With Love, Meghan on Netflix

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The research firm probably just meant that the show over-indexed in the Baltics. Then the MM haters ran with that to say MM paid “bot farms” to watch her show. It’s remarkable how much money she has to pay for such things while teetering on bankruptcy. Oh well!

Nobody has said she is teetering on bankruptcy, just that they will need steady work to maintain a lifestyle that includes 2 million dollar annual security bills, a $14M Montecito property, a $5M-ish Portuguese property, household staff, private schools, and a designer clothing budget that is (seemingly) in excess of many other celebs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The research firm probably just meant that the show over-indexed in the Baltics. Then the MM haters ran with that to say MM paid “bot farms” to watch her show. It’s remarkable how much money she has to pay for such things while teetering on bankruptcy. Oh well!

Nobody has said she is teetering on bankruptcy, just that they will need steady work to maintain a lifestyle that includes 2 million dollar annual security bills, a $14M Montecito property, a $5M-ish Portuguese property, household staff, private schools, and a designer clothing budget that is (seemingly) in excess of many other celebs.

Exactly. The cost of maintaining a lifestyle has been the cause of bankruptcy for many actors and professional athletes. Examples include Vanilla Ice, Carnie Wilson, and Vince Young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The research firm probably just meant that the show over-indexed in the Baltics. Then the MM haters ran with that to say MM paid “bot farms” to watch her show. It’s remarkable how much money she has to pay for such things while teetering on bankruptcy. Oh well!

Nobody has said she is teetering on bankruptcy, just that they will need steady work to maintain a lifestyle that includes 2 million dollar annual security bills, a $14M Montecito property, a $5M-ish Portuguese property, household staff, private schools, and a designer clothing budget that is (seemingly) in excess of many other celebs.

They have a house in Portugal?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is just weird to me. Pretty much nobody knew who she was until Harry came along but suddenly now she is doing these Netflix shows and podcasts and going by one name as if she is Cher or Madonna.

She has definitely won at striving. She should do a podcast on that. Drop the real tea. She is not a credible founder or homemaker. She excels at climbing. Own it.

I think she definitely won at striving. She saw her acting career coming to an end as she neared 40 so she set her sights on a rich British husband. There are pictures of her sitting by herself at Wimbledon a few years before she got with Harry. Allegedly she asked Piers Morgan to make introductions for her among some upper class business types in England.
Piers did not help her but she somehow ended up meeting Harry at one of the Soho House clubs.

The thing about Harry is he is charming but is also am emotionally challenged man baby.. He sulks and pouts as evidenced by multiple photos. All the other girlfriends left him for a reason. I think the British royal family created a better image for him than he actually deserves.

I would LOVE for her to speak about this. She needs to discuss her strategy and techniques for social climbing and marrying rich.

NP. Yeah. And I had always thought she must be the most incredibly charismatic, seductive persona to manage to land a prince. That's why I was so shocked watching the show, because she just seemed so clunky and tense. Zero aura or magnetism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is just weird to me. Pretty much nobody knew who she was until Harry came along but suddenly now she is doing these Netflix shows and podcasts and going by one name as if she is Cher or Madonna.

She has definitely won at striving. She should do a podcast on that. Drop the real tea. She is not a credible founder or homemaker. She excels at climbing. Own it.

I think she definitely won at striving. She saw her acting career coming to an end as she neared 40 so she set her sights on a rich British husband. There are pictures of her sitting by herself at Wimbledon a few years before she got with Harry. Allegedly she asked Piers Morgan to make introductions for her among some upper class business types in England.
Piers did not help her but she somehow ended up meeting Harry at one of the Soho House clubs.

The thing about Harry is he is charming but is also am emotionally challenged man baby.. He sulks and pouts as evidenced by multiple photos. All the other girlfriends left him for a reason. I think the British royal family created a better image for him than he actually deserves.

I would LOVE for her to speak about this. She needs to discuss her strategy and techniques for social climbing and marrying rich.

