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Netflix was the Super Bowl advertiser that generated the most buzz (NFLX)

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stranger things trailer

Netflix dropped the highly anticipated trailer for the second series of "Stranger Things" during the Super Bowl last night, earning the streaming service the biggest buzz generated by any of the big game commercials on Sunday night.

The "Stranger Things" ad gave viewers their first glimpse as to what Eleven, Mike and the rest of the gang will be getting up to since the first series and appeared to tease a new monster they will need to overcome. (Read our breakdown of the ad here.)

"Stranger Things" generated 307,000 tweets between 6.30 p.m. and 11.00 p.m ET on Sunday, eclipsing the mentions of any other brand on Twitter during the big game, according to data from marketing technology company Amobee.

Here's the ad:

The next brand generating the most Twitter chatter on game day was T-Mobile, with some 91,700 tweets sent.

T-Mobile aired four ads during the game, including a spot starring Justin Bieber, another depicting Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart reeling off puns, and two featuring actress Kristen Schaal.

Here's the Bieber spot, which has also racked up almost 9 million views on YouTube:

Beyond the top two, most of the other brands with the most mentions during the Super Bowl had a social message or made a statement about inclusiveness such as Airbnb, Audi, Coke, Budweiser, and 84 Lumber.

Top 10 Super Bowl brand mentions on Twitter (Source: Amobee)

  1. "Stranger Things"— 307,000 tweets
  2. T-Mobile — 91,700 tweets
  3. Mr Clean — 80,800 tweets
  4. Airbnb — 77,800 tweets
  5. Coca-Cola — 74,500 tweets
  6. Audi — 73,100 tweets
  7. Budweiser — 72,200 tweets
  8. 84 Lumber — 68,000 tweets
  9. "Guardians of the Galaxy 2"— 54,400 tweets
  10. Intel — 27,300 tweets

SEE ALSO: All the ads that ran during the Super Bowl, in order

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Netflix is slipping despite having the Super Bowl ad with the most buzz (NFLX)

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Netflix is down 0.7% at $139.25 a share after its Super Bowl commercial featuring a preview of the second season for "Stranger Thing's" generated the most buzz on social media.

"Stranger Things" generated 307,000 tweets between 6.30 p.m. and 11.00 p.m ET on Sunday, eclipsing the mentions of any other brand on Twitter during the big game, according to data from marketing technology company Amobee.

T-Mobile was the runner-up with some 91,700 tweets about its commercial.

The "Stranger Things" ad gave viewers their first glimpse of what Eleven, Mike and the rest of the gang will be getting involved in this year, and appeared to tease a new monster they will need to overcome.

Netflix2

 

SEE ALSO: Netflix was the Super Bowl advertiser that generated the most buzz

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A real vintage Eggo ad appears in the new 'Stranger Things' trailer

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Stranger Things trailer real Eggo ad

The INSIDER Summary:

• Netflix aired a new trailer for "Stranger Things" season two during the Super Bowl.
• The trailer began with an old 1980 Eggo waffle commercial.
• By using real footage from an Eggo ad, the "Stranger Things" trailer took viewers by surprise.



If you were watching the Super Bowl on February 5, you probably were momentarily confused about why a grainy, very old-looking commercial for Eggo Waffles ended up in such a high-profile time slot. Then you probably realized it was the hotly anticipated first trailer for the second season of Netflix's "Stranger Things." 

However, that was a real, vintage ad for Eggo, Kellogg's confirmed to Inverse.

"The Eggo ad was real," Eggo's marketing director Trinh Le, explained in an email. "Eggo's presence in 'Stranger Things' was a happy surprise for the brand and it was clear that fans loved it as much as we did. So, we couldn't resist partnering with Netflix in their Super Bowl ad."

The ad in question originally aired in December of 1980 — a few years before season two's 1984 setting. According to a YouTuber who uploaded a full, non-Upside Down version of the commercial, it was first broadcast during an episode of "The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show." The spot features a young boy (played by future "Wonder Years" star Jason Hervey) arguing over a fresh Eggo with his sister.

The boy is able to win the Eggo by himself by tricking his sister into thinking something that's "green and purple and has a million legs" is crawling up her arm. Now, we think the giant monster at the end of the "Stranger Things" trailer is a giant Demogorgon, but maybe this Eggo ad is hinting at the creature's true nature.

"Stranger Things" season two drops on Halloween.

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6 details you may have missed in the 'Stranger Things' season 2 trailer

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Netflix surprised "Stranger Things" fans with a new teaser trailer for the second season during Super Bowl LI. It's not very long, but there are a lot of details packed into the spot which hint at what's to come. Eleven is back, but so is a brand new monster, which makes the Demogorgon seem harmless by comparison. Here are a few things you might have missed.

