Netflix Is Removing Originals From the Streaming Service

There are a ton of TV shows and movies on Netflix that are labeled as “Originals” to the streaming service, but that title actually has multiple meanings. Some projects, like Stranger Things and The Witcher, are truly original creations. Netflix greeenlit these productions and is the first (and usually only) place to air them. There are also projects like Peaky Blinders and Bodyguard, which are actually produced by BBC over in the UK and released in all other countries by Netflix, allowing the service to brand them as original. All that to say, not every original on Netflix is truly original to the service, and some of these titles are beginning to exit the streamer’s lineup and leave fans confused.

Netflix users recently discovered that the BBC series Happy Valley, which is listed in the United States and most other countries as a Netflix exclusive, is leaving the service on March 16th. If you didn’t know that the show originally aired on BBC and believed it to be a true Netflix original, this probably comes as a total shock. Why would an original series leave its own service?

There has been no official word from Netflix or BBC as to why Happy Valley is leaving the streamer. River, another BBC partnership series, is also making its way off of the Netflix lineup.

Is there any real reason for these departures? Not that we know, but it likely boils down to the deals between Netflix and BBC. Since Netflix didn’t actually make these shows, it can’t make the final decision as to whether or not they stay. Of course, this could mean trouble for popular titles like Peaky Blinders, but Netflix has a habit of shelling out big money to keep well-performing shows on the service for as long as possible (see: Friends). So don’t worry too much about that.

Despite a strong working relationship with Netflix, BBC has been making other substantial streaming moves in recent months, such as striking a deal with Discovery to exclusively stream the Planet Earth titles on its own service. Perhaps that was just the beginning of the split between Netflix and BBC.

Then again, maybe Happy Valley and River just aren’t great needle-movers outside of the UK, and Netflix doesn’t really care to lose them. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with the other joint originals over the next few months.