NP. Yeah. And I had always thought she must be the most incredibly charismatic, seductive persona to manage to land a prince. That's why I was so shocked watching the show, because she just seemed so clunky and tense. Zero aura or magnetism

I think Meghan Markle was fun and charismatic. I don't think Meghan Sussex is comfortable in her role or really knows to act or how she wants to be portrayed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Comedian Tim Dillon just had the funniest break down of her new show. I’m in tears. He just keeps going on and on. Starts at 36:36

Little Moments With Meghan Markle

He’s been love-hate obsessed with her for years.

This is hilarious!!!

Here's another clip of Tim discussing Markle with Piers Morgan. Piers repeatedly starts cracking up. lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You guys are ridiculous.

As long as everything she releases ends up in the Netflix top 10, Netflix will keep working with her. It’s that simple. Nobody cares if you hate watch it or watch it for enjoyment.

Its viewership also came from Baltic bot farms. Even if those viewers were real they aren’t buying her jams.

So the show hit 6th place in the Baltic region, and that skewed it into the worldwide top ten? Is there really that much viewership in that area to tip the worldwide numbers? It was 7th in UK and Australia.

Source: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv

Source: Trust us. - netflix

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is just weird to me. Pretty much nobody knew who she was until Harry came along but suddenly now she is doing these Netflix shows and podcasts and going by one name as if she is Cher or Madonna.

She has definitely won at striving. She should do a podcast on that. Drop the real tea. She is not a credible founder or homemaker. She excels at climbing. Own it.

I think she definitely won at striving. She saw her acting career coming to an end as she neared 40 so she set her sights on a rich British husband. There are pictures of her sitting by herself at Wimbledon a few years before she got with Harry. Allegedly she asked Piers Morgan to make introductions for her among some upper class business types in England.
Piers did not help her but she somehow ended up meeting Harry at one of the Soho House clubs.

The thing about Harry is he is charming but is also am emotionally challenged man baby.. He sulks and pouts as evidenced by multiple photos. All the other girlfriends left him for a reason. I think the British royal family created a better image for him than he actually deserves.

I would LOVE for her to speak about this. She needs to discuss her strategy and techniques for social climbing and marrying rich.

If she had her show around this theme, she would finally come across as authentic and gain millions of fans and followers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked for Meghan and obviously can’t say anything. I just want to thank everyone for their posts. I’m so happy people are finally seeing her for who she truly is. Take that as you wish.

I’m taking it as not true lol. Other than the obvious - that anyone could come on here and say anything and that if you actually had complaints you’d likely go to the press anonymously as opposed to posting on an obscure message board for a city where Meghan has never lived - there have been dozens and dozens of people who worked for her in Hollywood who vouch for her. The only complaints about workplace bullying were from the BRF.

+1. And I firmly believe those were due to her not “fitting in”:

- Being half black
- Being an “actress”
- Being from a socioeconomic class
- Not being painfully shy and super-accommodative to fit in a la Kate Middleton
- Being a typical American “go-getter” who wants to get things done and expects her staff to work instead of sitting around and drinking tea

I would guess they made it miserable for her through typical British snickers. She could have handled it *a lot* better by being calm and waiting it out, but she was immature as well.

Honestly she could have had a blast if she stayed in the BRF. No money troubles or hustling for sponsorships/deals. Show up with nice hair and makeup to cut ribbons and be fawned over. Organize innovative charity events (like that dress thing she did). She could still release inoffensive lifestyle videos for fun.

That fashion collab she did and the cookbook (which I have) were so good. The BRF is missing out. Their loss.

I don’t think she could do lifestyle videos though. They made her take down her blog.

The Queen did say she could continue to work as an actress but I think that was only if she wasn't a working royal. I think she could have had more leeway if she decided to not work for The Firm. But she chose the lifestyle of a working royal which comes with a lot of restrictions. I wonder what would have happened if she chose the other path.

