The BBC is giving 'Doctor Who' the VR treatment
'The Runaway' will be available on selected VR headsets later this year.
There may be no new series of Doctor Who for 2019, but the BBC is preparing a little something to keep fans entertained in the meantime. The corporation has announced that it will release a short episode of the show, available exclusively in VR. at some point in the near future. Doctor Who: The Runaway will be a 12-ish minute episode that places the viewer inside an animated version of the TARDIS console room.
Current star Jodie Whittaker lends her voice to the animated Thirteenth Doctor, who will guide you through the interactive story. According to the release, viewers will become the Doctor's "champion" that'll "help her on this exciting adventure, as they find themselves at the centre of the action facing a deadly threat."
Runaway was created by the BBC in partnership with Passion Animation Studios, a very successful studio in its own right. You may not know the name, but its staffers have worked on projects including Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs, Greenpeace's Rang-Tan Commercial and music videos for Gorillaz.
This is hardly the first time that the BBC has used Doctor Who as a trojan horse for new ways of telling a story. Over its 55-year history, the show has been used to try out innovations in special effects, music creation and broadcasting.
Doctor Who: The Runaway is written by Victoria Asare-Archer, directed by Mathias Chelebourg and features music by regular series composer Segun Akinola. There's no details yet on when the short will be available, how long it'll run or what platforms it'll be available on, but information is expected to filter through in the coming months.
