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Recommended Reading: Netflix trims its library of original shows
'The Get Down,' 'Sense8' Cancellations Signal That Netflix's Originals Are 'Destructible' Daniel Holloway, Variety In the span of about a week, Netflix cancelled both The Get Down and Sense8 -- two noteworthy series from its slate of original shows. The streaming service seemingly renewed everything, but now a couple of its more anticipated shows won't return. Variety has a look at what this means for the company, including reasons why these two shows in particular won't be coming back. It turns out producing a Baz Luhrmann show is even more expensive than initially anticipated.
Netflix cancels Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Get Down’
Netflix won't be renewing The Get Down after just one season. With filmmaker Baz Luhrmann at the helm, the show cost $120 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive TV productions in Hollywood history. There wasn't enough bang for all those bucks, however. It's also rare to hear of Netflix canning one of its original shows after a single season -- especially when The Get Down was announced and launched with the full support of the streaming service. Variety reports that some third-party viewing metrics show that the debut series drew roughly a fifth of the audience that watched Orange is the New Black in its first month. Only Netflix knows the true popularity of its series, however, and a cancellation isn't a good sign -- it's probably the worst one.
Netflix's pricey Baz Luhrmann hip-hop drama arrives today
Of all the Netflix productions, including the critically panned, $90 million Marco Polo, none have had as difficult a gestation (and high a price tag) as The Get Down. You can now download the hip-hop drama, set in the Bronx of the 1970s and created by notorious perfectionist Baz Luhrmann. It reportedly cost $120 million and strained relations between its director, producer Sony Pictures and Netflix, but the end result is "both messy and wonderful," according to Variety.
What's on your HDTV: 'No Man's Sky,' Olympics, 'The Get Down'
Live streaming or tape-delayed to prime time, we're watching the Summer Olympics, but there's a lot more to check out this week than just the action in Rio. The highly-anticipated game No Man's Sky arrives on PS4 and PC this week, allowing gamers to visit some 18 quintillion planets in a quasi-multiplayer game. On Netflix, The Get Down revisits the birth of hip-hop with its first six episodes, and The Walking Dead crew gets together to preview season seven. On Blu-ray the Japanese series Female Prisoner Scorpion is arriving, and Oblivion is out on Ultra HD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos audio track. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