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The NFL season is over — but its ratings problem might be just starting

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tom brady

The NFL season is over, but the trouble might just be getting started for the league.

The NFL saw a sustained drop in viewer interest this year that isn't easily explained by the US presidential election and the frenzy that surrounded it.

Before the election, ratings for NFL games had declined 12% year-over-year, according to analysts at MoffettNathanson. And for much of the season, every NFL primetime offering — on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays — was down by double digits.

People floated a lot of theories about why, from cord-cutting to injuries to Colin Kaepernick. But the party line at the NFL was that the decline had to do with "unprecedented interest in the presidential election."

The fact that NFL ratings improved slightly after the end of the election seemed to support that theory.

"It's an encouraging rebound," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN in December. "I think it proves that the election was certainly a factor."

But the election doesn't explain everything.

Not just that

After the election, including the playoffs, ratings were down 5%.

For the regular season, they were down 9% and down 6% for the playoffs, according to MoffettNathanson. Ratings were also down versus the 2014 season, which Recode's Peter Kafka notes might be a better comparison, as 2015 saw a huge NFL ad war between the daily fantasy startups Draft Kings and FanDuel.

The new TV

What the NFL likely doesn't want to consider is the possibility that the entire concept of "must-see" live events — those that will always draw massive TV audiences — could be under pressure.

In 2016, NBC's Olympics primetime broadcast was down 17% versus 2012. The damage was even greater among younger people. Among 18- to 49-year-olds, there was a 25% drop-off in audience size for the bulk of the games, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

While some awards shows have stayed steady, others have seen big drops.

The Golden Globes held its audience in 2016, but the Emmys saw its lowest viewership with 11.3 million. The VMAs drew a paltry 6.5 million viewers, down 34% from 2015's 9.8 million, according to The New York Times.

olympics fall

What's going on?

Tim Nollen at Macquarie has a theory, at least for the NFL.

"With a visible improvement in viewership without competition from election coverage, we think it's clear the ongoing primetime declines are due at least in part to competition from other options, from Netflix/Amazon/Hulu to catch-up viewing of VOD and other content," Nollen wrote in December.

This is backed up by a report by UBS— analysts led by Doug Mitchelson showed that the decline in NFL ratings was greater among households that subscribed to a subscription video-on-demand service like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu.

The NFL doesn't just have to compete with regular TV anymore, but also with streaming services that can make the traditional experience of watching TV feel bloated.

Though Goodell doesn't mention competition with streaming services, he said he thinks there are structural changes the NFL can make to boost viewership.

"We want to take as much what we call 'dead time,' non-action, out of the game so that we can make the game more exciting," Goodell said in November, according to The Times.

How? One of the big ideas Goodell put forth was decreasing the number of ads and changing up the way they appear.

"In a world where Netflix has no commercials and consumers are used to 15 seconds of pre-roll, is there a better way to do commercials with our broadcast partners?" NFL Media executive Brian Rolapp said in an interview with Broadcasting & Cable in November. He said that running 70 commercials per game might be a turnoff.

Here's another chart from UBS showing the increase in the number of ads per game over time:

screen shot 2017 01 11 at 115235 am

The bottom line is that people are getting used to the type of experience offered by streaming services, and the NFL will have to evolve to compete.

"Up until now, the NFL was a juggernaut, steadily growing in popularity, but this year's audience declines and the palpable deterioration in fan interest in the NFL ... should give the NFL and its TV network partners serious pause," the UBS analysts wrote. "With audiences increasingly impatient and distractions only a digital device away, we would suggest that making the NFL games more engaging is crucial."

SEE ALSO: We just got some hard numbers on the massive iPhone upgrade cycle that's coming

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NOW WATCH: 6 details you may have missed in the 'Stranger Things' season 2 trailer

18 of the best secret categories on Netflix — and a new way to find them easily (NFLX)

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Screen Shot 2017 02 06 at 11.20.58 AM

Netflix has an insane amount of content, but it's not always easy to find exactly what you want.

The categories that Netflix normally gives you access to while browsing are pretty broad, but below the surface Netflix actually splits movies and TV shows into hundreds (potentially thousands) of incredibly specific micro-categories.

All these categories are tagged with a number — for example, "Epics" is category No. 52858. If you know the code, all you have to do is type it into your address bar after "genre/," like this: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/52858.

Screen Shot 2016 01 12 at 9.48.54 AM

But it's annoying to try to find those codes, which is why engineer Deekshith Allamaneni decided to make a Chrome extension that makes it easy for you to find them.