I never understood why she didn't keep acting. She was a pretty good actress, really. Could've been a Bond girl. I remember watching the engagement interview and being shocked when she said she was giving up acting to devote herself to "the role" of a working royal. Ugh. Who would choose that? And I still don't understand why she hasn't returned to acting. She comes across so poorly when she's being herself...listening to her podcast (yes, I hate listened) was so nauseating. She was so intensely dislikeable in the Oprah interview. And yet, I thought she was pretty great in suits - I watched that from when it first aired. She's beautiful and was fun to watch on that show. Too bad she cast herself as a victim and has been working that angle ever since.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked for Meghan and obviously can’t say anything. I just want to thank everyone for their posts. I’m so happy people are finally seeing her for who she truly is. Take that as you wish.

I’m taking it as not true lol. Other than the obvious - that anyone could come on here and say anything and that if you actually had complaints you’d likely go to the press anonymously as opposed to posting on an obscure message board for a city where Meghan has never lived - there have been dozens and dozens of people who worked for her in Hollywood who vouch for her. The only complaints about workplace bullying were from the BRF.

+1. And I firmly believe those were due to her not “fitting in”:

- Being half black
- Being an “actress”
- Being from a socioeconomic class
- Not being painfully shy and super-accommodative to fit in a la Kate Middleton
- Being a typical American “go-getter” who wants to get things done and expects her staff to work instead of sitting around and drinking tea

I would guess they made it miserable for her through typical British snickers. She could have handled it *a lot* better by being calm and waiting it out, but she was immature as well.

Honestly she could have had a blast if she stayed in the BRF. No money troubles or hustling for sponsorships/deals. Show up with nice hair and makeup to cut ribbons and be fawned over. Organize innovative charity events (like that dress thing she did). She could still release inoffensive lifestyle videos for fun.

That fashion collab she did and the cookbook (which I have) were so good. The BRF is missing out. Their loss.

I don’t think she could do lifestyle videos though. They made her take down her blog.

The Queen did say she could continue to work as an actress but I think that was only if she wasn't a working royal. I think she could have had more leeway if she decided to not work for The Firm. But she chose the lifestyle of a working royal which comes with a lot of restrictions. I wonder what would have happened if she chose the other path.

I never understood why she didn't keep acting. She was a pretty good actress, really. Could've been a Bond girl. I remember watching the engagement interview and being shocked when she said she was giving up acting to devote herself to "the role" of a working royal. Ugh. Who would choose that? And I still don't understand why she hasn't returned to acting. She comes across so poorly when she's being herself...listening to her podcast (yes, I hate listened) was so nauseating. She was so intensely dislikeable in the Oprah interview. And yet, I thought she was pretty great in suits - I watched that from when it first aired. She's beautiful and was fun to watch on that show. Too bad she cast herself as a victim and has been working that angle ever since.

I could have pictured her in a murder mystery detective role. Kind of like those sappy Aurora Teagarden mysteries crossed with the Midsommer Murders series. Something cozy featuring different parts of the UK and Commonwealth. Could have done wonders for her and the RF and tourism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You guys are ridiculous.

As long as everything she releases ends up in the Netflix top 10, Netflix will keep working with her. It’s that simple. Nobody cares if you hate watch it or watch it for enjoyment.

Its viewership also came from Baltic bot farms. Even if those viewers were real they aren’t buying her jams.

Netflix doesn't care if anyone buys her jams. They aren't getting a cut of that merchandise I don't think.

PP is right though. And even if the allegation about "baltic bot farms" is true, there's also no question it got a lot of organic interest in the US and UK, even if a lot of it is hate watching or just people who are curious about the royal drama and want to see if it sneaks into the show.

One thing you can't deny is that it gets more media coverage and discussion than 99% of what Netflix makes. It's not on par with their truly big hits -- stuff like Bridgerton, British Baking Show, that romcom with Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. All of those get largely good reviews and I think do drive people to sign up for Netflix in a way that Meghans show never will.

