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

ARO was launched an hour before William gave a speech at the Diana Awards. At the time the sugars were claiming it was sheer coincidence. Business ventures of this magnitude, they stated pompously, were planned months - nay, YEARS - in advance, and MM would not have taken the Diana Awards into account when launching ARO.

But, now that we know she didn't have any products, producers or even trademarks in place at that point, what other reason could she have had to launch at that time?

Typo edit

And The Root is now dissing the video trailer for With Love, Meghan.

So much for racism.

https://archive.is/0i4aG

Once again I am struck by the tendency among modern women towards "competitive non-attention-seeking," ie insisting that other women's "special days" must be safeguarded/feted/put on a pedestal to an absolutely ludicrous extent (even when the woman herself doesn't bloody care). It's essentially just the latest form of bitchy and controlling behavior.
See also: expecting women to hide all signs of pregnancy when they are a wedding guest. I would have been thrilled if a guest at my wedding had let other guests know that they were pregnant (or engaged, or whatever).

it’s nothing to do with modern women. It’s old fashioned good manners. Whether or not the “woman herself” cares, it’s crass behaviour to draw attention to yourself at someone else’s event or occasion. I’m referring to the behaviour at Princess Eugenie’s wedding, which was deliberate, not the timing of the release of the trailer etc which is probably just coincidence.

Exactly, no one is buying it

If they still go ahead with the release date of the 15th for With Love, Meghan, I’m pretty sure the show won’t get much traction in the US.

These fires are so devastating/scary and it may take days to have it completely under control. They will be glued to the news, nothing else.

I can’t see NF delaying it though. It would look odd for them to do so. They’ll still be releasing other shows and movies, so would seem weird to not to put out hers.

I think it will get excellent early viewing figures. There are a lot of people curious to see if it’s actually as bad as it looks in the trailer, as well as those who genuinely have an interest. Devastating news events will dominate of course, but people will also need a break from them.

If they need a break thats understandable ….but to watch something that was already labelled out of touch? I’m not sure

Although I’m fully expecting there to be an insta post of her making care packages for emergency workers and the displaced.

I agree. I will give it a go - I enjoy watching Nigella, Nadiya, Nigel, Ina, Mary, Jamie, Delia etc al so it's definitely my demographic.

Usually these programmes are nearer the 50-60 mins, so like a pp said I hope it's just really tightly edited to fit 30 mins rather than light on content and full of faff. 30mins is not a lot of time per episode to show just food prep and cooking, nevermind gardening, lifestyle and entertaining.

I thought 30 mins was quite short but then I think of all the “how to” cooking shows and they’re about that length, with three or four recipes demonstrated. Mary Berry’s programmes also have a bit of her pottering round the herb garden or chatting with fellow cooks, so maybe it’s not a big ask.

I think the bigger issue for her is who will be prepared to spend money on her products. Her fans are not people with money, so the brand needs to be huge to reach a lot of them. It’s not impossible for her to reach an entirely new audience through this venture but it will take a lot of work.

Netflix are not launching any other major series in the same week, so it does have a good chance of not being drowned out by other releases. The promotion of it has been on another level. I suspect it's Archewell Production taking the lead on pushing it, along with carrying the cost of the PR rather than Netflix.

I think the first one or two episodes will get good viewing numbers, but I do think the LA fires will impact the viewing and possibly impact media reviews of it.

Nigella Bites was 30 minutes per episode. I watched some on the food network over Christmas. 2 or 3 not too difficult recipes per episode - think the ultimate risotto and then an unusually spiced cake in the same episode.

The kitchen was really functional and quite basic and the camera technique seemed almost handheld. But the real standout was Nigella - not too manicured in appearance or dress, talking warmly and naturally and passionately about the food and interspliced with clips of her rushing the kids off to school down a London street and them or Nigella's friends and her wolfing the food down. It's hearty, comforting, real. Not curated, aspirational and fake like I suspect Meghan's show will be.

