is missing most of the more recent features of the platform.
For example, the ATV app doesn't have the "coming soon" section and you can't set reminders. At the end of a show or movie, instead of the buttons giving you the choice of watching credits or starting the next episodes, the credits are insta-shrunk just like in the bad old days. THat's just two differences that immediately come to mind.
There was also some talk around the time of Bandersnatch that Apple's video API didn't support the pre-caching that Netflix uses - and then someone pointed out there's a "choose your own adventure" app for APple TV called "Late Shift" which does exactly that.
So, yeah, who knows? Maybe Netflix is just miffed that they can't force Apple to put a big white NETFLIX button on the Siri remote.
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In Netflix's latest interactive special, you can tell Ellie Kemper to wield a rocket launcher
That isn't a rocket launcher. It is a single-use recoilless anti-tank weapon. Specifically a AT-4 , which is a license-built American version of the Swedish "Pansarskott m/86".
Unlike a rocket launcher, it is propelled entirely during the firing process, meaning the shell itself does not accelerate after leaving the barrel.
Is this important in context? Almost certainly not...
#nitpick
Edit: Corrected to read "AT-4", not "T-4" as I had originally misplaced the "A". Thanks to Albino_Boo for pointing that out.
That isn't a rocket launcher. It is a single-use recoilless anti-tank weapon. Specifically a AT-4 , which is a license-built American version of the Swedish "Pansarskott m/86".
Unlike a rocket launcher, it is propelled entirely during the firing process, meaning the shell itself does not accelerate after leaving the barrel.
Is this important in context? Almost certainly not...
#nitpick
Edit: Corrected to read "AT-4", not "T-4" as I had originally misplaced the "A". Thanks to Albino_Boo for pointing that out.
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Thanks for the response - Welcome to Ars.
Not that Apple ever would - unless there's a serious change in corporate culture - but I hate the dedicated Netflix/Amazon buttons on my LG Remote.
It's even stranger when you can Airplay from the iOS app to the Apple TV, and it's not quite click a few buttons and recompile in Xcode, but surely it's not that complex.
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Netflix doesn’t play nice with Apple in general. They don’t even integrate with Apple’s unified TV app, which is a major omission that makes it a lot less useful than it should be.
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Woke up this morning, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, checked Ars... is that Ellie Kemper with a bazooka?
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Wait, what? That's a Netflix original title? I thought it was a game. ?_? Or is it the television adaption of the hit game, featuring an all-star cast?
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Wow, Hypercard. I had to plug my brain's Bernoulli Box in to remember what that was!
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Albino_Boo
Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
I would like to take this opportunity to point out that it is an AT-4 not a T-4.
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Bah. I see Netflix is still calling this fake Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stuff "Interactive".
To me, "Interactive" would be getting Colin Mcrae and Ryan Stiles (Whose Line Is It Anyway) on board, with some other adept improv actors, and ACTUALLY doing a real-time interactive plot. Audience has an open polling system to promote the best plot twists. Whatever the audience decides (within the bounds of reasonable discretion), the actors have to dig up props and just DO it. Maybe we could have FX wizards standing by to add some flourishes here and there in real-time too!
To me, "Interactive" would be getting Colin Mcrae and Ryan Stiles (Whose Line Is It Anyway) on board, with some other adept improv actors, and ACTUALLY doing a real-time interactive plot. Audience has an open polling system to promote the best plot twists. Whatever the audience decides (within the bounds of reasonable discretion), the actors have to dig up props and just DO it. Maybe we could have FX wizards standing by to add some flourishes here and there in real-time too!
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It’s the a dumbed-down version of the game. In the Telltale game, you could move your characters around and explore... the Netflix version only shows the video sequence and the decision points that existed in the game.
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I am not sure that comedy or kids videos is really enhanced by this interactive format much. It seems to me it is much more powerful for dramas, where the watcher can insert themselves into the plot with the choices they are making. That is kind of more of what Bandersnatch was.
I do see there could be a convergence happening between what Netflix is doing and how some story based video games work. Life is Strange series comes to mind, which is basically almost an interactive drama with very limited of what you might call traditional video game actions.
I do see there could be a convergence happening between what Netflix is doing and how some story based video games work. Life is Strange series comes to mind, which is basically almost an interactive drama with very limited of what you might call traditional video game actions.
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Clip art, mouse drawing, and Hypercard logic... the fundamentals of a misspent youth.
