Doctor Who gets first Emmy nomination for interactive spin-off The Runaway
The experimental animated short featured Jodie Whittaker in a voice role.
Doctor Who has earned its first ever Emmy nomination, although it might not be in the category you're expecting.
First held in 1949, the Emmys are an American award show dedicated to recognising excellence in the television industry, with the Emmy nominations 2020 announced just yesterday.
Doctor Who was first put forward for consideration at the Emmys in 2016, when BBC America became a co-producer on the long-running sci-fi series.
However, the show is yet to bag its first acting or writing nomination, while also finding itself beaten out of the drama category by heavyweights like Succession and The Crown.
That said, Doctor Who hasn't walked away from this year's edition empty handed as virtual reality (VR) spin-off Doctor Who: The Runaway has been nominated for Outstanding Derivative Interactive Programme.
The newly created category is being included for the first time this year, awarded to a standalone interactive program related to an existing television series, or adapted from outside material.
The conditions for recognition in the category place emphasis on viewer immersion and engagement, which makes Doctor Who: The Runaway a prime candidate for the win.
Released in May 2019, the animated special is available as both a VR game on the Oculus Store and Vive Port, or a 360-degree experience on the BBC's VR app.
Jodie Whittaker stars in a voice role as the Thirteenth Doctor, who takes you on a journey to return a lost alien creature named Volta to its home planet.
RadioTimes.com described the experimental story as "fun" in its Doctor Who: The Runaway review, but hoped that future efforts would be longer and more ambitious in scope.
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Monday 21st September and a win for The Runaway could mean more VR adventures for The Doctor and her companions.
Doctor Who is available to stream on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