Wait people really trash Meghan for something they made up in their own heads about what they think she might do in the future? 🤯

God the fires. It’s just so awful. 🙏 for those who are affected.

Yes, it’s awful. And the firefighters are heroic.

Yes, the timing of the fires couldn't have possibly been worse and will be the nail in coffin for M's career. Netflix doesn't want to show to be success anyway so they won't change the release date or close the comment section on Youtube. They want it to tank spectacularly so they can neatly close the contract with H&M without potentially get sued by them. It's the worst time possible for a Californian styled fluff piece when LA has suffered the most devastating destruction for decades. The whole aesthetics of the show are too reminiscent of what was destroyed.

Mindy said that when she appeared on the show- they did a tea party for kids.

Who’s kids?

If it’s not her kids, then why do a kids tea party? Would make you look odd as a mother to do that for someone else’s kids, with yours nowhere in sight. Underlining how inauthentic the show is. If it’s not hers or Mindys, then whose kids are they sitting with? Mindy keeps her kids faces off SM. So Mindy and Meghan are having a kids tea party without their own kids but someone else’s? Doesn’t make sense.

Or are we going to see their Archie and Lili on her new show, the one NF will be paying millions for? So looks make her look money grabbing, a sell out, hypocritical about keeping their kids lives private and for security reasons. Can’t see it.

The only other thing is could be, are the kids faces are hidden ( So could be Mindy and Meghans girls) - the table that they show, there’s only two place settings that are really seen, with coupe glasses, so presumably the adults seats. There are 3 party bags sitting at the side. So 2 kids sit on the other side of the table but are hidden? That’s the most bizarre but maybe the most plausible.

Surely just don’t do a kids party…it invites problems!

I’d be sorry if the series failed for reasons other than its own shortcomings.

Wow you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this.
’But this is someone you hate right?’ (Quoting Tom from Bridget Jones Diary)

Eh?

Just a movie quote that came to mind reading all the dissertations from people about a show they’re definitely not going to watch.
Which reminds me I need to do a Bridget trilogy rewatch before going to see the new movie 🍿

Yeah, involve the kids or don't.

This whole 'celebrity' thing of posting back of the head photos of children annoys me. Don't show your children at all if you're bothered about their 'privacy'. Many celebrities don't. Often I don't even know if some actress or singer has kids at all, let alone their age and gender. A children's 'tea party' where the kids are half hidden is just a bit sad. Don't bother.

Yes, I think it will do well initially. Probably Top Ten in some markets. But for NF the metric isn't reaching the Top Ten for a brief period, but total hours watched, and the impact the series is likely to have on people's decision to sign up for NF. This show has been hyped up and the episodes are short, so it will likely get a lot of initial views before tailing off. Kind of like the 'Archetypes' podcast.

I do think the launch time is odd for reasons that have already been discussed. And even if it is a ratings hit, I don't see NF renewing their contract.

@IcedPurple I agree about celebrities or influencers showing backs of children's heads or hiding their faces with an emoji.

I'm not at all bothered if they don't show their children publicly- that's their right and I understand the reasons why they don't, it's a sensible precaution. And personally I'm not really that interested - I don't follow any public figure because I'm interested in their family.

But then just don't show them at all! What's the point of partially showing them? It feels like a tease to their followers, almost like they're deliberately trying to create intrigue and exclusivity - it's something I personally find quite irritating.

I think Mindys daughter is called Catherine, just to add to the royal tea party vibe!

Maybe that’s why, we’ve seen a lot more of Lili the last few weeks. We haven’t seen anything official of her since her 1st birthday. Now in the space of a few weeks and in the run up to the new show, we’ve had a christmas card and she’s appeared on Meghans IG. All facing away, but nonetheless, she is making an appearance.

Could this have been done, so when Lili appears on the show (face hidden), it will be marked as Meghan being more open with their lives but ensuring Lili’s privacy, so not to attract criticism of putting her little girl on a reality tv show?