Netflix is a subscription-based television streaming service that has a vast library of films and TV shows, which it offers to its users with on-demand access for a set monthly fee.  This means that users can watch any of the platforms TV shows and movies whenever and wherever they want to, along with the option to build their own user profiles to receive tailored viewing recommendations. These features make Netflix popular amongst families or friend groups because one payment means that multiple people can use the account and create their own profiles and space to watch.

An exclusive part of Netflix is their collection of original in-house productions which are not available elsewhere, called Netflix Originals. They make up a significant portion of the brand’s most-watched content, which helps massively with the development of future in-house productions and the overall reputation of the service. The viewing preferences and viewer styles of Netflix’s users help to increase the viewing figures for its original content and provide an idea of what is most popular with certain demographics, allowing Netflix to categorise and prioritise, focusing on what draws the largest proportion of their audience and improving personalised recommendations based on their statistics.

 

Audience Stats

 

• Current viewers: 57% female, 43% male
• Heavy users (stream a few times weekly): 59%
• Medium users (stream a few times monthly): 21%
• Light users (stream a few times yearly): 9%
• The remaining (do not stream at all): 19%
• Ages 18-24: 24%
• Ages 25-34: 25%
• Ages 35-44: 19%
• Ages 45-54: 17%
• Ages 55+: 14%

Based on this data, we can see that the clientele are mostly female, heavy users who binge-watch and stream a few times a week, and are between the ages of 25-34, being the highest percentage of each category. However, we also have to consider the changes in these statistics based on which shows are most popular and which shows are most relevant to the concept/theme/aesthetic of the fantasy series that we are trying to create. To do so, I am going to look more in-depth into Netflix’s originals, and which ones should be focused on for inspiration for fantasy shows.

 

Netflix Originals

 

As Netflix grew bigger, it was clear that it would have to start producing its own content, left otherwise at the risk of being left with nothing in its catalogue, thanks to increasingly expensive contracts from movie and television partners. The long term strategy would have to be to develop original shows which are cheaper to produce and are in Netflix’s ongoing control.

Whilst other Netflix originals were being produced and purchased, the first one to actually start streaming on the platform was Lillyhammer, launched on the 6th of February 2012. Whether it is considered a Netflix Original is usually dependant on your point of view, since the show was only partly funded by Netflix, and actually premiered in Norway first under the TV network NRK1. Steve Van Zandt stated that there would be a new deal which would bring the show exclusively to the streaming service, and it meant that ‘Netflix is opening a whole new golden era of television’. Of course, the show ultimately was cancelled after its third season due to falling audience numbers and other complex things regarding the deal. Even though it may not even be considered the first full Netflix Original, nor the best one in any regard, it certainly paved the way as to where we are now.

 

 

Here are some of the most-watched Netflix originals, as well as a few recently growing in popularity. I filtered these to be specific to the brief, so mainly fantasy, but also other extremely well-known series that might be relevant based on the concept/aesthetic/target audience.

 

 

An American superhero streaming television series, The Umbrella Academy revolves around a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who reunite to solve the mystery of their father’s death and the threat of an impending apocalypse. The first season was released on Netflix on February 15, 2019. In April 2019, Netflix reported that 45 million households had watched season one during its first month of release, thus becoming one of the most-streamed series of the year.

On April 16, 2019, Netflix announced that the series had been streamed by over 45 million viewers on its service within its first month of release, making it the third most popular TV series on Netflix in 2019. Following the second season debut, it was revealed that the show broke numerous records in viewership; during the second season the first week, the show was the most-watched television series show on Netflix, being atop of the Nielsen ratings and thus confirming that 3 billion minutes of the show’s two seasons were viewed.

 

 

Stranger Things is an American science fiction horror mystery-thriller streaming television series which premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016. It is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, and the first season focuses on the disappearance of a young boy (Will Byers) amid supernatural events occurring around the town, including the appearance of a girl with psychokinetic abilities. The following seasons follow the same groups of characters as they grow and uncover secrets within their town which usually end up in an all-out battle against the entities form the Upside Down. It is a mixture of infused references to the pop culture of that decade,  inspiration from strange experiments that took place during the Cold War and real-world conspiracy theories involving secret government experiments and investigative drama alongside supernatural elements portrayed with horror, science fiction and childlike sensibilities. It has attracted record viewership on Netflix and has a broad, active and international fan base, with averaged ratings of around 14.07 million adults between the ages 18–49 in the United States within the first 35 days of release.

