Let's get one thing straight: Anatomy of a Scandal is a ridiculous series.
The first of many upcoming Netflix projects from Big Little Lies writer David E. Kelley, the series is a star-studded adaptation of Sarah Vaughan's best-selling novel and tells the story of an impeached Westminster politician (Rupert Friend). of raping his assistant (Naomi Scott). ). The man's wife (Sienna Miller) is fully convinced of his innocence, though her resolve is tested by a dogged prosecutor (Michelle Dockery) determined to prove otherwise.
You'd be forgiven if you thought the synopsis reads like a standard contemporary drama, and Kelley's latest show, adapted for the screen with co-writer Melissa James Gibson (House of Cards), didn't win over critics. style or substance.
TechRadar's own entertainment editor Tom Goodwyn described Anatomy of a Scandal as little more than "about six hours of Sienna Miller sighs," which is one of the most forgiving qualifications you'll find on the internet if you're looking.
So it's a wonder the series has rocketed to the top of Netflix's weekly charts. After racking up over 75 million hours of viewing over the last seven days, Anatomy of a Scandal has become the first Netflix show to topple Bridgerton season 2, and it looks set to remain number one for years to come. weeks. .
Except that his success is by no means a wonder. In recent years, Netflix has perfected the art of cheat TV: series that draw audiences in, like moths, with big names and shifting marketing, only to leave them unsatisfied but equally reluctant to redeem their time investment halfway through.
GQ's Ben Allen recently made the same point in his description of "Prestige Imposter," a type of show that, in his words, "has all the hallmarks of your brilliant HBO favorites: big stars, ridiculous budgets, writers with a lot of money, but it comes close to EastEnders in depth and quality, a Trojan horse full of human excrement.
Okay, maybe Anatomy of a Scandal isn't that bad, but it certainly doesn't guarantee more viewers than any other show on TV streaming right now.
Of the myriad of streaming services available to customers in 2022, Netflix is the biggest offender when it comes to selling below-average series in such large numbers. Make no mistake, the platform still has the ability to produce award-worthy TV shows (Stranger Things and Sex Education are among the best of recent times), but its often lazy production has started to attract subscribers. who play on the idea that their money could be better spent elsewhere.
The bosses at Netflix know this. Responding to news that the streamer has lost 200.000 paying customers since the start of 2022, CEO Reed Hastings told investors the company plans to "reaccelerate viewing and revenue growth by continuing to improve all aspects of Netflix, in particular, the quality of programming."
Like Apple TV Plus, whose recent projects CODA and Severance have shown the value of investing in truly unique original programming, Netflix must now rely on its viewers' willingness to embrace the unknown and also deliver original series that break the mold of the world. time to breathe before. condemning them to junk.
But that doesn't help the cause when shows like Anatomy of a Scandal defy their quality to become, in the eyes of Netflix statisticians, blockbusters. When these safe and shallow series rack up 75 million hours of viewing in a single week, their success may justify the streamer's decision to cancel other really worthwhile projects (such as those previously in development in their animation department). , which would greatly improve the quality of service. In its whole.
So there is an awkward contradiction at play that raises several questions that are difficult to answer. If these so-called "prestige impostors" are still popular, should Netflix continue to order them in an effort to regain subscriber momentum? Do Netflix customers, who have been so openly critical of the streamer and its recent content, really care about the quality of the shows they watch? Or is Anatomy of a Scandal only ranked most popular on Netflix because the options are so limited?
To be clear: Netflix subscribers are not to blame here. Logic simply suggests that the company will seek to replicate its big wins by doing just that: producing ongoing series that garner huge viewing numbers at the expense of critical disdain. However, the praise may be overdone: if audiences really appreciate Anatomy of a Scandal and just don't hang on to the end, then more power to Netflix.
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Still, for our money, the streamer must focus on quality over quantity if it hopes to fend off increasingly fierce competition from rival platforms like Disney Plus and HBO Max. The company's impending crackdown on password sharing and the likely introduction of a cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier will help mitigate its losses, but as Netflix well knows: content is, and always will be, king.