Netflix will be removing Lilyhammer, the streaming service's first original show, from the platform in November. The series was a crime comedy-drama following a former gangster from New York named Frank "The Fixer" Talgiano, played by The Sopranos' Steve Van Zandt who seeks a fresh start where no one from his past will be able to find him in Lillehammer, Norway. The show ran for three seasons, the first of which aired on Norwegian broadcast channel NRK1, before getting picked up by Netflix for its two subsequent seasons before it was canceled.
Though the show earned mixed reviews during its time on Netflix, it was heralded as the streaming service's first original series ever and was considered groundbreaking when the first eight episodes of the series dropped all at once. After Lillyhammer's cancelation, it was announced that Norwegian broadcaster NRK1, who owned the rights to the series, was trying to produce a season four. However, seven years later the deal has still not come to fruition.
According to IndieWire, Netflix will be removing Lilyhammer from the platform now that its 10-year license to stream the show in the U.S. is on the verge of expiring. The original series' discontinuation comes as a surprise considering that this past February Netflix threw a party to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the show, acknowledging that without it, the streaming service would not have been able to produce hit series like House of Card, Orange Is The New Black, or its recent record-breaking import, Squid Games. In fact, it seems that this move from Netflix has larger implications for the future of the entire streaming industry.
Lilyhammer's Netflix Removal Continues Worrying Streaming Trend
The news of Netflix's plans to remove Lilyhammer comes amid a period of uncertainty in the streaming era. With Netflix removing a number of past original shows, including Hemlock Grove, and HBO Max removing 20 different original series just this year, the industry appears to be facing a major shake-up. As the novelty of limitless options fades and competition between the growing number of available streaming services increases, platforms like Netflix seem lost on how to break new ground while maintaining their number of subscribers.
Ironically, streaming services seem to be moving towards the formatting of broadcast and cable television, which they initially marked a departure from. Just this month Netflix announced a lower-priced ad-supported plan, posing a stark contrast from the company's initial appeal as a commercial-free option for viewing television and movies. The loss of Lilyhammer reflects a larger issue for Netflix and other streaming services facing decreasing subscriptions as they struggle to prioritize artistic innovation over profits.
Source: Indie Wire