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READ THIS NEXT: New Hit Netflix Movie Slammed as “Propaganda” by Outraged Viewers .
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You can binge your favorite TV shows and movies on any number of streaming platforms. But with hits like Squid Game and Stranger Things , Netflix has been well regarded for its original content. A recent Morgan Stanley survey found that most U.S. consumers think this service offers the best original programming out of any platform, per Variety .
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“When you think about Netflix’s first original series, what do you think of? The White House? The Litchfield Correctional Institute?” Netflix Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos wrote in a Feb. 2022 blog post honoring the 10-year anniversary of the show’s premiere. “Nope, not those. Our actual first original series was Lilyhammer .”
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“A seminal moment in Netflix history began in a recording studio by the North Sea. Bergen is where Norwegian creators Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad approached Stevie Van Zandt about a show they wrote for him set in a small Norwegian town called Lillehammer . A few months later, having heard that Netflix was looking for original content, I got a call directly from Stevie, who wanted to send us the series,” Sarandos wrote.
“Looking back, Lilyhammer was perhaps an unorthodox choice for our first show. But it worked because it was a deeply local story that we could share with the world,” he added in his blog post. “The jokes and references worked locally and the more universal themes of the shows traveled perfectly.”
But as IndieWire first reported, the U.S. streaming service’s 10-year license to stream the show expires in Nov. 2022. An unnamed person with knowledge of Netflix’s plan told the news outlet that the deal is not being extended after that.
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Film critic and TV host Ben Mankiewicz also expressed his thoughts on Twitter: “ Lilyhammer is The Godfather of all these great streaming shows ,” he wrote. “It’s a complete joy to watch, a blend of dark comedy and menace that should be savored. So savor it, people. And leave it up, Netflix. It’s your first kid. Why are you throwing your first child out of the house?”
Even lead actor Van Zandt has expressed disappointment over the decision. “I haven’t had it confirmed, but it looks like Lilyhammer is about to be disappearing from Netflix , for which it was the very first show, on Nov. 20,” he wrote Oct. 24 on Twitter. (Netflix has not yet confirmed the exact date.) “Big drag. It’s only 24 episodes. So if you haven’t seen it, or want to rewatch it, you’d better do it now.”
