POLO

[Sunblessed]

Ha! They really are trying their damndest to make out they’ve not made a trashy reality show!!

https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/prince-harry-meghan-polo-netflix-series-rich-famous-stereotypes-1236243547/

POLO is now on NF. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to watch though!

Our nearest polo club seems to charge £170 for a one hour midweek lesson, but you need to be able to ride well enough to start with.

If you pay £704 per season you can get instructed training gamed on certain days for £210.

It's hardly 'open to all' like your local sports clubs

Realistically the only Polo that people are interested in is the sequel to Riders on Disney plus.

I will look out for reviews but it was always a hard sell to try and commercialize such a niche sport.

I'm not interested in Polo so won't watch it. But for those wondering about a second season, considering how many things with a wider audience Netflix cancel I doubt they will get another season.

I know. Some really good programmes over the years have been dropped. I read somewhere a while back, about how NF assesses their programming.

Basically, it doesn’t matter how good or well loved the show is, it’s …can it bring in subscriptions? And after one series, it’s usually done its job, and they won’t get anymore people signing up for series 2. So they divert the money into creating a new show with a new buzz, designed to get you to sign up.

Its a bit sad really, it has to be a smash to get another series.

I find it frustrating. I rarely watch new series on Netflix now, I prefer to wait to see if they are actually allowed to reach their conclusion before I commit time to them.

There’s so many other programmes that they could have made. For example Harry could have made a programme about what it’s like living in the US. He went to very American events like the Super Bowl and the rodeo and could have easily turned stuff like that into something down to earth, uplifting and dare I say funny which are qualities that we thought described him in the past. It would have been a way for him to show how much he loves America and try and win some fans there.
Sadly he’s focused on being serious these days so people laughing with him is something that he probably wouldn’t consider.

That’s already been done…. An idiot abroad 😂

Seemingly that’s very common for NF viewers. They also skip the shows that are only 1 series because there no point in investing in them.

That’s why Suits had a revival, not because it was particularly good but because it had lots of series and people could binge watch.

NF are shooting themselves in the foot with their approach and are now having to rely on old cable shows!

They need to reassess their approach I think.

But not for POLO!

Yes I agree that the are many other subjects that would have been interesting to watch. The main problem with polo imo is that it doesn't have a large inbuilt audience.

Stuart Heritage of the Guardian didn't even really go into the abject cruelty issue of polo. He was focusing on the filming style and the people-based content.

He describes polo as 'morally ambiguous', and that one player marvels at another who actually knows the names of the horses he's riding,

I hope someone reviews Polo from the perspective of the polo ponies and horses, because that would be even more excoriating.

I don't understand why they went for Rivals first. Rivals was written after Polo and Riders. I also don't understand why they cast that actor as Rupert CB but that's a whole other thread!

I wasn’t keen on the actor playing RCB when he first came out from the ‘ loos’, couldn’t understand why they were all supposed to be swooning…...but by the end I kind of got it!

I read that Riders was a tad too problematic for them to make a show in 2024, so they started with Rivals. But who knows!

JSMill

I also don't understand why they went for Rivals first. Rivals was written after Polo and Riders.

I don't think so.
"Polo" was written after "Riders" and "Rivals" but overlaps a bit with some of the events in "Rivals". Rupert and Taggie's wedding is also described in "Polo" along with another major incident in their marriage which I won't put here as it's a real spoiler.

Eta I think they went for "Rivals" first as it's a better book. Also, "Riders" has the problem of RCB turning from a real bastard to the hero by the end.
"Rivals" is set in a very different world so you don't need to know the characters.
It does help to read the books in order though, imo.

Polo is fucking disgusting. I wouldn't watch anything that involved such a level of animal cruelty.

@LaMarschallin I clearly misremembered! I do agree with you that Rivals was the better book. Of course they have left the TV series open to a second series, which is good news.

Rivals series 2 is confirmed ☑️

Was I the only one disappointed to open this from trending to find there aren’t new polo mints to chat about?

Just started to watch the first episode. Intended to watch the whole thing but had to switch it off after 20 minutes or so. It was sooooo boring! DULLedt programme I've seen in a long time and so mysoginistic and out of touch. Made me feel really ill thinking of all the people in Syria, Gaza, going through war and famine around the world, people in UK and elsewhere going through cost cost of living crises, homeless etc.. and meanwhile the super rich drop 5 million dollars on a polo team, drink champagne worth thousands and arrive to matches in gas guzzling polluting cars and jets. Makes me sick to see those with money spend it on having fun and not on helping those who need help. And the mysoginy and sexism was gross! The men clearly taking centre stage while trophy pretty wife is expected to fawn over their body and care for the babies. Yuck.

Horrible, sickening programme which represents all the worst aspects of the super rich and was at best, dull as dishwater...

Unless it's Jilly Coopers version then I'm not interested

@IcedPurple Has anyone ever watched anything because of who the Executive Producers are?

I actively seek out and watch anything that has Graham Yost's name attached to it and I've loved almost everything he has had anything to do with. But then he seems to be an abundantly talented man who delivers the goods - for me at least.

Unlike some that shall (not) remain nameless.

I miss the fruity ones.

I'm here for Rivals tangent.

I had never read Jilly Cooper! How have I missed this? I've just finished Polo and sort of missing my life because these are consuming books. I'd watch a show about Polo now. I've never given two seconds of thought to Polo before Rivals turned me to Rutshire.

They are brilliant!

My only knowledge of polo comes from the Blessed Dame Jilly Cooper, and thus I believe that everyone in it is beautiful, rich and charismatic. I don't want to have my illusions ruined by reality 🤣

That’s really horrifying.