By
Angel Shaw
Published 3 minutes ago
Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Peer Mentor on ScreenRant's New TV team, covering new-release TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy.
Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
Though Netflix has tried repeatedly, it hasn't been able to crack the genre that platforms like Apple TV and Prime Video have mastered. Of course, this doesn't change the fact that this earliest of the streaming giants is dominating the overall game. Aside from YouTube, Netflix is where the average American spends most of their TV-viewing time (via Nielsen). Still, it hasn't quite perfected every avenue within the television landscape.
Netflix was among the first streaming platforms to produce its own original content, beginning with House of Cards in 2013. This political drama was followed by several successes in a variety of genres. Orange is the New Black really solidified Netflix's game, and since then, we have had Stranger Things, Wednesday, Bridgerton, The Night Agent, The Queen's Gambit, and much, much more. There's no genre that Netflix hasn't dabbled in, but it has struggled in one particular area.
Netflix Still Hasn't Cracked The Sci-Fi Genre
I haven't forgotten—Stranger Things is a sci-fi series and is easily one of the platform's most important projects. It's their figurehead, and it played a massive role in Netflix's current lead in the world of streaming. However, though there have been several attempts, Netflix has failed to follow up Stranger Things with another great project within the sci-fi genre.
Before Stranger Things, Netflix dipped its toes into sci-fi with Sense8. It wasn't a bad show, but it was costly and failed to attract a solid audience, ultimately leading to its cancellation. Then came Altered Carbon, another canceled sci-fi. Another Life, V Wars, Away, The One, The Imperfects; one after another, these sci-fi shows fell apart. Even if they managed to get through a couple of seasons, they just didn't leave a mark. Meanwhile, other streaming platforms have found groundbreaking success in this genre.
Why Apple TV & Prime Video's Sci-Fi Shows Have Been So Successful
The cast of AppleTV's Severance walking out of an elevator and into a parking lot.
It's interesting that Netflix has struggled so much with sci-fi while streaming platforms with much lower overall viewership have thrived within the same genre. Apple TV, especially, has made a name for itself with exceptional sci-fi projects. We've had Foundation, Severance, and, most recently, Pluribus (among several others). Then there's Prime Video's sci-fi greats, including Undone, Upload, The Boys, Fallout, and The Expance.
These platforms started out with some duds and have learned critical lessons with each failure.
It's important to note that, while Apple TV and Prime Video are killing it with great sci-fi TV shows, they didn't get here by accident. These platforms started out with some duds and have learned critical lessons with each failure. For example, Apple TV's first sci-fi TV show, See, had an abysmal 44% score on its first season. However, the series improved over time, and subsequent projects carried these improvements further. Here lie Netflix's biggest issues. Its sci-fi failures continue to repeat the same mistakes.
-
Netflix
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
9 hours ago
Chloé Zhao Addresses That Viral Hamnet Poster Declaring It The Greatest Film Of All Time
2 hours ago
Fallout Season 2 Will Officially Answer A 15-Year-Old New Vegas Mystery
7 hours ago
Scientists Now Say Studio Ghibli's Movies Are a Cure For Sadness
9 hours ago
Finally! Someone Said What We’re All Thinking About CBS’s Ghosts
Trending Now
Wicked: For Good's Glinda & Tin Man Mystery Addressed By Jon M. Chu: "She Sees It In His Eyes"
It Only Took 1 Punch For Marvel’s Superman To Kill Galactus
2025’s Biggest Box Office Hit Is Coming To HBO Max In Time For The Holidays
