Heart of Invictus: Flop?

[MamoruHisaishi]

Heart of Invictus, another Prince Harry-produced project, missed the chart this week for its debut and did not get into any weekly Top 10 worldwide. It’s good that the former Royals are able to produce passion projects, but it would be even better for Netflix if somebody was to actually watch them.

https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/netflix-top-10s-one-piece-disenchantment-choose-love-heart-of-invictus/

Very tangential but Netflix's Painkiller is absolutely incredible. It's technically not a documentary but it's based on on real events and has a strong, narrative style which feels like you're watching a documentary.

It's unfortunate that Invictus was released at the same time as most people only tend to binge one Netflix show at a time. Right now, Painkiller is the viral one that everyone is talking about so that probably played a role in pushing other releases down the charts.

It's a shame the doc hasn't been more popular, but the IG themselves are being discussed and are featured now on several broadcasters (eg BBC) so that's great for the participants (who are all who really matter frankly).

Viewing figures are really only a concern for H&M and their production company. NF did reportedly pay a significant amount for this deal - they would have expected a significant return in exchange. How much of a return is enough will be up to NF executives and upon the contract negotiated.

This is only really important in regards to H&Ms ability to negotiate more deals in the future and how much for. Success breeds success.

@Mycatisthebestever no I haven’t heard this either

Very true, it's riveting television.

I can’t see it anywhere on my Netflix screen, not even under Netflix originals. I know Netflix shows things it thinks I will be interested in, but it usually promotes its own productions.

It's a common statement made on here, and on (usually US based) SM.

Most people I know don't care. I certainly don't. I hope they stay happy in their marriage and family wherever suits them, but I have no desire to see either of them back in the UK.

I just want them both to stop throwing his family & country under the bus for money.

I've never heard it - not sure if it' US view or a particular groups.

I have heard annoyance at occasional pop shot at UK they've taken - but even that's increasingly fleeting as they are now mostly ignored in RL I find. Though clearly the press still find them interesting and must believe they move papers.

Netflix's Painkiller is absolutely incredible

I watched it as it came up for me didn't expect to finish it but took a look and you are right it really was incredible.* *

Apologies, I just double checked. It appears under New Releases, but on my iPad, I had to scroll through many shows before I found it. It was 60th of 75.

I’m sure it’s all based on algorithms.

As I said I have only heard about it on here.

That article was speculating over private finances. It felt intrusive and uncomfortable. That article was not in the public’s interest

I agree completeely; to me at least some things are private, including personal finances, medical details and therapy sessions

Didn't stop Harry monetising them all when it suited though, did it?

I agree and hopefully that will diminish with time as what else new can be said? Of course the Press are going to run stories about Harry not seeing the Prince of Wales or King Charles on his quick stopovers.

I would imagine this is true as there will be the audience who just want gossip as opposed to hard serious facts.

@Mycatisthebestever I will be challenging your name as we get a new wee cat on Saturday 🤣

Aaaaw how lovely! How exciting. Every cat has its own special place.😍

I've got no skin in the game, I'll probably watch it when I have time but not motivated to watch it as soon as it comes out. Isn't the top 10 thing about that weeks viewing figures which would mean 520 shows a year and that is in different regions, don't know how many regions there are.

So it wouldn't be only 10 shows a year. Having said that if it is like cinema used to be somethings that start out as a flop become long term successes, think of It's a Wonderful Life.

I was planning on watching it this weekend, a family member recommended it to me as they said it was something I'd enjoy. Looking forward to it.

I guess there might be a demographic effect of who is least likely to be interested in the documentary and those who might be most inclined to give up their subscription?

But then I wouldn't know if there was such a trend.

What I do notice is that Netflix have not shown me any advertising related to this, whilst they did for the other Archewell stuff. Which is odd, because although I've watched none of them, Invictus is a lot more in line with my normal viewing habits than the Harry and Meghan doc.

This is another relevant point re: viewership.

Netflix have a horrible reputation for cancelling good shows that appear to be very popular.

So a top 10 or otherwise performance is quite pertinent in the context of paying accounts.

I think that the point of it being too long might be a critical factor.

It doesn’t surprise me, I wouldn’t expect a documentary like that to be in the top 10. I don’t think that makes it a flop!

imho…

Pros:

• the veterans themselves, and their stories
• introducing the IG as well as the sports themselves (I had no idea wheelchair rugby was so exciting) to a new audience
• hype for the upcoming IGs
• Harry comes across very well the majority of the time, you can tell how much he genuinely cares about the project and the veterans

Cons:

• it was too long, really should have been feature-length. A 5h commitment is too much for some of us and it’s not thrilling enough to maintain interest over 5 whole hours. Once you’ve seen the first two episodes you’ve sort of got the idea
• too much of Harry’s personal life, he should have stuck to talking about the games, the Diana bits felt really out of place
• editing not great (also falls under too long) it was very choppy and hard to follow at times. Also keeping Meghan in but for decorative purposes only felt a bit wtf, have her or don’t have her
• weird sound effects

I agree. I watched one episode, which I thought was touching and very well done ( with a miniscule bit not about the RF at all which the press have deliberately blown out of all proportion) but I don't really want to watch 5 hours of it.

It isn't a perception that I have encountered in the UK. I don't track every TV or SM or newspaper article, but I do listen to headlines every day.

Harry being married to Meghan and in the US doesn't do much to change the footer or the cricket or the temperature or the price of milk or sodding concrete or the NHS or criminals hanging on to vans in prison yards, or ITV not showing Sanditon on proper TV yet. We've got plenty of other things to think about besides being deserted by H. Really we haven't been deserted by him. He/they can row back - better for the environment - and come to call any time they like.
Oh, yes, the Atlantic can be rowed.

How many documentaries show up in the top 10 charts? I wouldn't have thought many do.

Lots actually do. Recently we watched two brilliant documentaries that were in the top ten list, live to a 100 and deepest breath, though we watched deepest breath in France so maybe France top ten. But have read its a huge hit in Ireland too.

unlike shows , documentaries need to be popular to end on top ten lists, and that’s because most viewers would rather pick a show than watch a documentary . Tiger king , my octopus teacher , MH370, were all top 10.

I don’t think it’s a flop but not a success either.

So after insisting on multiple threads that the show is a flop...there are in fact zero viewership numbers to provide to support this?

Lol oh my. 😂