With Love, Meghan

[Atlasvue]

Just setting up a thread for the release of the new cooking show, 15th January 2025

Reviews so far of the trailer, some very funny:

https://amp.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/jan/03/meghan-markle-netflix-show- Lefty paper not impressed. Trad wife.

https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/foodanddrink/cook-meghan-markle-with-love-netflix-b1202861.html - Great read. Very very funny

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1995903/meghan-markle-netflix-series-cooking- Domestic bliss doesn’t sit with years of grievances.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2025/01/03/with-love-meghan-netflix-trailer-cringe-moments/ - Great read. Very very funny

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-barefoot-contessa-martha-stewart-b1202748.html - Meghan fan who has their doubts about a dated tv format.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14248119/amp/Now-Meghan-trad-wife-feminist-Duchess-rebranded-housewife-influencer-new-Netflix-cookery-vision-domestic-bliss.html - Feminist to Trad wife.

Will update with anymore reviews

Harry says he doesn't read social media 🙄 but do you think Meghan does? You would have to be curious about your launch of a new tv show surely?

The idea of Meghan actually eating Victoria Sponge… LOL

Although not confirmed , it is being widely stated that Meghan wants the trailer pulled and redone .

Maybe she wants that totally authentic hands covering my face because I am so embarrassed cut taken out ? Who little old me?

I think a lifestyle show is a very hard sell in 2025. When Martha Stewart started there was little out there no Instagram and she actually cooked the food and was a caterer. Rhee Drummond “pioneer woman” also found a niche. Gwyneth Paltrow is one who I think failed. I am a good cook have a lovely home which is “thoughtfully curated” and most of this content is way out of my reach and ambition.

I agree - most cooking content I watch is on you tube where it's historical or just fun in some way often experimenting and messing up. Even Delia Smith cooking series is up there so if I wanted to really learn basics she's be where I start.

I also think PP have a point - I don't know how she'll do as a presenter but it is a unique skill set that's often not appreciated enough. I think sewing bee and British bake off are much improved with their latest presenters

I am also increasingly cynical and fed up with being sold to via programs/content.

But this is move away from Royal coat tailing - late in the day - but maybe she has something.

The trailers not sold me but I have to say I didn't think Clarkson farm would be any good for me - as think Clarkson is a total and complete arse and have no interest in farming and yet we watched out of curiosity and heavy plugging with advert - and its' very watchable. Same with One Piece - didn't think it was my kind of thing - watched as Netflix kept pushing it at me - loved it.

So maybe the trailer and it's publicity will bring in new eyeballs - whether they stay around will be the big test.

OK so - this is not connected to many posts - flowers in ice cubes my mother was doing 30 years ago UNTIL one of the ice cubes melted and the guest said - running into the kitchen - There's a fly in my drink. 😁But that was a long time ago - I am sure we are more sophisticated now. 😊

Please grey rock derailers, as pp said. Ignore 'sea lioning'.

I also wanted to say that a lot of Netflix commenters are very pissed off that some of their favourite shows, in which they have invested their time and subscriptions, are not being re-commissioned. Meanwhile, some Netflix exec has seen fit to spunk away $100 million of their subscription monies on the piles of shite that are Polo and With Love, Meghan.

They regard these shows as a waste of their money. Not just Netflix's money, but also their - i.e. the subscribers' - money. This is the sort of mess that the BBC is in right now, with its popularity and reputation plunging and MPs seriously talking about the future of the licence fee.

Why would I not 'defend' her? She has never done anything to offend me. I am not sure what lies she has told, but again nothing that has any impact on my life. I see a pile on of degrading, othering and vilification. And there is no other explanation for that, other than that she is black. I know everyone is falling overselves pretending that's not the reason. But that doesn't mean it isn't.

@Lndnmummy you are very naive if you think that people dislike her because she is black. Have you not been able to see her lies?

Sorry I should have used the word biracial but was quoting yourself.

Was it ever confirmed Netflix paid H and M $100million ?
I know nothing about making programmes but maybe someone could explain what - if anything- H and M have to pay for when making a programme ?

No, the Netflix contract was confidential but similar details with very high profile people were thought to be about that much (e.g. the Obamas, I think). It is thought they'd need to pay most production costs themselves (out of the $100m).

I've no idea how tax works with these kind of deals.

Also think it’s a max of 100mil if all options are realised.
They’ve not produced much in 5 years, so wouldn’t think they are anywhere near that sum.

Surely, as has been said before, they wouldn’t be paid up front though? Otherwise there would be absolutely no incentive to produce any content at all. Given they have produced very little, I doubt the deal was the big earner they hoped for 🤷‍♀️

She hired some experts on the 50 strong crew. Can't be cheap to produce 4 hours of well crafted tv.

"The show is directed by Michael Steed, the man behind the "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" series, and showrunner Leah Hariton, who also made the Daytime Emmy-nominated "Selena + Chef" show with Selena Gomez."

But viewing figures for most of their projects weren't quoted in this Forbes article. Are they available?

www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/01/02/what-we-know-about-meghan-markles-netflix-lifestyle-show-ahead-of-january-debut/#

"With Love, Meghan" is the fifth project to come out of the reported $100 million deal with Netflix Harry and Meghan made after announcing their departure from the British royal family. "Polo," a five-part series on the sport of professional polo, debuted in December but didn't crack the streamers' top 10. Their first project, a tell-all 2022 documentary called "Harry & Meghan" was watched for 81.55 million hours in its first week and became the platform's most-watched documentary premiere. The couple's production company also created “Heart of Invictus,” a documentary following athletes participating in the Prince Harry-founded sporting event for wounded veterans, and “Live to Lead,” a docuseries on impactful world leaders.

