Stranger Things. 13 Reasons Why. Black Mirror. House of Cards. Chances are, you’ve seen one of these shows. The commonality between these series? They’re Netflix originals.

Over the past few years, Netflix originals have surged to the top of the TV industry. In 2013, Netflix launched its first three originals: Orange is the New Black, House of Cards and Hemlock Grove. These original shows set the stage for more original content to come; they won, in all, 31 primetime Emmy nominations.

According to Business Insider, 2018 has been the biggest year for original content on Netflix. Netflix CFO David Wells said the company is set to create 700 original TV shows and 80 original movies by the end of the year.

The craze over Netflix originals has made its way to East Meck’s student body. Many students find Netflix’s original content binge-worthy, and are fans of the changes Netflix has been making for the past few years.

“I really like them. They have a lot of different storylines and they have deep meanings,” junior Luz Garcia said. “I honestly prefer Netflix originals over other shows that have been on cable TV forever.”

Many students agree with Garcia’s thinking. Sophomore Forrest Pritchett believes that watching shows on cable TV is a thing of the past.

“[Netflix Originals] are already much more popular than shows on cable because Netflix is better overall,” Pritchett said. “Some people prefer cable. I have no idea why.”

Statista.com reports that in 2018, 40.7% of Netflix users said the original shows were ‘very important’ in their decision to renew their Netflix subscriptions and 21% found it ‘absolutely critical’. However, some students at East find the originals to be a nuisance.

“I think they’re all really cheesy and mainstream,” senior Ally Thorson said. “I feel like everyone is forced to like it because it’s shoved down their throats.”

Thorson’s strong feeling can be blamed on the extensive advertising Netflix has been broadcasting. In August, Netflix confirmed that they are now showing trailers for their originals in between episodes of various shows.
“We are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster,” Netflix said in a statement, confirming their controversial decision.

With the growing number of trailers and original shows, some students are disappointed with Netflix’s selection of content.

“I prefer [cable TV],” Thorson said. “I like watching 90 Day Fiance. If they put that on Netflix then maybe I’d be a fan.”

Junior Anneliese Hohm agrees with Thorson’s point of view.

“I want White Chicks to be on Netflix again” Hohm said. “I’m tired of them removing OG movies.”

Netflix may have its critics, but for now, it still remains popular among the majority of students at East.

“Netflix is loved so much,” Garcia said. “The shows never fail to make your day.”