But Netflix has a challenge of keeping viewers between season of those more popular shows, plus they keep raising their prices and they need to combat attrition when they do that. Meghan's show is popular enough to help them flesh out a catalog of content that can keep people engaged. The overlapping interests/audience with Bridgerton and British Baking Show is actually probably a huge selling point for Netflix execs, who are going to view the whole thing coldly as one of demographics and eyeballs. Will Meghan's show give a Bridgerton super fan something to watch while she waits for Season 4 to come out? Yeah, probably, because that viewer likely has an above-average interest in royal family drama, a pretty floral aesthetic, and the concept of having tea. Likewise, someone who binges an entire season of Baking Show is much more likely than other viewers to give Meghan's show a try because of the baking/cooking content. Will these viewers like Meghan's show as much as Bridgerton or Baking Show? No way, it's not as good. But will it keep them from pausing or dropping their Netflix subscription altogether between seasons of the shows they really love? Probably, yes.

And then Netflix also probably sees a lot of potential with the format of Meghan's show and having famous guests. I wrote upthread how I bet Mindy was kind of pushed by Netflix as a guest for Meghan's show, and to have her episode early in the series, because Mindy also has a deal with Netflix and she had a show (that she wrote/produced, not starred in) premiering around the same time. Roy Choi is the episode three guest and he also has a Netflix show -- Meghan had never met him before he did the show and I'm certain that was another Netflix "suggestion". So her show can serve as a platform for them to help promo other Netflix properties and try to get cross-over viewers. Maybe a Baking Show devotee decided to watch Meghan's show because they like baking and British things and they were hoping for a decent cake recipe and a glimpse of Harry (they get both). But then they saw the Roy Choi episode and decide to watch The Chef Show after that even though they'd never heard of him before, because the Korean fried chicken he made with Meghan looked good. Notice that none of this requires you to like Meghan or even like her show that much.

Meghan has been a good investment for Netflix, especially compared to a lot of their content that flops and doesn't go anywhere. It slots into their programming really well and can be a way to drive eyeballs where they want to drive them. Regardless of what you think of Meghan as a person or whether you think her show is good entertainment, it's a solid business move for Netflix.

Viewers that watch Bridgerton and the British Baking Show have one thing in common: they enjoy British people and their culture. Meghan is not British and Harry does not participate in this show. Bridgerton shows royal life in England; Meghan is in Montecito. The British Baking Show shows skilled bakers making incredible creations with top baking skills; Meghan admits she doesn't like to bake and her skills show it. Meghan's show has nothing to offer these viewers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You guys are ridiculous.

As long as everything she releases ends up in the Netflix top 10, Netflix will keep working with her. It’s that simple. Nobody cares if you hate watch it or watch it for enjoyment.

Its viewership also came from Baltic bot farms. Even if those viewers were real they aren’t buying her jams.

Netflix doesn't care if anyone buys her jams. They aren't getting a cut of that merchandise I don't think.

PP is right though. And even if the allegation about "baltic bot farms" is true, there's also no question it got a lot of organic interest in the US and UK, even if a lot of it is hate watching or just people who are curious about the royal drama and want to see if it sneaks into the show.

One thing you can't deny is that it gets more media coverage and discussion than 99% of what Netflix makes. It's not on par with their truly big hits -- stuff like Bridgerton, British Baking Show, that romcom with Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. All of those get largely good reviews and I think do drive people to sign up for Netflix in a way that Meghans show never will.

But Netflix has a challenge of keeping viewers between season of those more popular shows, plus they keep raising their prices and they need to combat attrition when they do that. Meghan's show is popular enough to help them flesh out a catalog of content that can keep people engaged. The overlapping interests/audience with Bridgerton and British Baking Show is actually probably a huge selling point for Netflix execs, who are going to view the whole thing coldly as one of demographics and eyeballs. Will Meghan's show give a Bridgerton super fan something to watch while she waits for Season 4 to come out? Yeah, probably, because that viewer likely has an above-average interest in royal family drama, a pretty floral aesthetic, and the concept of having tea. Likewise, someone who binges an entire season of Baking Show is much more likely than other viewers to give Meghan's show a try because of the baking/cooking content. Will these viewers like Meghan's show as much as Bridgerton or Baking Show? No way, it's not as good. But will it keep them from pausing or dropping their Netflix subscription altogether between seasons of the shows they really love? Probably, yes.

