Before there was ever Netflix, there was Blockbuster. The store used to sell CDs, DVDs, and everything currently available on Netflix digitally. The streaming giant recently released a poorly acted series based on its old nemesis which was canceled after its first season.
With the poor reception that the sitcom received, many people think that it was just an epic prank done by Netflix to fire shots at its age-old nemesis and rival.
Did Netflix Pull A Prank On Blockbuster?
Following the story of the last Blockbuster outlet in America, the series is a single-camera workplace comedy (much like The Office) but wasn’t able to create a fanbase like The Office. The series stars Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame Melissa Fumero (Detective Amy Santiago) and WandaVision fame actor Randall Park (Jimmy Woo).
Also read: The Umbrella Academy Reveals Final Season Episodes as Fan-Favorite Series Comes to an End
Even with an impressive cast, the 10-episode series managed to fail the expectations of the audiences as it simply wasn’t funny enough. With the terrible reception that the series received, it was naturally canceled following its debut for other future plans. This also seems too great a coincidence that a series about the nemesis of Netflix failed miserably since the latter is the creator.
Many people took to Twitter upon receiving the news and stated that this was an epic prank pulled by Netflix to defeat Blockbuster twice!
Now Netflix has defeated Blockbuster twice!
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 16, 2022
Netflix after making a Blockbuster show just to cancel and defeat Blockbuster once again pic.twitter.com/o6BvNhNplL
— Kenny (@kennysroys) December 16, 2022
If i had a nickel for every time netflix ended blockbuster, i'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice pic.twitter.com/JNWFzzwwgg
— Gouts (@gouterski) December 16, 2022
Double whammed Blockbuster pic.twitter.com/Eah4cW4w2x
— Woof woof (@kk_romeow) December 16, 2022
Suffice it to say, the fans didn’t feel much regret for the cancelation of the series. Many people shared their experiences that they couldn’t even get past the first episode of the series. Blockbuster received a meager rating of 22% on Rotten Tomatoes and a low 5.1/10 on IMDB.
What Went Wrong With Netflix’s Blockbuster?
Although the series boasted an impressive star cast, it lacked something which cannot be taught… comedy. The single-camera workplace environment did not work in favor of the weak content that the series featured.
With many complaining the scenes were boring and lengthy, some reviews also stated that the banter felt as if it was written by an A.I. There were also complaints that the series did not showcase emotions enough which made the audience feel detached. Although it is uncertain whether Netflix intentionally created this failure or not, this cannot be a mere coincidence.
The first and only season of Blockbuster is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Variety
