App to investigate Sherlock

UK cross-media company The Project Factory (TPF) is launching a transmedia app to accompany popular BBC crime drama Sherlock.

The third season of the show, produced by Hartswood Films, premieres on BBC1 on January 1 and will be followed by the release of the app on January 15.

Sherlock: The Network will include new and exclusive footage and audio from stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The mobile app also allows users to navigate a virtual London and assist in solving cases by interviewing witnesses, looking for evidence and solving clues.

Sue Vertue, exec producer at Hartswood, said the app had been created due to audience demand and allowed fans to “immerse themselves in a bit of Sherlock’s world.”

TPF’s Rob Barnes, exec producer of the app, added: “It is a perfect example of how transmedia can bring an entertainment brand to life in a digital world, using an interactive content narrative to create an all-encompassing experience that strongly complements the original programme.”

The launch of the Sherlock app comes after Red Bee Media created an online, interactive 60-second trailer for the show, which allowed users to click on ‘hot spots’ that provided access to exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with the series’ cast and writers.

Red Bee claimed it was watched nearly 500,000 times within the first 48 hours of its launch, with viewers spending an average of at least five minutes interacting with the trailer.