That’s what I was wondering @smilesy . apart from the whingeathon they haven’t had a success.
Also , renting a house and 50 personnel working on the show , who pays for that ?
Similarly , Spotify . That deal was also alleged to be worth millions but was a disaster .
Their outgoings must be huge .
I haven’t heard anything about Archewell recently . When are their accounts published ? It will be interesting to see what donations they have received.

They certainly will not have been paid that sort of money.

It's possible, though I've only seen vague rumours, that the deal is 'worth' that money, but there will have been all sorts of conditions attached, and presumably production costs will have been paid out of the overall sum. So what the Sussexes will have been left with will be a small fraction of that. And they're very unlikely to get such generous deals again.

In 2023 it was reported they were working on two projects for Netflix:

• a prequel to Great Expectations featuring a strong women in a patriarchy and

• an adaptation of a NYT bestselling book. According to this article they paid $3.8m for the book rights which sounds like a HUGE investment.

www.thestar.com/news/topics/royals/meghan-and-harry-adapting-author-carley-fortune-s-novel-about-a-romance-born-in-toronto/article_9c9b0b44-9051-5ac7-941a-4a609f70fb2a.html

Don't most production companies specialize in something? Either docuseries like the polo, Invictus and Leaders stuff or lifestyle like With Love, Meghan or original content like the two projects above. They (well I think Meghan because I am not sure Harry is the driving force in many of the projects) seem to be trying out all content genres.

And most people in the industry who are in their 40s have 20+ years experience. Meghan may know how a film or tv drama set runs but all the negotiations for rights, scriptwriting and pre and post production must be new to her. I imagine they are needing to buy in a lot of skills and, due to their reputation, need to pay absolute top dollar to get the people they want interested.

Neither has a background in business so I wouldn't be surprised if some of these completed projects are not financial successes especially if the Netflix payments are linked to viewing figures. I imagine it's really stressful being a new inexperienced fish in a huge industry pond like content creation especially when you have no other real options to generate money. Well they could always let the camera into their real home á la Kardashians.

Not only have they only have one success story for NF with all others receiving poor ratings. There are also multiple failed and rejected ideas (WSJ):

Pearl which was developed when she was a working royal with David furnish. Was announced by Netflix but was later scrapped. I didn’t know that she was developing the tv show before she left. You can see how it would never have worked with her in the RF. She clearly didn’t understand her role as a working royal.

Bad Manners- PR June 2023, a Miss Havisham story was being developed. Never heard anything since

Meet me at the Lake- Netflix bought the rights in 2023.The author states as of Sept 24 (Rolling stone) that she can’t talk about the project but it’s moving forward. However she enthusiastically talks about the adaptation of her other book. Nothing has been heard since about movie. No script, no actors/directors linked to the project.

Proposed ideas that never got approval.

• Emily in Paris but about a man
• Gay love story along the lines of heartstopper
• Misinformation documentary

So it’s not just the shows that made it to air, that characterise their poor performance at NF, it’s also their lack of drive and original ideas.

You forgot “ tugging forelocks”.

They won’t be back . William would never agree.

@Mylovelygreendress who are you then Williams great aunty has he phoned you to tell you that he won't agree. Unbelievable as well as deluded.

@Lndnmummy - well it's hard to prove a negative isn't it "And there is no other explanation for that, other than that she is black. I know everyone is falling overselves pretending that's not the reason. But that doesn't mean it isn't."

😂I don't give two hoots she is mixed race - I really don't - disprove that if you will - I do care about mendacity & trading off the RF . & Harry's comments about the UK being unsafe to the extent they can't come here & suit against RAVEC etc . . I think it is utter bollocks. Of all the criticisms I I have against M race just doesn't even enter the picture.

I don't know about how Netflix works but I imagine the $100m contract has several elements built in eg (with made up numbers to illustrate):

N gives H&M $10m advance to facilitate starting up to 10 projects. That $10m is a risk for Netflix as, if nothing is produced, they are out $10m.

For each project completed N pays an additional $4m. I imagine Netflix have some way of vetoing content ideas / helping define them to ensure what is produced is right for the Netflix market. So completing 10 projects would get them $50m total but H&M have to pay all production costs out of that and all the costs of all the projects that are developed but then go nowhere and get shelved. So all the risk of bad decisions lies with H&M. The temptation would be to keep production costs low but cutting corners might mean the final content isn't polished and could impact ratings etc.

I imagine the rest of the $100m is linked to ratings. So if With Love Meghan is a hit they get another $1m for every 20m viewers up to another $5m.

So if they could create 10 shows that each get 100m views they will have $100m less the production costs. But so far the shows don't appear to have been hits so they won't receive anything like $100m and the production costs could be vast. If the content is a ratings flop N and H&M could mutually decide to terminate the contract early which I think is what happened with Spotify.

I also think PP have a point - I don't know how she'll do as a presenter but it is a unique skill set that's often not appreciated enough.

It's not just her possible lack of skill as a presenter. It's the lack of any solid background or expertise in whatever it is she's presenting. She's not bringing anything new to the subject. And I'm not sure who her target audience is.

If the King were to present a series about gardens, I would be interested, because I know it's a lifelong interest that he is passionate and knowledgeable about. (And he's quite good at speaking to camera, even though he's not a professional.)

I have no idea what Meghan's lifelong interests are.

And I've said before, I don't see how selling jam and dog biscuits and other fairly low value stuff is going to generate the kind of income they are looking for.