Netflix - The Rise Of A Streaming Giant

Netflix - The Rise Of A Streaming Giant

- Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan

The video streaming service Netflix initially appeared to be overly adventurous when it started producing its own content in 2013. However, much of it has since attracted significant critical and popular acclaim - and pave the way for a dramatically different business model for Netflix itself. Recently, more and more companies have been trying to edge into the original content game - but how did we reach this point, and what does the future hold as Stranger Things 2 wows the world?

SOMETHING OF A QUIET REVOLUTION

Many of Netflix’s content efforts have, when launched, come across as relatively low-key. Just think of Dear White People, the comedy-drama which was adapted from Justin Simien’s 2014 indie film of the same name. We could also cite the Netflix original series BoJack Horseman - which, despite starring The Lego Movie lead Will Arnett and premiering in the same year as that film, has been dubbed “one of the most underrated comedies ever made” by Paste magazine.

Nonetheless, Netflix has been busy releasing a raft of original shows over the years - and the company clearly has something of a golden touch, with plaudits having been forthcoming for this content. Some of the shows, such as prison drama Orange is the New Black and Tina Fey’s 30 Rock spin-off Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, have become big names far beyond the world of Netflix. And then there’s Stranger Things, effectively a tribute to the ‘80s material of Steven Spielberg.