Why Netflix is suddenly dominating the reality genreNetflix’s aversion to the reality genre was always something of a surprise.
Netflix’s aversion to the reality genre was always something of a surprise.
It made sense that the streaming site originally prioritised legitimising itself as a film and television powerhouse, something it achieved through its collaborations with David Fincher, the Coen Brothers, Martin Scorsese, Noah Baumbach, Peter Morgan and the 225 Emmy nominations that it has received since 2013.
But chief content officer Ted Sarandos' complete dismissal of reality shows back in 2015, when he said their "disposable nature" meant they weren't a "great category" for Netflix because they didn't "have much of a long shelf life", felt particularly peculiar because Netflix always seemed like the perfect home for reality shows.
Not only from a production stand point, as they are cheaper to make and quicker to produce, but also because, when done right, they're endlessly bingeable. Sure, they're mindless, but that doesn't stop them being engaging. Plus, they're convenient, as viewers are able to do chores, wander the internet, peruse their phones, or make dinner while an episode plays in the background, before then returning to it and immediately being able to catch up.
Plus, considering the current and social climate, where political problems and global pandemics means that the world has never seemed more intense, audiences have been crying out for easier shows to watch. Everything doesn’t have to be serious and though-provoking.
Thankfully, Netflix has increasingly contradicted Sarandos' comments in recent years. In fact, over the opening weeks and months of 2020, a number of new reality shows for Netflix haven't just proven to be hugely popular with its subscribers, but have also become viral topics for days on end across social media, while provoking dozens of think-pieces from journalists, too.
The main example is, of course, Love Is Blind, which managed to catch the zeitgeist, cause a stir, and become the most popular piece of content across all of Netflix, even though it was the television equivalent of a McDonald's cheeseburger. How so? Because even though you knew it was trash and terrible for you, there was still something deeply satisfying about consuming it.
Those of you who have somehow managed to avoid Love Is Blind won't be shocked to discover that it revolves around 30 men and women who spend 10 days dating in separate "pods" they're unable to see each other through. After picking a potential spouse, the man proposes, then they meet face-to-face, go on a trip to Mexico for a week, move in together and then partake in a wedding service in front of their friends and families where they have to decide whether to split up or actually get married.
Despite its flaws and lack of originality, which has seen it compared to both Married At First Sight and The Bachelor, Netflix made some very smart choices that allowed Love Is Blind to connect with a huge audience.
It helped that there was a genuine and palpable sense of excitement and tension throughout the series, especially when the couples finally saw each other, as you simply didn’t know how they would respond. Plus, after the pods, the show managed to build off this melodrama, by depicting the couples’ reactions to everyday, relatable problems that most relationships have to endure and try to overcome – but over a much longer time frame. All of which was much more heightened because these people would soon have to decide whether or not to actually get married.
But as well as devising and structuring Love Is Blind so that every moment of drama and hysteria was squeezed out for our enjoyment, Netflix orchestrated the release of the show perfectly, too. After debuting the first five episodes of Love Is Blind on February 13, four more were released on February 20, then the finale aired on February 28, while even a reunion episode was released onto YouTube on March 5. Because of this strategy, Love Is Blind was in the pop culture consciousness for just under a month, when most of its scripted shows and movies are usually released, discussed and then forgotten about all within a week.
This was a plan that Netflix had previously used at the start of 2020 with The Circle, which revolved around eight contestants communicating solely on the titular social media app, trying to become the most popular, all so that they could win $100,000 (Dh367,300). When The Circle premiered it was billed as a three-week event, with four episodes being released every Wednesday.
Unfortunately, Netflix's refusal to release all of its viewing figures means it is impossible to know exactly how well The Circle performed, but there's no denying that it failed to connect with audiences in the same way as Love Is Blind. There's a good chance that's because it was a bit more complicated, especially as it lacked the hook and immediacy of Love Is Blind's title, while the inherent nastiness and deviousness of the show, which lead to number of genuinely heart-breaking moments in its first season, probably didn't help, too.
But even this approach shows just how much Netflix's reality take has expanded, as it is completely at odds with both Queer Eye and Nailed It!, the two shows that launched Netflix's foray into the genre back in 2018, which were much more wholesome, positive and empathetic, while at the same time genuinely celebrating its contestants.
Since then, Netflix's slate of original reality shows hasn't only grown exponentially, it has become more eclectic, as programmes such as Cheer, Rhythm & Flow, Drive To Survive, Awake: The Million Dollar Game, You vs Wild, and Terrace House don't only look and feel unique, they have all appealed to a wide variety of different demographics and viewers. All of which proves that, despite ignoring it for so long, Netflix is already well on its way to perfecting the reality show genre, which means its squeeze on the TV landscape is getting even tighter.
