Netflix has delayed start of Meghans show

[Viviennemary]

Just seen on Sky News. Breaking News headlines. Delayed because of the wild fires didn't say if this was technical difficulties or it would be a bit crass to launch a frothy type lifestyle show with all the devastation. Anyway it might be shelved for good with any luck.

Interesting, isn't it?

This is how they announced their new deal with NF over 4 years ago.

"Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope.

"As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens.

"We are pleased to work with Ted [Sarandos, Netflix Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer] and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action."

It's quite a long way from "impactful content that unlocks action", whatever that is when it's at home, to "putting some bits of this and that on donuts or cheese", isn't it?

Kind of sums up their trajectory these past 5 years.

@CoffeeCantata 👏
I’m with you word for word.

That deal announcement was staggering in its grandiose pomposity at the time of its release and does not stand up to scrutiny 5 years down the line. What on earth were they thinking?

I think one of the problems that Harry and Meghan faced, and perhaps hadn’t anticipated, that it was predominantly being Royal that gave them the media spotlight and public interest in their various causes and charities.

If they are trying to create content that informs and gives hope - a worthy aim - as Archewell productions, they are subject to the same commercial pressures as every other producer, who will know that there will be a small audience for a programme like “Heart of Invictus”. It’s far easier to shine a light on a cause close to your heart when HRH Prince Harry, second son of the King, visits a charity or an event because that will have mass media coverage just because harry is involved in it. A non-royal production company however is chasing an audience just like every other producer of content is, and it is obviously much harder. Particularly when it is a niche market.

I think they must have thought that their Royal audience would follow them and watch whatever they created. Sadly for their ambitions though, we have all seen that that isn’t the case. I think that is one of the real advantages they had as royals - they genuinely could bring attention to causes and charities that otherwise to get popular awareness.

Well it did at in the trailer something about elevating the ordinary (a much used phrase in many contexts)

But we’ll have to wait and see whether the whole show is about presentational pimping, or if there’s more to it than that

I wonder if Edward fell into that trap as well with the 'It's a Royal Knockout' after-talk with the press.

If instead of asking, 'what did you think of it / did you enjoy it?' and having a bit of a huffy, he'd said 'I'd like to thank and every member of the media here today for turning out to report on this charitable endeavour, and I'd like to thank each and very celebrity, athlete and member of my family for being such cracking good sports and pitching in to help raise money for good causes' he'd have probably been OK. Focusing on himself as a serious producer and seeing himself as a talent - just No.

Also I think there was an issue with how the press were treated. They’d been left without refreshments for some while and were in a pretty bad mood by the time the press call happened. If someone had popped in with a few beers and some nice sandwiches things might have gone very differently!

Maybe they want it to be an inspirational family show, with the action being that you can all try this at home?

This is the sort of thing she should use Insta to explain (perhaps it’ll come nearer the time). And they should have been doing a lot more of that all along - because I’m left with an overall impression of them being rather scattergun in their ventures, rather than really working the angles that would make it a consistent whole.

And follow up is needed. 40x40 died out. But the Parents Network was meant to be a Big Thing, so I think we’re long overdue an update on how that’s going - eg growth in number of visitors and number of active users; vignettes of what people are actually talking about on there; promo biogs of the experts available to users eyc

How long does it take to "regroup" to work out what to do in an unexpected 8 week hiatus?

Well, that's what you pay your PR people for, itsn't it? If they're not pulling an all nighter to put together a new strategy when the first one fails, they're not earning their keep.

Poor or ineffective PR seems to have been an ongoing issue. Whether they're not choosing good people to work with them, or they're ignoring the advice they're given, something isn't working.

(Like pp, I was aware of Suits because of Gina Torres. I watched one or two episodes, but it didn't grab me and I had no memory of MM or her character when her name was first mentioned as Harry's new girlfriend.)

In the words of my granny, they are all mouth and no trousers. For me it started with the grandiose Sussex Royal statement. I read it to see what they were going to actually do but couldn't see anything concrete just lots of words about how important and impactful they are. Words will get you a certain way in social media but, as they are discovering, to keep making money you need to do something.