The extension, called "Netflix Categories," gives you a dropdown menu for the categories and a search bar. It lets you mark your favorites. Right now, the extension has more than 100 categories, and Allamaneni says more will be added.

This short video shows how it works:


If you're curious to see some of best secret categories, following is a list we put together of 18 of them:

SEE ALSO: Netflix's catalog is set to explode

Wine and Beverage Appreciation (1458)

Sample: "Drinking Buddies" (2013). Complications ensue when Chicago brewery workmates Luke and Kate — the best friends on and off the clock — spend a weekend at a lakeside retreat.

More examples: "The Birth of Sake,""Three Stars,""A Yeah in Champagne"



Steamy British Independent Dramas (4170)

Sample: "The Look of Love" (2013). This bittersweet biopic chronicles the over-the-top life of Paul Raymond, England's Hugh Hefner, from nightclub to mind reader to burlesque impresario.

Other examples: "The Duke of Burgundy,""Perfect Sense,""The Comedian"



Movies for Ages 0 to 2 (6796)

Sample: "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas" (1999). Who stuffs your stocking with tales of holiday cheer? The one and only mouse with big, round ears!

Other examples:"The Very Hungry Caterpillar,""Three Little Pigs,""Piglet's Big Movie"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 25 original shows we know Netflix will release in 2017

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netflix stranger things season 2In 2017, Netflix will continue to ramp up the amount of original shows it's putting out. 

Netflix has said it will release a whopping 1,000 hours of original shows and movies in 2017 (and spend $6 billion to do so). That's up from 600 hours in 2016, and means you'd have to spend 41 days binge-watching Netflix to see it all.

41 days!

But what is Netflix actually putting out in 2017?

It's February, so the streaming giant has released a few things already, including a strange cannibal comedy starring Drew Barrymore. But Netflix has a lot more in the pipeline, from the return of hits like "Stranger Things" and "House of Cards," to new shows featuring stars like Naomi Watts or Kathy Bates, to reboots of classics like "Mystery Science Theater 3000."

To help you keep track, we've put together a list of shows Netflix has confirmed — for certain — are coming out in 2017. This excludes movies and kids' shows, and things that might not come out until 2018 and beyond.

Here are the 25 shows we know for sure Netflix is putting out in 2017:

SEE ALSO: It would take you over 41 days to binge-watch all the original shows and movies Netflix will release in 2017

'Ultimate Beastmaster' (Season 1) — February 24

Netflix description:"Each hour-long episode will feature 12 competitors, two from each country, who will take their shot at running one of the most physically demanding obstacle courses ever devised, 'The Beast.' At the end of each episode, a ‘Beastmaster’ will be crowned and in the final episode of the season, the nine individual winners from each episode will compete against each other for the chance for one contestant to become the Ultimate Beastmaster."



'Marvel's Iron Fist' (Season 1) — March 17

Netflix description:"Billionaire Danny Rand (Finn Jones) returns to New York City after being missing for years, trying to reconnect with his past and his family legacy. He fights against the criminal element corrupting New York City with his kung-fu mastery and ability to summon the awesome power of the fiery IronFist."



'Samurai Gourmet' (Season 1) — March 17

Netflix description:"The live action series 'Samurai Gourmet,' based on Masayuki Kusumi’s essay and the manga of the same title, featuring the life of Takeshi Kasumi.

Takeshi Kasumi has spent his entire life devoted to his job. Now a retired man, he finds himself with plenty of extra time on his hands. While on an afternoon walk, Kasumi discovers the joys of day time drinking and the realization that he is now free to eat and drink what he wants, when he wants. This awakens his inner persona — a wandering samurai living life freely in Japan’s age of civil wars. Thus begins his search for blissfully delectable delights to satisfy his stomach and the samurai’s soul."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's the official trailer for Marvel's next Netflix show, 'Iron Fist'

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iron fist

Marvel's next Netflix series is "Iron Fist," and though we've had a few teases of the series, the streaming site just released the first official trailer for the series

The show follows billionaire Danny Rand (Finn Jones, "Game of Thrones"), who resurfaces in New York City after missing for 15 years to reclaim his family company and legacy.

An orphan, Rand returns to NYC to seek revenge on his family's killers from years ago. He'll use a mix of kung-fu and an ability he acquired to summon some awesome powers on his mission to take down the criminals. Don't be surprised if they have a link to the wider Marvel Netflix universe. "Iron Fist" will be on Netflix March 17 at 12:01 PST.

"Iron Fist" will debut on Netflix March 17 at 12:01 PST.