And then Netflix also probably sees a lot of potential with the format of Meghan's show and having famous guests. I wrote upthread how I bet Mindy was kind of pushed by Netflix as a guest for Meghan's show, and to have her episode early in the series, because Mindy also has a deal with Netflix and she had a show (that she wrote/produced, not starred in) premiering around the same time. Roy Choi is the episode three guest and he also has a Netflix show -- Meghan had never met him before he did the show and I'm certain that was another Netflix "suggestion". So her show can serve as a platform for them to help promo other Netflix properties and try to get cross-over viewers. Maybe a Baking Show devotee decided to watch Meghan's show because they like baking and British things and they were hoping for a decent cake recipe and a glimpse of Harry (they get both). But then they saw the Roy Choi episode and decide to watch The Chef Show after that even though they'd never heard of him before, because the Korean fried chicken he made with Meghan looked good. Notice that none of this requires you to like Meghan or even like her show that much.

Meghan has been a good investment for Netflix, especially compared to a lot of their content that flops and doesn't go anywhere. It slots into their programming really well and can be a way to drive eyeballs where they want to drive them. Regardless of what you think of Meghan as a person or whether you think her show is good entertainment, it's a solid business move for Netflix.

Viewers that watch Bridgerton and the British Baking Show have one thing in common: they enjoy British people and their culture. Meghan is not British and Harry does not participate in this show. Bridgerton shows royal life in England; Meghan is in Montecito. The British Baking Show shows skilled bakers making incredible creations with top baking skills; Meghan admits she doesn't like to bake and her skills show it. Meghan's show has nothing to offer these viewers.

You are giving people too much credit. I guarantee you a lot of people who love Baking Show watched the Meghan show and while they didn't like it as much as Baking Show were like "well some of the stuff looked yummy and it was fun to see Harry at the end." Same with Bridgerton. Meghan's show is simply not as good as these other programs but people will put it on and be like "well it's pretty to look at" and that's good enough.

Also, I saw a poll that say like 90% of Americans look at their phones while watching TV. Last night my DH and I decided not to watch the new episode of Severance even though it was available because we were both doing stuff on our phones and we wanted something lower quality that we could "watch" while only half paying attention. This is super common.

You are acting like people have these very high standards for entertainment when they don't. Meghan's show checks some boxes for Netflix, it works for them. This is not me complimenting Meghan or saying the show is great -- it's incredibly mediocre. But that doesn't mean it's not working out for Netflix. They've got a million of those Harlan Coban shows too, which all look awful. That's working out for them too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You guys are ridiculous.

As long as everything she releases ends up in the Netflix top 10, Netflix will keep working with her. It’s that simple. Nobody cares if you hate watch it or watch it for enjoyment.

Its viewership also came from Baltic bot farms. Even if those viewers were real they aren’t buying her jams.

Netflix doesn't care if anyone buys her jams. They aren't getting a cut of that merchandise I don't think.

PP is right though. And even if the allegation about "baltic bot farms" is true, there's also no question it got a lot of organic interest in the US and UK, even if a lot of it is hate watching or just people who are curious about the royal drama and want to see if it sneaks into the show.

One thing you can't deny is that it gets more media coverage and discussion than 99% of what Netflix makes. It's not on par with their truly big hits -- stuff like Bridgerton, British Baking Show, that romcom with Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. All of those get largely good reviews and I think do drive people to sign up for Netflix in a way that Meghans show never will.

