Top 10 Shows We Wish Had a Choose Your Own Adventure Episode
For this list, we'll be looking at shows that we think -with a little creativity- could work within the interactive, choose your own adventure television format used by Netflix for the 2018 Black Mirror special, “Bandersnatch”. Note: we'll only be considering current series.
#10: “American Horror Story” (2011-)
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This long-running hit horror anthology series has typically wiped the slate clean each season. And yet -a few uneven seasons aside- it has consistently proven itself capable of drawing its viewership back in with a compelling new premise and cast of characters to match. Armed with this experience, we think that co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are perfect candidates to craft an interactive television adventure. Whether it were a standalone episode or a mini season consisting of a few episodes, Choose Your Own American Horror Story would surely make for the sort of scary and sexy experience that would attract viewers.
#9: “South Park” (1997-)
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This often controversial but hugely influential animated series has been pushing the boundaries of television for over 2 decades and shows no signs of slowing down. Always relevant because of its focus on contemporary politics, celebrity news and pop culture, South Park has consistently delivered some of the most scathing commentary on television - usually in the weirdest ways imaginable. Masters of shock and awe, the good folks behind South Park could surely craft a choose your adventure experience unlike any other. And by forcing the viewer to choose the direction that the narrative takes, they could make their audience complicit in the offensive but insightful debauchery like never before.
#8: “The Flash” (2014-)
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The challenge with adding a Choose Your Own Adventure episode to an established series is that you can’t allow the episode’s varying paths to come into conflict with the overarching plot of the show. Thankfully, this CW series is VERY well-versed in the art of navigating multiple timelines and conflicting realities. With each season of The Flash, things have seemingly gotten more complicated and convoluted for Barry Allen, but the showrunners have always managed to keep it straight. So, what if for just one episode, viewers helped Barry make his way through the multiverse? So long as he manages to save the day and set things right by the start of the next episode, it could totally work.
#7: “Doctor Who” (1963-89; 2005-)
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Over the course of its many, many seasons, this beloved franchise has tackled all manner of mind-bending, strange and wonderful concepts. Seriously, what other series can get away with constantly recasting its lead and have that actually be part of not only the narrative, but also the show’s overall appeal? As such, we have the utmost faith in the think tank behind Doctor Who to put together a superb Choose Your Own Adventure type episode. Maybe certain paths could even lead you to encounter past iterations of the Doctor? For the dedicated fanbase, we think that an interactive episode would be quite the treat.
#6: “Stranger Things” (2016-)
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With the sudden and devastating implosion of Telltale Games, the Walking Dead-style Stranger Things game is unlikely to happen. Netflix has confirmed that they are committed to making it a reality, but without the involvement of Telltale, it will likely be a different beast from what most people imagined. As a consolation, we’d like to suggest a stand-alone, interactive episode of Stranger Things. We know of a few characters who have been to the Upside Down. But what if another unknown child found their way there and we got to play a hand in helping them escape… or perish?
#5: “Game of Thrones” (2011-)
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We know… this is a bit of a tough one to imagine. With 2019’s eighth season set to be the last in the series, there’s no way to shoehorn an interactive episode into the story. With that being said… there are reportedly multiple “successor shows” in development, meaning that there’s still plenty of opportunity to explore the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. As part of this expanding television universe, we’d love to see a standalone interactive episode set within the timeframe of the original series. It could follow a lesser character from an earlier season and decide their fate. We’d also love to revisit any of the major battles from the perspective of one of the soldiers. Maybe the Battle of the Bastards?
#4: “The Walking Dead” (2010-)
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Admittedly, the critically acclaimed Walking Dead game produced by Telltale is just about as satisfying of an interactive TWD experience as a fan could ask for. And yes, the TV series has fallen on hard times in later seasons. But if given the chance to take control of a live-action interactive episode of The Walking Dead, would you really pass up the opportunity? We wouldn’t. If you’re tired of the old narrative tropes that the show has begun to lean on, a stand-alone episode following a lesser or unknown character could very well be an opportunity to fall in love with this terrifying world of survival all over again.
#3: “Sherlock” (2010-)
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Benedict Cumberbatch’s modern take on Sir Arthur Conan’s Doyle’s enigmatic detective is one that has really resonated with fans the world over. This iteration honors the character’s reputation as an unparalleled solver of mysteries, while also imbuing Holmes with uniquely eccentric charms. Martin Freeman’s Watson is similarly pitch perfect. As such, this series have developed a dedicated fanbase that’s always itching for more movie length episodes. The series has already shown itself willing to experiment by setting a special episode in Victorian London. Next we’d like to see the showrunners invite viewers to help Sherlock solve one of his cases in an interactive format. Given that episodes already tend to be relatively self-contained, this could work quite well.
#2: “Rick & Morty” (2013-)
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There’s never really been a show quite like “Rick & Morty”. Brilliantly written, and carefully balancing outlandish comedy with surprisingly complex philosophical themes, it is a series that pushes various boundaries at once; it manages to entertain and disturb simultaneously. And with episodes like “Rixty Minutes” and "Rick Potion #9", Dan Harmon has shown viewers that he’s more than willing to get experimental and challenge assumptions about animated comedies. Given the show’s propensity towards absurdity and reality-bending plot points, we think that “Rick & Morty” is uniquely suited for an interactive episode. For an extra trippy element, maybe viewer involvement could even be built into the narrative, making Morty & Rick aware of our presence and resentful of it. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a couple of honorable mentions “Gotham” (2014-) “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-) “Trailer Park Boys” (2001-08; 2014-) A Netflix MCU Series “American Dad!” (2005-)
#1: “Supernatural” (2005-)
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Few TV shows have had as long or successful a run as this CW series. Its fanbase is one of the most dedicated out there. On the air since 2005, Supernatural’s staying power is such that it’s hard to imagine the television landscape without it. As a thank-you to the legions of devoted fans out there, we think that the showrunners should give viewers the chance to get up close and personal with Sam and Dean Winchester - allowing them to help them in the decision-making process as they overcome a monster of the week. The episode would have to avoid touching on the show’s overarching plot, but we think fans would be just fine with that compromise.
