Challenging the development of a new promotional format utilizing television. The quiz-linked drama "Derailed Detective" airs December 13!

CBC Television has produced "Derailed Detective," an unprecedented viewer-participation entertainment program featuring a smartphone-linked quiz show integrated into a drama. It will air on CBC and TBS Television starting Sunday, December 13, at 1:35 AM.

"Derailed Detective" is a new entertainment format that fuses "drama" and "quiz." It links viewers' smartphones with on-screen captions for a speed quiz, awarding various products featured in the drama to the fastest correct answerers.

Dentsu Inc. provided planning support, and Bascule participated in system development. This project challenged conventional "simultaneous viewing" with smartphones, instead having the broadcaster design the viewer's gaze transition between TV and smartphone. This approach aimed to create a program offering benefits to both viewers and sponsors.

The show follows the eccentric and wildly unconventional detective Yoichiro Kurumada (played by Takashi Tsukamoto), who obsessively focuses on every "item" left at crime scenes—beyond what seems necessary for the investigation. His seemingly unrelated actions repeatedly prove crucial to solving the case...
While unfolding a classic detective drama, the moment the focus shifted to a "product" in the show, the program's on-screen text reacted. The Treasure Navigator (Asuka Kishi) within the text guided viewers to a quick-fire quiz on their smartphones to win either the product itself or a special coupon for it, creating a double-screen experience.

Shunsuke Kaga of Dentsu Inc., who handled the overall program planning, highlights the key points:

Faced with the challenging task of creating a program concept that would please both viewers and sponsors, we approached the problem not just within the confines of "television," but by also looking at the other screen in the viewer's hands: the smartphone.
We focused on viewing habits like "when commercials come on TV, people fiddle with their phones to pass the time." This led us to expand the idea: Could we deliver commercial messages in a game-like format on smartphones instead of TV? In fact, this quick-response quiz lasts about 15 seconds, just like a commercial, and the questions directly reflect the product's core appeal. We'd be thrilled if you'd take this opportunity to participate in the program and see for yourself whether this dual-screen initiative functions as a new touchpoint replacing commercials.