Tales from Nowhere Transmedia Program
| Launch Date | March 2019 |
| Duration | 10 weeks (Season 1) |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, ARG, Social |
| Show Runner | Jesse Alexander |
| Transmedia Lead | Digital Extensions Team |
| Status | Archived (Hiatus) |
The Tales from Nowhere Transmedia Program was an ambitious cross-platform storytelling initiative that extended the show's narrative beyond traditional television. Launched alongside the series premiere in March 2019, the program featured weekly digital graphic novels, an immersive fan portal, in-world websites, interactive ARG campaigns, and second-screen experiences.
The transmedia content was designed to reward engaged viewers with deeper mythology, character backstories, and interactive mysteries that complemented the weekly episodes without being required viewing. Fans who participated in all platforms gained a richer understanding of Nowhere's supernatural ecosystem.
Overview
The Tales from Nowhere transmedia strategy was built on several key principles:
- Additive Comprehension: Each platform adds unique story elements unavailable elsewhere
- Negative Capability: Audiences can fill in gaps, creating participatory engagement
- World-Building Over Plot: Expanding the mythology rather than recapping episodes
- Character Bridges: Secondary characters gain depth through platform-specific stories
- Earned Secrets: Active participants discover hidden lore unavailable to casual viewers
Unlike traditional tie-in media, the transmedia content was developed simultaneously with the television scripts, ensuring narrative consistency and meaningful interconnections. References planted in early episodes paid off in later digital content, rewarding attentive fans.
Nowhere Files (Digital Graphic Novels)
Released weekly between episodes, the Nowhere Files were digital comic chapters that expanded character backstories and mythology. Each 12-15 page installment focused on a different character or cryptid, providing context that enriched the corresponding TV episode.
Season 1 Chapters
| # | Title | Focus | Ties to Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Last Broadcast" | David Margolis | 1x01 - Welcome to Nowhere |
| 2 | "Hunger" | Wendigo Origins | 1x02 - The Wendigo Frequency |
| 3 | "The Lumberman's Warning" | Hidebehind History | 1x03 - The Whispering Woods |
| 4 | "Little People" | Pukwudgie Clan | 1x04 - Echoes of the Past |
| 5 | "Storm Chaser" | Clara Sterling's Past | 1x05 - Trauma Storm |
| 6 | "Skin Deep" | Deputy Walsh | 1x06 - The Skin Walker |
| 7 | "Pacific Northwest" | Nakamura Family | 1x07 - Family Reunion |
| 8 | "The Founding" | Beaumont History | 1x08 - The Hollow Men |
| 9 | "Convergence" | Cryptid Alliance | 1x09 - Judgment Night |
| 10 | "Abigail's Choice" | Abigail Fleming | 1x10 - Face Your Fear |
Read more about the Nowhere Files →
The Quiet Zone Portal
The Quiet Zone was an immersive fan portal that simulated being a resident of Nowhere, West Virginia. Users created profiles and received personalized in-world communications including:
- Voicemails: Cryptic messages from characters like Benji and Clara
- Text Messages: Real-time alerts during episodes tied to on-screen events
- Emails: Weekly newsletters from "Visit Nowhere Tourism Board" with hidden clues
- Emergency Broadcasts: Urgent warnings during season climax events
The portal also featured interactive elements including a "Cryptid Sighting Report" system where fans could submit and verify fictional encounters, a searchable archive of Big Ear telescope logs, and encrypted messages that required community collaboration to decode.
Read more about The Quiet Zone Portal →
In-World Websites
Several fictional websites were created as if they existed within the Tales from Nowhere universe:
Beaumont Industries
Corporate website for Thaddeus Beaumont's family company. Featured press releases, employee portals (with discoverable passwords), and hidden pages revealing the company's true activities in cryptid research.
Visit Nowhere Tourism
A deliberately eerie tourism site for the town of Nowhere, featuring local businesses, event calendars with strange entries, and a "Things to Do" section that included warnings about hiking after dark.
Big Ear Observatory Archives
Presented as a leaked government database, this site contained decades of telescope readings, unexplained signal logs, and redacted documents that hinted at the facility's true purpose.
David's Blog
A preserved blog allegedly belonging to Benji's missing brother David, containing his increasingly paranoid posts leading up to his disappearance. Updates continued even after his canonical disappearance, disturbing fans.
Finding David ARG
The Finding David alternate reality game launched midseason and ran through the finale. Participants worked together to investigate the disappearance of David Margolis, Benji's brother, following a trail of:
- Geocached USB drives hidden in real-world locations
- Phone numbers that answered with cryptic recordings
- Coordinates embedded in Nowhere Files artwork
- QR codes hidden in TV episode backgrounds
- Encrypted files requiring community puzzle-solving
The ARG revealed that David had discovered evidence of the Mithraic Cult's activities and was taken before he could expose them. His final transmission was broadcast during the season finale's credits.
Read more about Finding David ARG →
Second Screen Experience
The official Tales from Nowhere app provided real-time second-screen content during live broadcasts:
- Creator Commentary: Optional audio track with Jesse Alexander and writers
- X-Ray Features: Tap-to-identify cryptids, locations, and Easter eggs
- Live Polls: Audience predictions influencing supplementary content
- Cryptid Codex: Unlockable entries for each creature encountered
- Character Dossiers: Expanding profiles updated with each episode
Community Integration
The transmedia program actively incorporated fan participation:
User-Generated Content
- Cryptid Sighting Reports: Fan-submitted encounters featured in weekly roundups
- Fan Art Galleries: Selected artwork canonized in Nowhere Files backgrounds
- Theory Boards: Popular fan theories acknowledged and occasionally confirmed
Community Challenges
Weekly challenges rewarded the community with exclusive content:
- Decode cryptic messages from Big Ear transmissions
- Identify real-world folklore sources for each cryptid
- Collaborative puzzle-solving for ARG progression
- Live-tweeting achievements during broadcasts
Release Timeline
| Date | Content Released | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2019 | Quiet Zone Portal Launch, Nowhere Files #1 | Web, Mobile |
| Mar 8, 2019 | Nowhere Files #2, Beaumont Industries site | Web |
| Mar 15, 2019 | Nowhere Files #3, David's Blog discovered | Web, ARG |
| Mar 22, 2019 | Nowhere Files #4, First geocache planted | Web, Real-world |
| Mar 29, 2019 | Nowhere Files #5, Visit Nowhere Tourism site | Web |
| Apr 5, 2019 | Nowhere Files #6, Finding David ARG begins | Web, ARG |
| Apr 12, 2019 | Nowhere Files #7, Big Ear Archives unlocked | Web |
| Apr 19, 2019 | Nowhere Files #8, Phone line activated | Web, Phone |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Nowhere Files #9, Mass voicemail event | Web, Phone |
| May 3, 2019 | Nowhere Files #10, David's final transmission | All platforms |
Legacy
Despite the show's hiatus, the Tales from Nowhere transmedia program is remembered as a high point in television cross-platform storytelling. Elements that particularly resonated with fans:
- The Nowhere Files graphic novels achieved over 2 million downloads
- Finding David ARG attracted 75,000+ active participants
- The "Call from Abigail" feature generated significant social media engagement
- Fan-preserved archives continue to be studied by transmedia scholars
Many fans continue to hope that a revival would include continuation of the transmedia elements, particularly resolution to storylines left hanging in the Finding David ARG.