Here are some statistics that show the popularity consistency:

“For the third season, Netflix revealed that the show had broken viewing records for Netflix, with 40.7 million households having watched the show in its first four days, and 18.2 million already watched the entire series within that timeframe. Within its first month, the third season was watched by 64 million households, setting a new record for the most-watched original Netflix series.”

 

 

Based on the Nickelodeon animated series Winx Club, Fate: The Winx Saga is a teen drama series that follows five fairies with magical powers (primarily Bloom, a fairy with fire powers) and their time at a magical boarding school in the Otherworld called Alfea College. Bloom struggles to uncover her past with the help of her friends, in the midst of ancient creatures called the Burned Ones returning to the Otherworld and threatening everyone at Alfea. Unfortunately, unlike the success of Netflix’s other original shows, the Winx saga has been described as a “fantastical flop that fails to capture the magic of its source material.” On Rotten Tomatoes, an approval rating of 35% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 5.33/10 was reported, with the website’s critical consensus being that the show is  “Flat, flimsy, and forgettable”, not even regarding the controversy surrounding the show. It received backlash over the casting; whitewashing, misrepresentation of race, along with other things such as the aesthetic, costume designs and other changes. Netflix was aiming to appease the audiences that were fans of the animated series at a younger age, now grown up, and would apparently be more drawn to a darker, edgier drama. However, due to the poor choices made in regards to the characters, older fans were not pleased, and people unfamiliar with the original Winx saga make up most of the audience.

 

 

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a supernatural horror, with elements of dark fantasy.  It is a dark coming-of-age story, set in the fictional town of Greendale, and follows Sabrina Spellman, who must reconcile her dual nature as a half-witch, half-mortal while fighting the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit. It has had majorly positive feedback and has won several accolades, with Rotten Tomatoes having reported a 91% approval rating with an average rating of 7.77/10 based on 103 reviews, based on the first part of the season. The website’s consensus reads, “Bewitchingly beautiful and wickedly macabre, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina casts an intoxicating spell and provides a perfect showcase for Kiernan Shipka’s magical talents.” I think that this show is a good example for me, being one of the few centred around dark magic and dark fantasy, which is the theme I’m going for with my show Age of Umbra. The main difference, however, is that along with its dark plotlines and goth horror aesthetic, it is also fun, briskly paced, and at times has antagonistic humour. These, along with its take on modern issues in a supernatural world are what makes it so successful. I now consider if keeping my show dark is the best approach, having recently watched a Netflix Original show that perfectly reflects my target themes considered an ultimate failure.

 

 

And now we come to the Polish-American fantasy drama television series, The Witcher. Set on a fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as “the Continent”, The Witcher explores the legend of Geralt of Rivia and princess Ciri, who are linked to each other by destiny. We see them, along with some other characters at different points of time, exploring formative events that shaped their characters, before eventually merging into a single timeline detailing the invaders from Nilfgaard. Although initially, the show had a weighted average score of 53 out of 100 based on 17 critics, and the first season having received “mixed or average reviews”, The Witcher, in its US debut, was the third most “in demand” original streaming series, behind Stranger Things and The Mandalorian. On December 31, 2019, Parrot Analytics reported that The Witcher became the most-in-demand TV series in the world, across all platforms. The show had utterly captivated audiences, especially in the U.S, where it was among the most viewed shows in the market and was ranked second among series. On January 21, 2020, Netflix announced that the first season had been viewed by over 76 million viewers on its service within its first month of release and sales of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in December 2019 were 554% greater than those from December 2018, attributing to renewed interest in the series due to the show.

