If any source material can withstand generic adaptations, it's probably horror novels. As long as they scare us, we're satisfied. For example, CARNIVAL FILMS and NBC teamed up for 2013's DRACULA and it delivered. Seven years later, BBC delivers a new DRACULA -- streaming in the US on NETFLIX -- and it's a radical reworking of the source material.
Dracula, for example, turns Jonathan Harker into one of his brides and then prepares to leave on a boat trip to London. This journey takes much longer than anyone could have expected. Claes Bang menaces as Dracula. Van Helsing is now Sister Agatha Van Helsing (Dolly Wells) and she's a formidable foe for Dracula. Tension builds and builds between the two actors.
Mark Gattis and Steven Moffat have reworked the source material in various ways. One of the most interesting things they've done is explored the origin issues -- the issue of a cross holding back Dracula or him being unable to enter an area without being invited in or the issue of sunshine harming him.
It would work as a philosophical exercise all by itself but the thrills and spills they keep and add are more than enough to carry the viewer through the three episode mini-series.
DRACULA is a stunning mini-series, one that NETFLIX can be proud of. They can also be proud of ASTRONOMY CLUB: THE SKETCH SHOW. Kenya Barris got a big money NETFLIX deal and this is the first program from that deal. If BLACK EXCELLENCE (the upcoming series he's doing where he'll be acting opposite Rashida Jones and Iman Benson) is half as funny, it will be a show worth watching. It delivers laughs, it makes you think. The only problem? A six episode season? NETFLIX also did that with their other outstanding sketch show I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON. Tim's show has been renewed and, hopefully, ASTRONOMY CLUB will be as well but both of them need orders larger than six episodes. They are too funny to be limited to so few episodes.
And NETFLIX needs to find something. Talk shows aren't working out (rumor is David Letterman's about to be cancelled). Most of their over-the-top shows haven't worked. Their children's programming has become a nightmare and, with very little attention from the press, they've axed both Julie Andrews' JULIE'S GREENROOM and Carol Burnett's A LITTLE HELP WITH CAROL BURNETT. What have they renewed?
That's a very good question since NETFLIX spent the spring announcing they were pouring a ton of money -- at one point they were claiming it would be one billion dollars -- into children's programming last year. Where did that programming go? The only animated shows for children that they have renewed so far are WORLD PARTY, HILDA, THE HOLLOW, THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH and GREEN EGGS AND HAM and the only live action programs for children that they've renewed so far are GREENHOUSE ACADEMY and MALIBU RESCUE: THE SERIES.
COMMON SENSE MEDIA has a list of children's programs on NETFLIX worth applauding -- you have to get to number 20 find one (GREEN EGGS AND HAM) that NETFLIX has renewed. We stopped looking at the list at number one hundred -- the only show renewed in the top 100 was GREEN EGGS AND HAM. Might not matter to you but let's remember that NETFLIX's own publicized estimates have over 50% of their accounts streaming children's programming.
Let's also remember that in the '10s, NETFLIX was a streaming giant with much talked about programming like ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, HOUSE OF CARDS, SENSE8, BLOODLINE, GRACE AND FRANKIE, STRANGER THINGS and more. And now? GRACE AND FRANKIE's final season debuts later this month. STRANGER THINGS is about all they'll have left. In terms of shows that are popular but not critical successes, they're about to lose both THE RANCH and FULLER HOUSE.
A mini-series like DRACULA is hugely needed for NETFLIX but they need a lot more and they're starting to underwhelm. A new change that's taking place: The Water Cooler Set is saying that NETFLIX needs to stop dumping a series all in one day. Hmm? That sounds familiar. Oh, that's because we've been making that point for years.
If it wants a future as something other than a footnote, NETFLIX needs to start making some very bold moves.