Check out the trailer below:

 

 

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Netflix and Marvel just dropped the first 'Iron Fist' trailer — and it looks incredible

The 'Stranger Things' kids watched their Superbowl ad together — and their reaction was priceless

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Dustin and Mike and Lucas Stranger Things season two

We're just as excited as the next person (who's really excited) for the second season of Stranger Things.

But maybe not quite as excited as the young cast, judging by this new Instagram video.

The actors gathered together to see the airing of the season 2 trailer during this weekend's Super Bowl 51, and were literally jumping with excitement at it:

Fun video of us seeing the S2 teaser!!! Link in bio! Go check it out! #season2 #spoileralert? #strangerthings

A video posted by 🌍Noah Schnapp🎥 (@noahschnapp) on Feb 5, 2017 at 6:47pm PST on

The video shows Noah Schnapp (Will), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) and Finn Wolfhard (Mike) shouting, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" as it begins, before they get shushed to watch it properly.

Shouts of "Is this it?" and "Yeah, oh my God!" follow as the kids watch the teaser enraptured.

More shouting and hopping around with excitement follows, with the grown-ups and others joining in.

As the clip wraps up, the gang completely lose it... and that's just the teaser. We can't wait for the season premiere!

And talking of the premiere, Sunday's Super Bowl also gave us the all-important release date of October 31 for season 2, meaning a NINE-MONTH wait for the show to be available on Netflix.

Don't expect too many story details to be released in the run-up to the launch date, as producer Shawn Levy has previously vowed to keep most of the second run's plot points secret in order to preserve the allure of season one.

And as if you need reminding and haven't already watched it a bazillion times, here's that trailer once again:

 

MORE FROM DIGITAL SPY:

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Bill Nye is back to blow your mind with science in his new Netflix show trailer

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bill nye Netflix

Bill Nye is returning to television with a talk show on Netflix called "Bill Nye Saves the World."

It's set to debut on April 21 and Netflix just released the show's first trailer.

A Netflix press release says each episode will "tackle a topic from a scientific point of view, dispel myths, and refute anti-scientific claims that may be espoused by politicians, religious leaders, or titans of industry."

The show will include panel discussions, celebrity guests, Nye's signature laboratory experiments, and reported pieces from a team of correspondents.

Nye is best known for hosting "Bill Nye the Science Guy" from 1993 to 1998 on PBS. He was credited with finding new, fun ways to teach viewers about science and how it applies to their daily lives.

Watch the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Netflix's new Drew Barrymore zombie show 'Santa Clarita Diet' is a gory, disgusting mess

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NOW WATCH: Netflix and Marvel just dropped the first 'Iron Fist' trailer — and it looks incredible

Netflix's trippy mystery show 'The OA' is coming back for another season

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the oa season two netflix SCIENTIST

Netflix has renewed its mysterious drama "The OA" for a second season.

The show's cocreator Zal Batmanglij, who also directed all eight episodes of the first season, told reporters on Wednesday that Netflix was the bravest of the different companies and networks the show (produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B) approached, two of which gave the creators pilot orders.

"We didn’t think there was any home for what we were making,"Batmanglij said. "I think other networks would have ordered a pilot, but they would’ve never gone through [to series]."

He later explained what he loved about Netflix's reach.

"I think that the arthouse thing is an elitist idea. You release it, a small group of people see it," he said. "Netflix is the exact opposite. Netflix is so egalitarian. As a filmmaker, that’s so refreshig. Everyone can see it."

The first season followed Prairie Johnson (played by Brit Marling, also a cocreator of the show), who returns to her hometown after disappearing for seven years. That's just part of the mystery. As a young girl, Prairie was blind. But when she comes back to the town in her 20s, Prairie has her sight back. How that's possible and where Prairie was for those seven years become the big mysteries of the season.

Marling's costars include Emory Cohen of "Brooklyn," Scott Wilson of "The Walking Dead," and "Harry Potter" star Jason Isaacs.

Watch the teaser below:

SEE ALSO: Netflix's new Drew Barrymore zombie show 'Santa Clarita Diet' is a gory, disgusting mess

DON'T MISS: Bill Nye is back to blow your mind with science in his new Netflix show trailer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Netflix and Marvel just dropped the first 'Iron Fist' trailer — and it looks incredible

13 new shows every woman should see on Netflix

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The Crown NetflixThe INSIDER Summary:

• Everyone loves a new show to binge on Netflix. 
• "The Crown" unveils the secrets of the royal family during the beginning of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. 
• "Santa Clarita Diet" stars Drew Barrymore as a zombie trying to blend in with other Californians. 
• Chelsea Handler will make you laugh until you cry with her docu-series "Chelsea Does."