Working royalty visit and shine a light on those actually doing the hard work. They convene and highlight and encourage. They can do this because, frankly, their basic constitutional role is to exist and represent the nation either politically, on state visits and culturally when visiting people who have suffered terrible events.

Harry and Meghan seem to have missed that without the constitutional purpose you basically wafting around speaking lots of words but doing, achieving, nothing. Maybe Harry can look at the model of Invictus and create other projects that are more than words?

What happened to her jam making enterprise?

Ted Sarandos may have paid lip service to the 'inspiring content' spiel but in reality he knows very well that "worthy" programming isn't what viewers want. OK, a few earnest documentaries are useful to pad out NF's 'social justice' offering, but what they really wanted was royal dirt from the Sussexes. They got that with the 'documentary', with high viewing figures and a social media buzz. But everything else they've done has failed, and I don't expect this series to be a great success either. It may pull in some viewers at first because unlike with their other programmes, Meghan will be on screen herself. But the whole premise just seems very contrived and cringey, and I don't see too many people sitting through 8 episodes of "putting some bits of this and that on donuts or cheese".

He didn’t create that project himself though. All the hard work was done by others.

Maybe they want it to be an inspirational family show, with the action being that you can all try this at home?

A 'family show' where the young children of the host appear not to feature?

And I'm not sure how many people will find inspiration in millionaire 'celebrities' wafting about a rented $5 million home, wearing designer clothes and mouthing platitudes about 'elevating the ordinary'.

Oh yes, but it is an effective template. Although someone would have to do the hard work, probably not Harry.

Pimp my donuts

Not enough jam jam I think 🤷‍♀️

I can relate more to the Hairy Bikers cookery show than I can to Meghan. Considering I am female, never been on a bike and don't have a beard ( well menopause may be changing that) i think it says a lot about the appeal of her show

Jam tomorrow

No amount of PR would be able to transition them from selling stories to inspirational role models. They've tried and failed. They needed a line in the sand and the only person who could have provide this was William. I honestly believe Harry thought that there would be a meeting, argument thrashed out and a carefully written joint statement. Instead Harry and Meghan are still the estranged royals who are trapped by their own words and actions. The pair of them jumping from project to project trying to start new ventures. Those who support them still thrashing William and Catherine, those who disliked them having little to change their views, they wanted and needed to move on from spare, Oprah, Netflix and the reality is that is what defines them now.

My understanding is they were rather miffed when Spare came out and dished dirt that was withheld from their NF series. That was what they thought they were paying for.

I just checked Instagram . ARO has fewer than 600,000 followers and there have been no further posts for nearly a year !

They needed a line in the sand and the only person who could have provide this was William. I honestly believe Harry thought that there would be a meeting, argument thrashed out and a carefully written joint statement.

Surely a tearful apology from William, Kate and Dad (with Camilla exiled to the furthest reaches of Cornwall or perhaps Balmoral) every time Harry visited. Plus being elevated back to IIP with constant security courtesy of Dad. A new large allowance to make up for the terrible treatment he has had to endure and the late Queen’s apartments in Windsor Castle.

Yes indeed, apparently the press tent couldn't even get a decent view of the 'Royal Knockout' activities! Absolute rookie error.

That required a lot of humble pie and profuse thanks for turning out and putting up with discomfort in order to publicise charity endeavours and good causes.

Why the press weren't allowed to mingle in the hospitality tents for the participants, thus obtaining excited and happy on-the-spot interviews - and as you say get a pint and a butty to lift their spirits - is a testament to Edward's production company's towering inexperience.

And it was a harsh lesson for Edward but one that he, as a producer, needed to learn. Same for Harry and Meghan. They need to ditch the snobbery and sanctimonious opprobrium and get fucking real.

AND an assurance that Meghan will never have to walk behind Catherine and that she always gets first choice of tiara .