Netflix knows the winds are changing. Its most extravagant series this year is the one that succeeds.
Disney was the standout winner of this year’s Emmys. Its shows Shōgun and The Bear (both created by Disney’s FX channel) have captured the attention of both the media and viewers. Other strong contenders in previous years, such as Max, Apple TV+, and Netflix, had comparatively less success.
However, Netflix still received recognition for The Crown and Ripley. Most notably, it won four major Emmys for Baby Reindeer, including Best Limited Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series (Jessica Gunning), Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series (Richard Gadd), and Best Writing for a Limited Series (Gadd).
What’s Baby Reindeer? Gadd’s series has been one of Netflix’s hits this year. The show has a Misery-style stalker thriller starting point. A moderately successful comedian behaves kindly with an unbalanced woman, triggering an unhealthy obsession that revolutionizes their lives. The audience soon learns about their painful past and how they got to that point.
A hit on Netflix. The story captivated the platform’s viewers. In its first week, it had more than 2.5 million views, and by the second week, it reached number one as the most-watched show, with 14 million views. It remained in Netflix’s Top 10 hits for eight weeks, much longer than usual, with half of those weeks at the top of the list.
Netflix and the Emmys. Netflix has historically had a successful run at the Emmys, achieving some significant milestones. House of Cards, one of its most celebrated series, made history in 2013 by becoming the first streaming-only production to receive nominations in the main Emmy categories. Another major success was Orange Is the New Black.
In 2020, Netflix reached a new milestone: Its productions garnered 160 Emmy nominations, the highest number ever achieved by a single platform or channel in a single year. Overall, Netflix has received 600 Emmy nominations and won 112 awards.
A four-year decline. In the past four years, Netflix has seen a decline in its number of award nominations. For example, this year, it received “just” 45 nominations, a significant drop from the record 160 it received previously.
One possible reason for this decline is that Netflix has shifted its focus away from striving to be a prestigious production company with a strong emphasis on the Oscars and theatrical releases. Instead, it’s become a major player in the media industry, prioritizing efficient and cost-effective production.
A sign of the times. Additionally, the film industry’s relationship with streaming services has changed. After the success of Roma in 2019, it seemed like major Hollywood studios would embrace streaming platforms. However, the last Oscar ceremony saw traditional Hollywood films like Oppenheimer dominate, while an Apple TV+ movie, Killers of the Flower Moon, flopped. Netflix also faced setbacks with Maestro and Blonde.
A second-class Netflix. Netflix seems to be experiencing a shift in its position. The platform is behind the less conventional submission of this year’s Emmys, Baby Reindeer, but it was a more traditional show, Shōgun, that received all the praise. It helped that it had high budget, impressive production values, and the backing of a major player like Disney. Similar to the Oscars, the industry appears to be moving back towards traditionalism after a period of favoring streaming platforms.
Is Baby Reindeer a cult series? Naturally, all this comes with nuances. Baby Reindeer isn’t exactly a small, unknown Netflix series hidden in its catalog. As mentioned earlier, it had extraordinary success. Meanwhile, The Bear, another successful series, is smaller in scale but still has an artistic component and significant industry presence (actors, great technical work, and advertising machinery behind it).
Baby Reindeer is quirky and daring (and one hundred percent Netflix, thematically and visually). It’s based on a somewhat murky true story, which came to light again when the media revealed the purported identity of the real woman the series depicts with a different name. Her outlandish behavior has given the series a sense of legitimacy that’s beyond the reach of big production companies. So no, Netflix isn’t going to become the “Roger Corman of platforms,” but at least this year, it’s resisting at the Emmys.
Image | Netflix
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