Netflix wouldn’t be where it is today if it hadn’t taken a few risks. From the days of mailing DVDs to its first streaming originals, Netflix has always been willing to gamble, even if not every experiment can be a winner. Remember that original series about a heist that could seemingly be watched in any order? No?
Recently, one of Netflix’s most intriguing ideas was completely wiped from the service thanks to compatibility issues. However, it may not be long before yesteryear’s relics return.
In December 2018, Netflix released Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, a one-off special from the hit tech satire anthology series. The story used an interactive structure that had previously only been used in Netflix originals aimed at children, allowing viewers to pick and choose their path through the adventure. This meant it could be rewatched — or, rather, replayed — repeatedly to see all the different endings. It was a compelling proof-of-concept and, since the story itself was about video game design, it was perfectly suited to the medium.
Unfortunately, the novelty wore off. Netflix tried making other interactive specials, but the medium never really caught on. This year, long after abandoning the format, Netflix updated its interface and removed the last interactive specials still on the streamer: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s interactive finale, Kimmy vs. the Reverend.
But in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Black Mirror creator and showrunner Charlie Brooker said that reports of Bandersnatch’s disappearance were “exaggerated.” “Watch this space, things are brewing,” he said. “It’s not gone. I think over time, all these things are going to slightly merge.”
That last statement hints at what many fans have theorized: Bandersnatch will survive as a video game rather than an interactive TV special. It’s essentially a full-motion video game already, a format that dates back to the ‘80s when arcade games like Dragon’s Lair would use LaserDisc technology to show players video clips.
That may sound like we’re splitting hairs, but Netflix has been leaning into its gaming offerings, from making big-time franchises like Grand Theft Auto playable on the platform to releasing spin-off games for shows like Squid Game, Stranger Things, and, of course, Black Mirror; Netflix users can play the in-universe game Thronglets. “It’s quite sick and weird and funny,” Brooker said of the latter. “It’s a ’90s game like the one you see in the episode, but it goes way further than we do in the show. There are bespoke video clips you can unlock.”
Brooker clearly has no qualms about Bandersnatch being relegated to the gaming section. He was actually a video game writer before he became a TV magnate, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t consider this a downgrade. And thankfully, Netflix’s most experimental era likely isn’t being deleted after all; it’s just being relabeled from the most video game-y TV show to the most TV-y video game.