But Netflix has a challenge of keeping viewers between season of those more popular shows, plus they keep raising their prices and they need to combat attrition when they do that. Meghan's show is popular enough to help them flesh out a catalog of content that can keep people engaged. The overlapping interests/audience with Bridgerton and British Baking Show is actually probably a huge selling point for Netflix execs, who are going to view the whole thing coldly as one of demographics and eyeballs. Will Meghan's show give a Bridgerton super fan something to watch while she waits for Season 4 to come out? Yeah, probably, because that viewer likely has an above-average interest in royal family drama, a pretty floral aesthetic, and the concept of having tea. Likewise, someone who binges an entire season of Baking Show is much more likely than other viewers to give Meghan's show a try because of the baking/cooking content. Will these viewers like Meghan's show as much as Bridgerton or Baking Show? No way, it's not as good. But will it keep them from pausing or dropping their Netflix subscription altogether between seasons of the shows they really love? Probably, yes.

And then Netflix also probably sees a lot of potential with the format of Meghan's show and having famous guests. I wrote upthread how I bet Mindy was kind of pushed by Netflix as a guest for Meghan's show, and to have her episode early in the series, because Mindy also has a deal with Netflix and she had a show (that she wrote/produced, not starred in) premiering around the same time. Roy Choi is the episode three guest and he also has a Netflix show -- Meghan had never met him before he did the show and I'm certain that was another Netflix "suggestion". So her show can serve as a platform for them to help promo other Netflix properties and try to get cross-over viewers. Maybe a Baking Show devotee decided to watch Meghan's show because they like baking and British things and they were hoping for a decent cake recipe and a glimpse of Harry (they get both). But then they saw the Roy Choi episode and decide to watch The Chef Show after that even though they'd never heard of him before, because the Korean fried chicken he made with Meghan looked good. Notice that none of this requires you to like Meghan or even like her show that much.

Meghan has been a good investment for Netflix, especially compared to a lot of their content that flops and doesn't go anywhere. It slots into their programming really well and can be a way to drive eyeballs where they want to drive them. Regardless of what you think of Meghan as a person or whether you think her show is good entertainment, it's a solid business move for Netflix.

Viewers that watch Bridgerton and the British Baking Show have one thing in common: they enjoy British people and their culture. Meghan is not British and Harry does not participate in this show. Bridgerton shows royal life in England; Meghan is in Montecito. The British Baking Show shows skilled bakers making incredible creations with top baking skills; Meghan admits she doesn't like to bake and her skills show it. Meghan's show has nothing to offer these viewers.

Good point. Anyone who was wanting British charm and quaintness was surely disappointed by the sun-bleached California minimalism and Montecito health focus. It definitely did not give that cozy British feeling that so many people gravitate to, and in fact felt worlds away from any Buckingham Palace tradition. In fact, it really drove home to me exactly why Meghan alienated herself from the royal family so quickly- it's clear she simply would not fit in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The research firm probably just meant that the show over-indexed in the Baltics. Then the MM haters ran with that to say MM paid “bot farms” to watch her show. It’s remarkable how much money she has to pay for such things while teetering on bankruptcy. Oh well!

Nobody has said she is teetering on bankruptcy, just that they will need steady work to maintain a lifestyle that includes 2 million dollar annual security bills, a $14M Montecito property, a $5M-ish Portuguese property, household staff, private schools, and a designer clothing budget that is (seemingly) in excess of many other celebs.

They have a house in Portugal?!

Yes, that has been reported. The home is evidently in the same community as Princess Eugenie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You guys are ridiculous.

As long as everything she releases ends up in the Netflix top 10, Netflix will keep working with her. It’s that simple. Nobody cares if you hate watch it or watch it for enjoyment.

Its viewership also came from Baltic bot farms. Even if those viewers were real they aren’t buying her jams.

Netflix doesn't care if anyone buys her jams. They aren't getting a cut of that merchandise I don't think.

PP is right though. And even if the allegation about "baltic bot farms" is true, there's also no question it got a lot of organic interest in the US and UK, even if a lot of it is hate watching or just people who are curious about the royal drama and want to see if it sneaks into the show.

