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Part II. Storytelling in the Information Age ] 61
the preguel to the mothership series or an interesting side character from the
mothership series as the main character in a series with a separate storyline
but the same story (e.g., the spin-off of Breaking Bad is Better Call Saul).
The Handmaid’ Tale is an interesting example of transmedia storytelling, as
only the episodes of the first season were based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985
dystopian novel, while the rest of the series was created as a transmedia
extension of Atwood’s storyworld. Although the author has written a sequel
to the novel, the story of Testaments (2019) is different from seasons 2-4 of
the series.
The creators of the Lost series engaged in transmedia storytelling by
creating new fictional characters who were never seen in the series. These
characters added segments to the series on different platforms: one wrote
a diary and the other starred in a video game. The creators also added 13
videos to the storyworld, which could be accessed through a smartphone
app (Scolari, 2013).
The mothership narrative can also be extended on a Web 2.0 platform. The
Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a vlogged adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride and
Prejudice where viewers can add their comments to short YouTube videos
and, as the main characters in the novel have social media profiles, fans can
chat with the characters (Heredia-Torres, 2020). A mothership narrative itself
can also be hosted on a Web 2.0 platform. BBC 3 has launched a transmedia
campaign #FindTheGirl to promote Thirteen (2016), a five-episode online
melodrama series about the escape of a woman imprisoned for 13 years.
In parallel to the broadcast of the series, posts by a fictional investigative
journalist appeared on YouTube and Twitter revealing important details of
the investigation. The series depicted the woman’ escape, and clues important
to uncovering the crime were hidden in the episodes. The investigation was
also interactive: the journalist's character responded to comments on social
media, solving the problems of the investigation together with the viewers
(McErlean, 2018).
Transmedia storytelling does not only allow for the presentation of fictional
storylines. Because of media convergence, television genres have extended
their narratives across multiple platforms. Typically, news programs with a
narrative structure, live competitions and sports segments provide viewers
with additional information via a second screen. Extensions are mainly
used on social media platforms to allow viewer interactivity. For example,
channels may provide more detailed information on their own social media
profiles related to a piece of news or sports program, or give insight into the
life events of a celebrity associated with the channel's brand. In addition to
the channels, actors (e.g., celebrities, public figures, or media personalities)
can also create their own social media profiles for fans and thus maintain
the attention of their followers who make their posts part of their daily lives
by following them regularly. Television programs are also supplemented by