I think I speak for everyone when I say that Netflix has become a life raft in some uncertain times.  The streaming service has truly been there for me lately, offering a variety of new shows, some of which make me laugh, some of which make me think, and others which make me cry, which sometimes is just so needed. After a long week, I find it relaxing to get totally lost in one of these shows, and as many of them feature great female leads, I am also really invested in their success. And every time I think I've found the perfect show, Netflix puts up a new one to dive into, and I become totally obsessed with that one, including these Netflix shows that I think every woman should be watching.

If you have been a bit distracted lately, you might have missed some of these new finds popping up on the site. These recent additions are notable for their diversity, and it's great to see how interesting female stories from a variety of perspectives are becoming the new norm. Ask for complicated, flawed, funny, interesting women on shows that pass the Bechdel-Wallace test, and you shall receive.

So next time you need to take a break from work or worrying, open up your Netflix account. In the recently added section, you might find an interesting new watch, whether it's a character study of British royalty or a supernatural mystery.

1. "The Crown"

Netflix The Crown

When Queen Elizabeth's father passed away, she inherited the throne at just 26, and this bio-drama follows the life of the leader after her wedding and coronation. The serious show gives the deets behind the royal family, but it also shows a darker side of the royal responsibilities.

2. "The OA"

Prairie with Hap the OA Netflix

Prairie Johnson has been missing for seven years. When she returns, she is no longer blind, is covered in mysterious tattoos, and won't tell anyone where she has been or how her eyesight came back. Now, she calls herself the OA, assembles a team of locals, and is trying to rescue others who are missing. This show is a fantastical, supernatural mystery thriller that will keep you guessing. PSA: it will be too difficult to watch just one episode, so block off the whole day for this series.

3. "Chewing Gum"
 chewing gum netflix

24-year-old Tracey Gordon has two gods — the Holy Father and Beyoncé. In this super funny show, Tracey wants to have sex and learn more about the world and herself, but is held back by the religious convictions of her family and boyfriend. Watch her navigate her religion, friends, and romance with the kind of relatable awkwardness that is rarely seen on TV.

4. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

crazy ex girlfriend cw

What did we do to deserve more of Rebecca Bunch's hilarious antics? Though not a Netflix original, the whole first season of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' is now on the site, so you can catch up and sing along. Don't be fooled by the title of this show; Rebecca is actually one of TV's most identifiable characters. She is a smart and powerful lawyer, a flawed but caring friend, and is unabashedly herself, big personality and all. I've loved watching her friendships with Paula, Valencia, and Heather evolve, and am so looking forward to learning more about Rebecca's personal story in the upcoming seasons.

5. "One Day At A Time"

one day at a time netflix

This show is a reimagining of a classic sitcom from the 1970s, and it centers around a Cuban-American family. Single mother Penelope is raising her two kids, a daughter named Elena and a son named Alex. Alex is a nerdy tween, while Elena is an outspoken feminist. With the help of their grandmother Lydia, the whole family comes together in this show for  comical, yet often touching, shenanigans.

6. "A Series Of Unfortunate Events"

a series of unfortunate events

Everyone knows that Violet is the best character in Lemony Snicket's series. She's smart and resourceful, and her wild inventions get her siblings out of some serious scenarios. In this new Netflix show, Violet gets the appreciation she deserves as the oldest Baudelaire sibling and crucial part of the team. This funny and macabre series is a fun watch for anyone who grew up reading the books and wanted to be just like Violet.

7. "Degrassi: Next Class"

degrassi going to netflix

Everyone who watched the original 'Degrassi' knows that there is some serious drama going down on Degrassi Street. Whether you're fresh out of high school or a true adult just looking to revisit the hallway gossip, check out this reboot.

8. "Santa Clarita Diet"

santa clarita diet

This show might not be for the squeamish. The horror-comedy follows Sheila and and Joel Hammond, a seemingly normal couple, both real estate agents, living in Santa Clarita, California. It's all fun and games until Sheila, played by Drew Barrymore, turns into a flesh-eating zombie. Joel and Sheila need to find people to eat and things are going to get weird. Eeeeep!

supergirl

Kara Zor-El came to Earth from the planet Krypton, and after hiding her powers for years, she comes out of superhero hiding to fight some serious evil. This CW show, streaming on Netflix, is both an action-packed thriller and an important character study of a feminist superhero. 

10. "Crazyhead"

crazyhead netflix

Being in your early 20s isn't always the easiest. However, it's much harder when you have to fight real demons in addition to your inner ones. In this show, Amy is an unhappy bowling alley worker who joins forces with socially awkward Raquel to fight the evil they see in society. For anyone who loved the show 'Misfits,' this series is by the same creators, and will definitely be just as exciting.

