by Brock Horning | April 2025
If you mention the words ‘interactive TV’, thoughts quickly turn to the likes of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and You vs Wild. These TV shows allow the audience to influence the direction of the narrative for a story unique to them.
However, with the launch of pre-school show Mixmups, interactive TV and personalized viewing are being given a new meaning. Using interactive technology powered by Stornaway, Mixmups with Ultra Access™ is showing how TV can be made more accessible for all.
Viewer personalization has finally arrived
Creating personalized video viewing experiences isn’t a new concept; the term ‘object-based media’ has been around since at least the 00s.
The opening menu for Mixmups with Ultra Access™. Any combination of these features can be turned on.
Coined by the BBC R&D team, object-based media is the idea that by separating media into individual video, audio clips, and layers, the content itself can adapt to the viewer’s preferences. As the BBC’s 2013 article says, “Content that’s tailored for your circumstances, preferences and devices. Programmes that understand your viewing habits, and flex to fit.”
This could mean selecting how long you want a podcast episode to be, adapting the pre-match commentary to focus more on your team, or adding sign language presenters to your favorite shows.
So why has it taken so long for this to become a reality? In short, the technology. Programming shows like this took teams of developers hours of coding work – a very expensive undertaking. However, this is all changing with brand new Mixmups with Ultra Access™ episodes showcasing the power of Stornaway’s drag-and-drop interactive technology – no coding required.
How Mixmups approached Ultra Access episodes
Drawing on her own experiences, creator Rebecca Atkinson set out to make a show that didn’t just give a positive representation of disability, but gave every single person the opportunity to comfortably view it. Recalling the revelation of subtitles when Teletext was introduced in the 90s, she says there has been no innovation in accessible TV since. That is, until now.
A still from Mixmups with Ultra Access™ with BSL turned on.
Make video content available to a larger audience
“It offers something completely different and feels like my child has been thought about and seen.” - (Focus group participant)
Set in the bright colourful world of Mixington Valley, Mixmups sees friends, Pockets, Giggle, and Spin, ‘Mix up the Magic!’ of play and imagination. Their magical wooden spoon transports them on comical adventures, along with trustee assistance pets, Roller Guinea and Yapette the Guide Dog.
Ten episodes of the pre-school show have been given Ultra Access™. At the beginning of these episodes, viewers can select how they experience the show. A choice of BSL or Makaton, standard or BIG subtitles, low background sound or simpler visuals, and more – in any combination required. This world-first innovation has the potential to revolutionize TV viewing with thousands of ways to watch and meet the unique needs of every child.
Open up new possibilities with viewer personalization
Ultra Access™ remains the biggest development in TV access for decades. A generation used to playing and interacting with their media increasingly expects experiences that adapt to their preferences. Mixmups with Ultra Access™ episodes are a powerful realization of the possibilities. Personalized viewing opens up a new world and more relevant experiences for every generation.
The Stornaway team was proud to work alongside the Mixmups to power the accessible episodes. Stornaway is the only technology that can deliver a production-ready project. Our easy-to-use, web-based platform can deliver multiple variations of your media to personalize the experience for every viewer.