I was fascinated to read the other day that the creator of Downtown Abbey, Julian Fellowes, has created a new series which will be launched soon called Belgravia. What caught my attention, however, was the format or should I say formats that the series will be available on.

Rather than writing a book Fellowes is marrying a serialised novel with the latest digital delivery system: an app.

The TV series will unfold 'like a new network TV series, in 10 weekly digital instalments that will automatically arrive o readers' phones, tablets or computers'. The app will also include an audio version, music, video, character portraits, family trees, images of period fashion and maps of Belgravia.

As a corporate storyteller working with companies on how to leverage the stories/histories I research and write for them across their websites, social media and traditional internal and external communications channels, I've got to say this project sounds absoutely fasinating. It's the next step in deep storytelling, where the reader/user can delve deeper into many levels of information, background, back stories . . . as much or as little as they want.

The best example I've seen of this recently is the award-winning website http://sonsofgallipoli.com It combines a wide range of techniques, mediums and audio to deliver a really immersive experience.

And, of course Augmented Reality (AR) is another tool in this morphing space of integrated media.

The Belgravia app concept is several steps ahead again. As Fellowes commented in the press release about the project:

'To marry the traditions of Victorian movel to modern technologu, allowing the reader or listener involvement with the characters and background of the story and the world in which it takes place, that would not have been possible until now. amd yet to preserve within that the strongest traditions of storytelling, seems to me a marvellous goal and a real achievment.'

As excited as I am about the possibilities for corporate storytelling using this approach, I'm also delighted to know that a traditional hardcover book is being published in July this year. 

Also, it highlights the absoutely essential requirement, a good story.