11. "Chelsea Does"

chelsea does

In Chelsea Handler's new documentary series 'Chelsea Does,' each episode sees the comedian take a closer look at some controversial societal topics, like marriage and the role of Silicon Valley.

12. "White Rabbit Project"

white rabbit project netflix

Oh, how many sick days I spent watching 'Mythbusters' in my youth and seeing all those explosions, scientific jargon, and Kari Byron's hilarious asides. Now, 'White Rabbit Project' brings back 'Mythbusters'' producers and some of the cast for a show that explores modern technology through wild experiments.

13. "3%"

3 netflix show

In this maybe too-real-for-this-time-in-history dystopian world, a group of 20-somethings are fighting for a spot on an Utopian piece land called the Offshore. Watch for some kick-butt characters and environmental commentary.

This is a serious syllabus of awesome, female-centric television. Better get watching if you want to catch up. 

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Netflix wants to sell you toys and clothes based on popular shows like 'Stranger Things' (NFLX)

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stranger things hot topic

Netflix is planning to jump into the lucrative toys and merchandise business, according to a report by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw.

Netflix is trying to hire an exec to head up licensing for "books, comics, gaming toys, collectibles, soundtrack and apparel,"according to a Netflix job posting.

Netflix has already conducted one test with "Stranger Things" merch at Hot Topic, and is currently in the experimental phase of its strategy, a spokesperson told Bloomberg.

Powerhouse Disney is the model for how to turn a hit show or movie into merchandise gold. But Netflix seems more focused on how merchandise can be used to keep interest in a show going.

"We are pursuing consumer products and associated promotion because we believe it will drive meaningful show awareness/buzz with more tangible, curated ways to interact with our most popular content,"Netflix said in the job posting. "We want licensed merchandise to help promote our titles so they become part of the zeitgeist for longer periods of time. Last but not least, merchandising and promotion will be used as a marketing tactic to capture member demand and delight our member community."

As Netflix content boss Ted Sarandos said last year: “Kids carrying the backpack sells the show.”

Check out Hot Topic's "Stranger Things" online shop.

SEE ALSO: Disney's CEO says there are too many ads on TV

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Drew Barrymore reveals the disgusting things she ate for her new zombie show

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drew barrymore santa clarita diet netflix

Drew Barrymore really dedicated herself to playing a zombie for her new comedy, Netflix's "Santa Clarita Diet."

On the show, Barrymore plays suburban wife and mom Sheila, who inexplicably begins to grow ill and crave human flesh, among other symptoms of the undead. In the role, Barrymore vomits... a lot, tears into people with her teeth, and eats newly killed animals and human flesh.

Barrymore said she came to the role quite hungry, because she was on a diet for the job.

"I was so hungry when we started," she told reporters at a Netflix event on Wednesday. "I was trying to lose 20 pounds, that was my goal. I was 144 when we started and I ended up at 124. In order to do that, you have to eat really sensibly. Listen, she was eating humans. And if you’re on an all-protein diet, you would thin out. There’s just no question about it. So it gave me a goal line that I committed to."

But Barrymore said that the actual things she had to eat for "Santa Clarita Diet" were almost as gross as what viewers see on the show.

"It was always different stuff," she said. "Some days it was dehydrated apples made to look fleshy. Some days, it was this weird edible rubber that tasted like Jolly Rancher. Sometimes it was like a wet cake to be a fake piece of chicken. Sometimes, it was like a soup that had gone bad to portray vomit, that had actually curdled. It was always a fun cornucopia. Every day was interesting."

Of all that, the 41-year-old actress said there was one fake food that surprised her when it made her sick.

"The raw beef, that one almost made me yak in the sink," Barrymore said. "It had a cream and it curdled. It was fake raw meat. It didn’t taste very good. Weirdly, of all the things, the raw meat was one that got me. That was one that took me down and almost made me throw up."

A source from the show's production told Business Insider that the fake raw beef was made of "a yucky pasta."

SEE ALSO: Netflix's trippy mystery show 'The OA' is coming back for another season

DON'T MISS: Netflix's new Drew Barrymore zombie show 'Santa Clarita Diet' is a gory, disgusting mess

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Netflix and Marvel just dropped the first 'Iron Fist' trailer — and it looks incredible


'The OA' is officially returning for a second season — here's everything we know

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The OA Prairie in alternate universe Netflix

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "The OA" season one.

