Amid the apparent unfolding failure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s five-part documentary about polo, sources have told the Daily Mail that Netflix executives are “exhausted” from working with Markle, and her future at the streaming giant now rests on her “make or break” cookery show, which still has no premiere date.
The Daily Beast has reported that the Sussexes—once heralded as Netflix’s golden duo who promised “content that informs but also gives hope” through a “truthful and relatable lens”—and Netflix appear keen to move on from Polo, which was lambasted by critics.
One called it a “tedious inside look” at the sport and a “dull indulgence” while another reviewer suggested the series seemed designed as a spoof to play in the background of Succession episodes.
There have been no media or promotional events scheduled to support the series. As Sean McNulty, the producer, writer and Hollywood veteran who is also the creator and writer of newsletter The Wakeup told the Daily Beast earlier this week: “The lack of a proper, visible press campaign for a series from Harry and Meghan raises an eyebrow to say the least.”
One source told the Daily Mail: “It’s make or break. People say Netflix are exhausted. It’s so much work with her and, bluntly, the ‘deliverable’ does not seem to be worth it.”
Another entertainment executive reportedly said, “Her show will have to be an enormous hit to turn around their deal and their reputations in this town.”
The Mail cites sources as saying the show will drop in February or March after Harry’s profile will be raised by the Winter Invictus Games in Whistler, Canada. Markle’s homeware brand American Riviera Orchard will launch at the same time, the report says.
The Mail says that despite having bought the rights to a hit book, Meet Me At The Lake, the project has yet to enter production and is thus unlikely to drop before the Netflix deal is up for renewal next year.
Harry and Meghan do not have official social media accounts, but their friends who have often promoted things on their behalf have either done nothing or very little for the new show.
As the Daily Beast reported this week, Nacho Figueras, one of the stars of the series, has only posted a few items about the show, which dropped on Tuesday.
A source quoted in Closer Magazine attempted to defend Harry and Meghan, saying the end result was “pretty much out of their control” because “the bosses wanted the series to appeal to the masses and push this reality TV angle.”
Tony Case, a marketing expert and writer, told the Daily Beast: “The critics have universally slammed the show. Harry and Meghan are box office poison. Of course everyone is running away from it, in every direction to not pick up the stench of this colossal bomb.”
He added, “From a brand perspective, I’m not really sure anything can be done at this point to reverse consumers’ obvious apathy toward the Sussexes. They set out to conquer America, but nobody here, it turned out, found them or what they’re peddling to be particularly compelling.”
