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Since the very first release of the Netflix Original House of Cards, Netflix has continued to expand its library exponentially. Now almost 6 years later, Netflix is expected to hit the 1000 mark for original content in their US library within the next few months. But has Netflix ever defined what they mean by “Original” content? Here’s our guide to what to expect when you see the term “Netflix Original.”
Netflix Originals have always had a mixed reception from audiences from around the world. While some content has been turned into memes due to their poor quality, on the opposite end of the spectrum you have highly critically acclaimed shows such as The Crown and Stranger Things. There is a massive disparity between the most critically acclaimed shows and the worst shows under the “Original” banner.
John Lithgow as Winston Churchill in ‘The Crown.’ The show has won multiple awards including a Golden Globe for Best Television Series. (Image: Robert Viglasky/Netflix)
What is a Netflix Original?
A “Netflix Original” is defined by the status Netflix gives to the show. This may be defined by the following:
- Netflix commissioned and produced the show
- Netflix has exclusive international streaming rights to the show
- Netflix has co-produced the show with another Network
- It is a continuation of a previously canceled show
In most cases, a show is defined as a “Netflix Original” if you can only watch it on Netflix in your respective country.
What is a true Netflix Original?
A true “Netflix Original” is any show that was commissioned, produced and distributed by Netflix. By this, we mean the show or film has not been made to appear on any network other than Netflix. (Some films have debuted at festivals and purchased prior to Netflix release.) Examples of this are the following:
| Title | Original Release Date | Film/TV Show | IMDB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| House of Cards | 02 January 2013 | TV Show | 8.9 |
| The Fundamentals of Caring | 24 June 2016 | Film | 7.3 |
| Stranger Things | 15 July 2016 | TV Show | 8.9 |
| The Crown | 04 November 2016 | TV Show | 8.7 |
| Ozark | 21 July 2017 | TV Show | 8.4 |
| Gerald’s Game | 29 September 2017 | Film | 6.6 |
| The Babysitter | 13 October 2017 | Film | 6.3 |
| Apostle | 12 October 2018 | Film | 6.4 |
As seen in the table above some of the most popular titles in Netflix history are true Netflix Originals. All of the above will be streamed internationally to every territory where Netflix is available.
Internationally Exclusive Originals
An “internationally exclusive Original” is defined by whether or not the particular show or film is available outside of Netflix. Additionally, Netflix would have not been the network that commisioned the show. The best examples are the following:
| Title | Network | Original Region | Netflix Exclusive Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Good Place | NBC | United States | Australia, Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom etc. |
| Bodyguard | BBC One | United Kingdom | All other regions except Ireland |
| Peaky Blinders | BBC One | United Kingdom | United States, Italy, Portugal, and the Czech Republic |
| Black Lightning | The CW | United States | All other regions |
Films that Netflix has exclusive rights to are presented as “Netflix Original Films” instead of an “Original.” The best examples are the following:
| Title | Genre | Netflix Exclusive Region |
|---|---|---|
| David Brent: Life on the Road | Comedy | Worldwide except for United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand |
| The Foreigner | Action/Thriller | United Kingdom |
| The Hitman’s Bodyguard | Action/Comedy | Japan |
| Operation Finale | Drama | Worldwide except for the U.S.A |
Co-Produced Netflix Originals
A “co-produced Netflix Original” is when Netflix partners with a network in a particular country to exclusively distribute to other regions outside of the parent country. The best examples of this are the following:
| Title | Partner/Country | Netflix Exclusive Region |
|---|---|---|
| Frontier | Discovery/Canada | All other markets |
| Lilyhammer | NRK/Norway | Worldwide |
| Troy: Fall of a City | BBC One/United Kingdom | All other markets except Ireland |
| Mob Psycho | TV Tokyo/Japan | Worldwide |
Netflix Originals Produced By Other Companies but Solely Distributed
You’ve also got lots of instances where Netflix buys in shows from other providers. Good examples of this is shows like The Sandman bought in from Warner Brothers, Orange is the New Black from Lionsgate TV or The Umbrella Academy from NBCUniversal.
You’ve also got many instances where Netflix has continued a show which is when Netflix picks up a series that a network has previously canceled, thus picking up the production and distribution of the show.
The reason why we’ve split this into a separate category is that Netflix may not necessarily own the long-term rights for these shows. For example, Marvel’s Daredevil was a Netflix Original globally but because it was produced by Disney, they were able to pull it away from Netflix.
The best examples of these are the following:
| Title | Previous Network | Canceled at Season? | What seasons did Netflix produce? | Netflix Exclusive Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrested Development | FOX | 3 | 4 & 5 | Unites States, Canada, Latin America, Western Europe |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Cartoon Network | 5 | 6 | Worldwide |
| Black Mirror | Channel 4 | 2 | 3 & 4 | Worldwide |
| Lucifer | FOX | 3 | 4 (2019 Release) | Worldwide |
| Designated Survivor (2019) | ABC | 2 | 3 (2019 Release) | Worldwide |
| Slasher (2018) | Super Channel | 2 | 3 (2018 Release) | Worldwide |
| The Killing | AMC | 3 | 4 | Australia and New Zealand |
Has this helped you understand how Netflix defines their content? Let us know in the comments below!