One thing you can't deny is that it gets more media coverage and discussion than 99% of what Netflix makes. It's not on par with their truly big hits -- stuff like Bridgerton, British Baking Show, that romcom with Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. All of those get largely good reviews and I think do drive people to sign up for Netflix in a way that Meghans show never will.

But Netflix has a challenge of keeping viewers between season of those more popular shows, plus they keep raising their prices and they need to combat attrition when they do that. Meghan's show is popular enough to help them flesh out a catalog of content that can keep people engaged. The overlapping interests/audience with Bridgerton and British Baking Show is actually probably a huge selling point for Netflix execs, who are going to view the whole thing coldly as one of demographics and eyeballs. Will Meghan's show give a Bridgerton super fan something to watch while she waits for Season 4 to come out? Yeah, probably, because that viewer likely has an above-average interest in royal family drama, a pretty floral aesthetic, and the concept of having tea. Likewise, someone who binges an entire season of Baking Show is much more likely than other viewers to give Meghan's show a try because of the baking/cooking content. Will these viewers like Meghan's show as much as Bridgerton or Baking Show? No way, it's not as good. But will it keep them from pausing or dropping their Netflix subscription altogether between seasons of the shows they really love? Probably, yes.

And then Netflix also probably sees a lot of potential with the format of Meghan's show and having famous guests. I wrote upthread how I bet Mindy was kind of pushed by Netflix as a guest for Meghan's show, and to have her episode early in the series, because Mindy also has a deal with Netflix and she had a show (that she wrote/produced, not starred in) premiering around the same time. Roy Choi is the episode three guest and he also has a Netflix show -- Meghan had never met him before he did the show and I'm certain that was another Netflix "suggestion". So her show can serve as a platform for them to help promo other Netflix properties and try to get cross-over viewers. Maybe a Baking Show devotee decided to watch Meghan's show because they like baking and British things and they were hoping for a decent cake recipe and a glimpse of Harry (they get both). But then they saw the Roy Choi episode and decide to watch The Chef Show after that even though they'd never heard of him before, because the Korean fried chicken he made with Meghan looked good. Notice that none of this requires you to like Meghan or even like her show that much.

Meghan has been a good investment for Netflix, especially compared to a lot of their content that flops and doesn't go anywhere. It slots into their programming really well and can be a way to drive eyeballs where they want to drive them. Regardless of what you think of Meghan as a person or whether you think her show is good entertainment, it's a solid business move for Netflix.

Viewers that watch Bridgerton and the British Baking Show have one thing in common: they enjoy British people and their culture. Meghan is not British and Harry does not participate in this show. Bridgerton shows royal life in England; Meghan is in Montecito. The British Baking Show shows skilled bakers making incredible creations with top baking skills; Meghan admits she doesn't like to bake and her skills show it. Meghan's show has nothing to offer these viewers.

You are giving people too much credit. I guarantee you a lot of people who love Baking Show watched the Meghan show and while they didn't like it as much as Baking Show were like "well some of the stuff looked yummy and it was fun to see Harry at the end." Same with Bridgerton. Meghan's show is simply not as good as these other programs but people will put it on and be like "well it's pretty to look at" and that's good enough.

Also, I saw a poll that say like 90% of Americans look at their phones while watching TV. Last night my DH and I decided not to watch the new episode of Severance even though it was available because we were both doing stuff on our phones and we wanted something lower quality that we could "watch" while only half paying attention. This is super common.

You are acting like people have these very high standards for entertainment when they don't. Meghan's show checks some boxes for Netflix, it works for them. This is not me complimenting Meghan or saying the show is great -- it's incredibly mediocre. But that doesn't mean it's not working out for Netflix. They've got a million of those Harlan Coban shows too, which all look awful. That's working out for them too.

I get what you are saying and there is probably a fair number of viewers that are looking for something light and pretty in the lifestyle genre to view while they scan their devices. Add to that curiosity about what Meghan is up to, authentic or not, hidden away in Montecito.