Netflix has officially renewed "The OA" for a season season, and fans are thrilled to know they'll be back in the world of angels and inter-dimensional travel soon. The cocreator and star of the series, Brit Marling, announced "The OA: Part II" via a Facebook Live interview with Vulture.

The first season of "The OA" ended on an ambiguous and (depending on which fandom group you're in) frustrating note. The conclusion was enough of a cliffhanger that fans are now dying to see a second season.

By the end of the finale, we were led to believe that Prairie (a.k.a. the OA) was killed by a school shooter and has now been transported through space and time to her lost love, Homer. 

Buck ambulance the OA finale

Or was she? The finale also offered up the possibility that OA had been lying all along, and had told her five new friends a fictional story about her blindness and captivity that she made up using books she purchased off Amazon. OA had taught them all a series of movements which — when performed together in the exact right circumstances — would heal the sick, bring back the dead, or transport OA herself to a different location.

The final scene simply shows OA standing in a brightly lit room with tears running down her face. She looks into the camera, the screen goes black, and we hear her say: "Homer?"

Prairie the OA finale Netflix

So either the movements worked and she was standing in front of Homer, or she had been taken from the ambulance to a hospital and was now just in a regular room, alone and confused. We've already unpacked everything you need to know about the finale, so now we're going to look ahead. 

Here's the official season two teaser released by Netflix:

The teaser leans heavily into the "Homer?" cliffhanger from the season one finale. According to Redditor Davidrozwod, the Braille shown in the teaser says "survived."

The official Twitter account for "The OA" also tweeted the teaser with the caption "something always survives."

What does that mean? Is OA really back with Homer? Does that mean she walked back into Hap's prison willingly? Why is the season being billed as "part two," instead of just "season two"? 

We don't yet know exactly when more episodes of "The OA" will appear on Netflix, but we can look back at previous interviews to understand how Marling and her fellow showrunner to see where the story will head.

What "The OA" creators have said about season two

"The OA" is a creative collaboration between Marling and Zal Batmanglij. In various interviews since the premiere of "The OA" season one back in December 2016, the two spoke about their plans for a second season. 

"We spent a good year and a half upfront, before we even wrote the first chapter, designing the labyrinth and making sure there was something at its center that would feel worthwhile to arrive at," Marling told Entertainment Weekly.

This means they've known for sometime what season two would focus on.

"So there is a there there, but whether or not we'll be able to get there is another question," Marling told EW. "But we always had an intention for where a second season would start and where it would end. It was important to know all those things upfront. So I guess we'll just have to see if we get to tell it."

Steve French and Buck the OA cafeteria scene

Marling's cocreator Batmanglij reiterated this sentiment during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"I think this is a story that's carefully planned," Batmanglij said "I don't think any of us have thought about a second season right now because we're exhausted, but yeah, when we started, Brit and I spent two or three years conceiving of a whole world before we brought it to anybody, before it ever left our bedrooms. Things are going on there."

Marling and Batmanglij know they left the season finale on a hazy note — one that might frustrate fans who want to know more. Marling told Variety that the ambiguous ending was intentional.

"I think there is something really delicious in the mystery about questioning the storyteller's truth," Marling said. "[...] I think the place it kind of ultimately arrives at is that it maybe doesn't matter as much the details are true, because there's some essential core that she's imparting that smacks of honesty."

Praire OA doing movements in captivity

"The OA" received a mixed bag of reviews from viewers and critics alike. While some were enthralled and sold on the entire sci-fi drama, others believe the show took a turn for the worse with its school shooting scene in the finale. 

We'll have to wait and see what new twists and adventures Marling and Batmanglij have planned for their mystery-loving audience. 

Watch the full announcement video with Marling and Vulture editor Jackson McHenry below:

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Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2017 (NFLX)

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orange is the new black

On Wednesday, Netflix announced a bunch of release dates for a slew of its original shows coming in 2017.

We now have a good picture of timing for old favorites coming back, like "Orange Is the New Black" and "Chef's Table," as well as release dates for many new shows like "Bill Nye Saves the World."

Netflix also revealed it had picked up sci-fi hits "The OA" and "Travelers" for second seasons.

Netflix has said it will release a whopping 1,000 hours of original shows and movies in 2017 (and spend $6 billion to do so). That's up from 600 hours in 2016, and means you'd have to spend 41 days binge-watching Netflix to see it all. 

To help you keep track, we've updated our list of shows Netflix has confirmed — for certain — are coming out in 2017. This excludes movies and kids' shows, and things that might not come out until 2018 and beyond.

Here are the 30 shows we know for sure Netflix is putting out in 2017, along with their release date if available:

SEE ALSO: It would take you over 41 days to binge-watch all the original shows and movies Netflix will release in 2017

'Chef's Table' (Season 3) — February 17

Netflix description:"Gifted. Eccentric. Visionary. When these chefs from around the globe cook, they don't see rules. They see possibilities."



