The BBC’s sci-fi series Doctor Who has been running for years, seeing numerous doctors come and go, garnering a worldwide fan base. In 2017 the broadcaster melded the TV show with virtual reality (VR) for an experience called Time Vortex 360. Today, fans will be pleased to hear the BBC has another immersive piece of content planned for later this year, Doctor Who: The Runaway.
The new VR experience is an animated short, with Jodie Whittaker reprising her role as The Doctor. Expected to run for around 12 minutes the film will feature music from the series composer Segun Akinola.
Developed by the BBC’s digital drama team, BBC VR Hub and Passion Animation Studios, Doctor Who: The Runaway will be an interactive experience where fans will get the chance to be the Doctor’s champion and help her on this exciting adventure, as they find themselves at the centre of the action facing a deadly threat.
Jo Pearce, creative director for the BBC’s digital drama team, said in a statement: “Fans will experience the TARDIS like never before in this thrilling new interactive story. As ever, the Doctor is full of warmth, wit and charm – helped by a wonderful performance from Jodie – which puts fans at the heart of the story as they immerse themselves in this beautifully animated world.”
“Our team at the BBC VR Hub has been creating new experiences with the goal of helping to usher virtual reality into the mainstream, and Doctor Who is exactly the sort of series that can help more people to try this new technology. The show has been pushing boundaries for over 55 years, and VR enables Doctor Who to explore a whole new dimension of storytelling,” Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub adds.
Doctor Who: The Runaway has been written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Mathias Chelebourg, whose previous VR films include Alice, the Virtual Reality Play and The Real Thing VR. It will be available on selected VR headsets in the coming months. As VRFocus receives further updates on Doctor Who: The Runaway, we’ll make sure to keep you updated.