Exploring the effects of interactivity in television drama

Hand, S. and Varan, D. (2007) Exploring the effects of interactivity in television drama. Lecture Notes in Computer Science , 4471 . pp. 57-65.

Abstract

Interactive television dramas have long promised to deliver entertaining experiences. In practice, however, successful interactive television dramas are rare. This paper suggests that the fault lies in attempts to abandon narrative structure in favour of interactive freedom and hypothesized that a model of interactive drama which encases interactivity within a strong narrative structure would be successful. This hypothesis can be seen as part of a larger research goal of which this paper represents the first step. This paper attempted to establish that the addition of interactivity to a narrative could enhance audience enjoyment. In order to test this hypothesis a research experiment was conducted which directly compared an interactive television programme to its linear counterpart. The research tested 180 participants and attempted to ascertain the differences in the viewer experience. The research found overall significantly higher averages in entertainment, appetite, immersion, and empathy among those who viewed the interactive television drama.