'Ultimate Beastmaster' (Season 1) — February 24

Netflix description:"Each hour-long episode will feature 12 competitors, two from each country, who will take their shot at running one of the most physically demanding obstacle courses ever devised, 'The Beast.' At the end of each episode, a ‘Beastmaster’ will be crowned and in the final episode of the season, the nine individual winners from each episode will compete against each other for the chance for one contestant to become the Ultimate Beastmaster."



'Love' (Season 2) — March 10

Netflix description:"It's awkward. It's impossible. It's infuriating. And it may just be the best thing that's ever happened to them."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Netflix producer on new ‘Castlevania’ show: ‘I’m personally guaranteeing that this is going to be the best f-----g video game adaptation ever made’ (NFLX)

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Video games are great at lots of things: immersion, delight, even storytelling every now and again. But when it comes to turning those successes into film or television adaptations, something goes terribly wrong. 

Super Mario Bros. (movie)

The most recent example came in late December 2016, with Michael Fassbender starring in a movie adaptation of the "Assassin's Creed" franchise. Critics ravaged the film. "I suppose you could say the film made me slightly more likely to play one of the games, but only because I’d do just about anything before I saw this movie again,"wrote Slate senior editor Jonathan L. Fischer.

It has an 18% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

michael fassbender assassins creed

Netflix is promising something different with a just-announced animated series based on the classic game series "Castlevania." Here's how Netflix describes the show:

"Inspired by the classic video game series, 'Castlevania' is a dark medieval fantasy following the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to save Eastern Europe from extinction at the hand of Vlad Dracula Tepe himself. The animated series is from Frederator Studios, a Wow! Unlimited Media company, written by best-selling author and comic book icon Warren Ellis and executive produced by Warren Ellis, Kevin Kolde, Fred Seibert and Adi Shankar."

The show's producer, Adi Shankar, says it's based on the third game in the series, "Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse." Here's what that game looks like, for reference:

Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse

He also has a message for the folks who think this show is destined to be another bad video game adaptation: "I’m personally guaranteeing that this is going to be the best f-----g video game adaptation ever made to date,"he told Collider. "I’ve seen it, and it’s f-----g amazing."

Shankar got more specific in a post on Facebook:

Here's hoping he's right! 

To Shankar's credit, his past work includes the excellent "Dredd" film, and the show's writer is acclaimed graphic novel author Warren Ellis. Additionally, the production company is Frederator Studios — better known as "the folks behind 'Adventure Time,'" among other things. But it's a bold claim to make regardless given past precedent.

From the sound of things, we'll find out for ourselves sooner than later; season one is scheduled to arrive sometime this year, on Netflix of course.

SEE ALSO: Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2017

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Netflix dominates Saturdays — here's how it stacks up against TV networks the rest of the week

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house of cards petrov

Netflix dominates its streaming and TV rivals on Saturdays, according to new research by SymphonyAM, a startup that tracks cross-platform entertainment viewing.

SymphonyAM looked at how Netflix and other streaming services stacked up against the major broadcast TV networks on each day of the week, based on percentage of total viewership in Q4.

The researchers found that the big hits drove viewership at the broadcast networks, allowing them to win every day except Saturday, which Netflix claimed. Netflix releases full seasons of shows at once, sometimes on Friday. Amazon and Hulu saw relatively stable viewership percentage throughout the week.

Here's a summary of the top network on each day, and what share of the viewership they got:

  • Monday: CBS at 24% ("Big Bang Theory," which has been moved to Thursdays)
  • Tuesday: NBC at 23% ("The Voice" and "This Is Us")
  • Wednesday: ABC at 22% ("Modern Family" and "Black-ish")
  • Thursday: ABC at 23% ("Grey's Anatomy,""How to Get Away with Murder,""Scandal")
  • Friday: CBS at 23%
  • Saturday: Netflix at 26%
  • Sunday: ABC at 22%

And here's the full chart from SymphonyAM:

Screen Shot 2017 02 09 at 4.38.22 PM"Overall, the significant uptick for Netflix and marginal upticks for Hulu and Amazon suggest a higher propensity for [streaming video] viewership on the weekend," SymphonyAM SVP John Sollecito wrote. 

Binge-watching, anyone? Netflix has said it will release a whopping 1,000 hours of original shows and movies in 2017 (and spend $6 billion to do so).

For more on SymphonyAM's observation methodology, which has drawn both praise and criticism, see our overview.

SEE ALSO: Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2017

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