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I wonder how popular these 'interactive' shows are. I avoid them like the plague.
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chaos215bar2
Ars Praefectus
I’d try them, but usually I can’t be bothered to fire up my TV’s built-in Netflix app rather than just watching something else on my Apple TV. (The TV is a 2016 LG OLED which, as of a year or so after purchase, started showing ads on startup and in the menu whenever connected to the internet. I do not like ads on my rather expensive TV.)
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Both: on my LG television and on a standard desktop Chrome instance. Identical experience.
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Clue: they continue to make them, despite significant costs.
I played with the Black Mirror experiment. It was interesting for a few minutes, and despite playing it all the way through all the different pathways, I didn't care for it much. But others took a shine to it. And here we are with another outing, so there must be enough people out there who liked it to make the effort.
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Early 1980's Full Motion Video games hit the arcades.... impressive for the time.
1990's SEGA, Philips, NEC, (and others?) bet that FMV games are the future... they were wrong... Again cute way to make a game but very limited replay value imo.
2020's Netflix : "lets resurrect this 40yo idea that was not successful (twice) as new and innovative...."
Again its a cute idea but i don't find it appealing,,,,
1990's SEGA, Philips, NEC, (and others?) bet that FMV games are the future... they were wrong... Again cute way to make a game but very limited replay value imo.
2020's Netflix : "lets resurrect this 40yo idea that was not successful (twice) as new and innovative...."
Again its a cute idea but i don't find it appealing,,,,
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Presumably they DON'T want that sweet no-15% skim deal that Apple gives to companies that make the effort to fully support their devices (Amazon, now HBO)?
It's actually astonishing just how bad some Apple TV apps are, down to the true bargain basement like Spectrum TV; which gives me a lot of sympathy for Apple playing hardball here to force better quality. It's clear that many of the content companies are skating on their content library, and have zero interest in the app quality because they figure "what choice do you have?" We the users can't demand quality, so good on Apple for doing so.
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Scone Muncher
Ars Centurion
"Do you remember Hypercard?" seems like one of those litmus test how-old-are-you questions.
https://xkcd.com/1093/
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And yet it was good enough to make two specials out of. The medium of television looks nothing like it did in 1980 or even 2010 and that means a lot of "dead-end" formats have new potential.
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I had a laugh when I looked at that xkcd comic and saw Chernobyl in 2020.
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The difference is that this time they aren't selling it to you as a full priced game. It is a Show/Movie that you can make choices with. Nothing more...not different than the books that came before.
Although Sam gave a specific example of how they use this that makes it a bit of a step up from just a regular episode. Some of the choices are things they likely wouldn't have done in a real episode, because it wouldn't have made sense or it would cause the story to stop.
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It works *REALLY* well for kids shows.
Or so my 5- and 8-year olds tell me, as they watch Puss'n Boots and Minecraft over and over and over and over and over again. Then, a few months later, they'll want them again, and again, and again.Now they've found the Carmen Sandiego one, so they're going through it. And the Bear Grillis one.
Keeps them entertained, at least.
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You'd need to dig up Colin Mcrae and wake him up first. Then teach the late world champion rally driver how to perform improvised comedy.
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I feel like Wildboyz with Chris Pontius and Steve-O would be better suited for this endeavor
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And that one is actually a rocket launcher.
Or at least it is a prop based on a rocket launcher, the M202 Flash. Plus it launches rockets in the movie, but then again recoilless rifles often launch rockets in movies despite not working like that in real life. Because Hollywood. Which tends to annoy pedants like me.
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I managed to solve this problem on my Apple TV by removing app completely, disabling Autoplay previews (via the website) and then reinstalling the app.
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The most annoying case, for me, is Sky UK's NowTV app. It still uses the design from the old Apple TV and is limited to 720p. But Now TV (Ireland) has had an updated app for months, which is also published by Sky UK.
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I *think* I took all the possible paths. It took three tries to “win”, but pro-tip: rewatching at least once front-to-back rewards the viewer with alternate takes for many of the gags. There was also at least one hidden (and super-dark) Easter egg that requires you to pick the same “wrong” choice twice, but I won’t spoil it further.
Big fan of Unbreakable. It was great to spend Saturday afternoon with these lovable kooks and I hope Tina Fey can convince the gang to come back for future specials.
Big fan of Unbreakable. It was great to spend Saturday afternoon with these lovable kooks and I hope Tina Fey can convince the gang to come back for future specials.
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