After doing some research on all of these Originals, I have looked at the concept of my show, and how it fits in among them. One thing I have noticed is the lack of diversity in the main characters. Certainly, people of colour are amongst the cast of each series, but don’t seem to be front and centre, with the members being predominantly white, and almost always so for the protagonists. This isn’t always the case, but I feel that Netflix would benefit greatly from a show in which two of the three main characters that hail from an Eastern European/Asian background. Of course, the culture within my story is only inspired by existing cultures and is actually it’s own (mainly fictional, but with certain elements drawn from India, Turkey etc.). A massive message within my series is that separated, people are weak, but together they are strong, and for that, differences need to be accepted and respected, especially in culture. The show takes the audience through the struggles of the world and how they lead to that point, so of course, the culture of the two fae warriors is a heavy influence in their lives and on the story. I feel that the advantages and disadvantages of the cultural barriers of our world are not explored enough, and my show would bring a fresh perspective on that, as well as a greater audience who resonate and relate to the characters. The aim is to feel like people who are not represented enough to see themselves on screen and feel that at least parts of their stories are being told. Another important factor is the genre and aesthetic of the show. Age of Umbra is very much a dark fantasy, supernatural drama, mixed in with the classic high fantasy elements, like medieval-style villages, castles and more, and I think that this diverges from the other fantasy series that Netflix has created, mainly because things like dragons, warriors of different mythical species, and traditional fantasy tropes are included – things that GOT fans would like, except made for a younger audience (more understandable and less focuses on politics and strategy). I believe that this is something a lot of people would enjoy and find refreshing on Netflix because of the mix of Netflix-originals-style themes and The Lord of the Rings aspects, a film which I think has so much inspiration for fantasy series, yet is sorely missing from the catalogue of film and tv Netflix offers.

 

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I also did some more research into a Netflix Original which I believe has some similarities to my show. The series is called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and is an American fantasy streaming television series produced by Netflix, as a prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal. It follows the story of three Gelflings: Rian, Deet, and Brea, as they journey together on a quest to unite the Gelfling clans to rise against the tyrannical Skeksis and save their planet Thra from a destructive blight known as the Darkening. It is an epic fantasy adventure that pleases both old and new fans and expertly builds on the lore of The Dark Crystal, crafting compelling new mythos without losing sight of the humanity at the story’s heart and has gained widespread acclaim.

 

 

One of the main similarities between Dark Crystal and my show is that there are three main characters. I thought it would be interesting to see how we follow their stories and how they eventually converge. I take inspiration from how this is done and I would too like to show the character’s backgrounds first, how the main dilemma affects them individually before two come together and eventually three. I also love how the three characters are from different backgrounds, have different traits, weaknesses and strengths. Similarly, my three characters, Kreo, Lesedi and Dara, are all from different backgrounds. Yes, Lesedi and Dara are sisters, but Dara hails from a completely different part of the fae kingdom and grows up differently from her sister.

 

 

That leads nicely to the biggest common ground between my concept and the show, which is the different clans. In the world of Thra, the gelfling are divided into seven clans, much like the clans that existed before Unitaris was formed in my fantasy world. One of the best parts of fantasy is the trope of people from different backgrounds coming together to complete a quest, allowing us to see their different strengths in action together. The reason that this is so thrilling to watch is that it’s cool to watch fantastical warriors fighting together, but also because the group represents the unity of their respective cultures and homes. Like in Lotr, where we see a wizard, elf, dwarf, humans and hobbits fighting together, and in Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, where warriors from different clans band together to defeat the evil Skeksis and protect their home. Age of Umbra has similar themes, with the different clans and how they come together thanks to magic, forming the island of Unitaris. The message is that even though we are different, we are stronger together and should always respect one another for the different skills we bring to the table. This is part of the reason that culture is such a crucial part of the story, and why there has to be a diverse group of characters.

 

 

The final aspect of the show that I want to talk about is the world itself. The design of Thra is beautiful and unique; it has such a creative take on plant life and animals, and the settings are always interesting to look at. One way this is done is through colours; the series has a very particular colour palette, with a lot of blue, purple, brown and gold, which are quite typical fantasy colours, yet aren’t seen in fantasy nearly enough. The world is almost as diverse as that of Avatar, but we simply see much less of it and it is in an entirely different style, although the backgrounds always give a sense of how well-rounded the world is. Something to improve upon would definitely be the amount of detail, as often, too many elements are clustered into a background, in my opinion, but the environments themselves are always interesting and hold some secret or form of life we haven’t seen. For Unitaris, I want to take the creativity of the world in Dark Crystal, such as the flowers and environment types and mix it in with more traditional fantasy settings, like castles, ruins and giant trees, which are seen in Thra, but not in the atypical fashion of high fantasy films. The reason for this is to make my series feel more familiar, but still unique enough to amaze the audience.