Let’s talk about Netflix Originals, and why they are changing the television landscape. Here are a few of their most popular shows: ”Grace and Frankie”, ”Bridgerton”, ”Sex Education”, ”Dead to Me”—these shows bring to mind colorful imagery, well-produced plotlines, and they are all household names. In fact, many of the top shows in recent months have been Netflix Originals. Netflix, formerly known as Kibble, was founded in 1997 as a mail-order DVD rental business. Now, it has a monopoly on the viewing distribution of most popular shows these days. Netflix performs a delicate balance; while the site pays to showcase thousands of movies, television shows, and documentaries—it also has to factor in what’s worth paying for. Mega-popular shows such as ”The Office” and ”How I Met Your Mother” were taken off Netflix, to many watchers’ dismay, for they were too expensive for Netflix to maintain on the site for the profit they got in return. Taking well-loved shows and movies off of Netflix may also be a strategy for the site to redirect attention toward their own in-house productions, and if so—it’s working. ”Bridgerton”, a Netflix Original released on Christmas 2020 has since been named the most popular show ever to grace the site. So what does this mean? Is Netflix trying to take over Hollywood and ultimately create a monopoly on all television business in the United States? Regardless of whether this is the site’s intention or not, it is already succeeding. Who do you know who does not own a Netflix account (or perhaps regularly use their ex-girlfriend’s)? Who do you know who is not enthralled in ”Stranger Things: Season Three” or ”Emily in Paris” or some other top Original? Personally, I know that I have watched more Netflix Originals than non-Netflix Originals. Will one day all television be Netflix Originals? Personally, I would not complain. 

Netflix’s competition is an interesting bunch. Hulu has shows that used to be on cable, like ”Property Brothers” and ”Sex and the City”. HBO has all the shows that will transport you to another universe, like ”Game of Thrones” and ”The Wire”. Peacock has ”The Office” and every movie nobody’s ever seen…. Oh, and the Harry Potter series. YouTube has movies for just cheap enough that you don’t feel guilty buying them. Amazon Prime has every show that you want to see, but you don’t want to get Amazon Prime. Out of these options, almost everyone chooses Netflix. Netflix is reliable. If Netflix does not have one show you want, don’t worry—it will only provide three thousand other options. And if all fails, you can re-watch ’New Girl’.

I don’t worry about Netflix’s rising power in the industry because I adore most of their creations. ”Orange is the New Black”, one of the very first Netflix Originals, captured my heart deep into 2020 quarantine. Since then, it has become my comfort show, and I would not trade it for the world. 

Yes, perhaps Netflix is a bit too trigger-happy with our favorites. I, like many others, was deeply saddened when Netflix lost Ferris Bueller, confused at the absence of ”Friends”, and downright offended when they tossed ”The Office” aside like limp cabbage. However, if we had not lost those favorites, we would never have discovered our new favorites. In a way, Netflix was gently prying our binkies away and replacing them with taxes and telling us that it was time to grow up.