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Stevens: What to expect from Netflix this February

Every month, Netflix sees old favorite movies and TV shows leave, and new ones take their place. In February, we may see classic Netflix shows like “Doctor Who” make its exit, while the “Breaking Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul” will make its mark on the streaming service. Here’s what’s coming and leaving:

Coming:

Better Call Saul, Season 2

AMC’s prequel to “Breaking Bad” reviewed well with critics, and those who watched it all loved it.  However, not that many people watched the show all the way through, so AMC has turned to Netflix to pump blood into yet another one of its shows.  If Netflix gives it the promotion it deserves, then “Better Call Saul” could turn into another hit for the cable channel.  Season 2 premieres Feb. 15 on AMC, one day before season 1 goes up on Netflix.  Despite the show’s success, Netflix has ignored calls to release a season of a show before the next season premieres, putting binge watchers behind.  It’s probably not their decision to make, but it does produce more views for competitors who stream shows’ current seasons.



Love, Season 1

Netflix’s hot streak of original programming looks like it’ll keep getting hotter with producer Judd Apatow’s new series starring Gillian Jacobs and co-creator Paul Rust.  The premise is as simple as the title, and the trailer seems pretty unoriginal, but not to worry. Apatow knows what he’s doing. The writers have decent resumes, Netflix hasn’t messed up with a series since Marco Polo — which was over a year ago — and more than a dozen originals have succeeded since.

Fuller House, Season 1

Want to see the cheesiest, least visually interesting trailer of all time? Check out the trailer for “Fuller House,” in which you see none of the characters but hear every one of them say their trademark catchphrases back to back.  Despite the silly excuse for a trailer, “Fuller House” will be a huge hit, no matter how bad of a show it is. “Full House” was one of the last shows to transcend the generation of its original viewers by remaining popular through syndication.  The result is a large amount of people who have “Full House” as part of their childhood memories.  Combine that with the 65 percent of America who have a crush on John Stamos, and it’s almost a certainty that Fuller House will dominate the internet for a week or so, which is as good as it can get.

Leaving — Maybe:

Doctor Who, Seasons 1–8

Not much is leaving Netflix in February.  ”Doctor Who,” the British sci-fi series, was one of the earliest international beneficiaries of the Netflix boom.  The show’s popularity in the United States is almost completely due to Netflix. BBC and Netflix have not maintained a strong relationship, and the renewal of Doctor Who’s streaming availability has almost always been announced at the last minute in previous years.  My guess is it does get renewed again, simply because the ratings have dropped since Matt Smith was replaced as the Doctor by Peter Capaldi, and electing to lose its American audience would be a poor decision to make.

 

Kyle Stevens is a sophomore advertising major. You can email him at ksteve03@syr.edu or reach him on Twitter at @kstevs_.





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