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Netflix Pulls a Mitt Romney, Flip Flops on Qwikster

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under TV Reviews | Comments (17)



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Briefly: Last month, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced that it would spin off its DVD-by-Mail service into another site, Qwikster, only to be met by the second public relations nightmare since the summer, when Netflix announced a 60 percent price. The stock price began to bleed, and the decision to spin off the mail service didn’t clog the wound. Now, clearly uneasy with the new path and the uproar among its members who didn’t want to navigate two websites, Netflix is pulling back and abandoning the Qwikster service. “”There is a difference between moving quickly — which Netflix has done very well for years — and moving too fast, which is what we did in this case,” said Hastings.

No word, however, on whether the Netflix by mail service will offer video games, as it had planned to do under the Qwikster.com banner.

What should staunch the bleeding, however, is Netflix’s decision to offer both “Felicity” and “The Wonder Years” on its streaming service. To anyone that’s watched either of those, do you know if the original music is used? The DVD box set of “Felicity” did not use the original music, and the show suffered for it.










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Comments

I'm guessing that the streaming Felicity won't have the original music either. Networks were so desperate for the latest hit song on shows like that that they signed really unfavorable contracts with limited use of the songs. As soon as those contracts ended, it became standard to negotiate those contracts in a brand new way, which gave the record labels even more money. If the show was a hit, they bled the networks for as much money as possible for syndication. It's not cost efficient to go for another license on the songs at this point. It's what held up the Daria DVDs for so long.

Posted by: Robert at October 10, 2011 10:08 AM

Whaaaat would you dooooo if I sang... unlicensed tunes? Would you stand up and file a lawsuit on me?

Posted by: branded at October 10, 2011 10:21 AM

So.... does this mean there's going to be no streaming content whatsoever? Or is Qwikster (still a dumb name) going to be an entirely separate entity that will offer streaming content?

Posted by: Anna von Beav at October 10, 2011 10:40 AM

I DON'T CARE WHICH IT IS, JUST MAKE A FRICKIN' DECISION!

Posted by: Anna von Beav at October 10, 2011 10:41 AM

Ah. It's staying the same as it currently is. Thanks, Googles.

I'm fine with this.

Posted by: Anna von Beav at October 10, 2011 10:48 AM

It's not cost efficient to go for another license on the songs at this point. It's what held up the Daria DVDs for so long.

Posted by: Robert at October 10, 2011 10:08 AM

Speaking of MTV animation, that's also why there is no official DVD of Downtown. Still, if you really want it then the following link might be useful.

http://chrisprynoski.blogspot.com

Apparently, the price includes delivery to anywhere in the world. I got mine delivered to Northern Ireland at no extra cost. $25. Flippin' bargain.

Posted by: Ballymena Bob at October 10, 2011 11:15 AM

Netflix Pulls a Mitt Romney, Flip Flops on Qwikster.

See? Already with the leadership!

Seriously, by which I mean not at all seriously, all the poor boy has wanted for years and years and years is to be president. Maybe we should give it to him just to make him happy.

And a pony.

Posted by: BierceAmbrose at October 10, 2011 11:31 AM

SHIIIIT! Branded just won Eloquent Eloquence and it's only Monday! Were all playin for second place now...

Posted by: logan at October 10, 2011 11:35 AM

And AvB's convos with her self make me smile...

Posted by: logan at October 10, 2011 11:36 AM

Also a lot of awesome Korean stuff up on Netflix stream!

Posted by: googergieger at October 10, 2011 2:10 PM

Ahhh hhhaaaa hhaaaaahhhh sofa king hilarious! Oh, Netflix, you so funny. Way to backpedal, motherfuckers.

Posted by: MM at October 10, 2011 2:48 PM

I've been watching Felicity the last few weeks, but I have no idea if the music is original. I don't recognize most of it (bland, acoustic, coffee shop rock of the late 90s/early 00s), so maybe they didn't get the license?

Speaking from my experience with Daria, that show retains its quality without the original music, it just lost some of its cool factor. In the end, it impacts the show a lot less than you might think.

Posted by: kelsy at October 10, 2011 2:56 PM

So I have a theory. Man or woman. Boy or girl. Question mark. Only Lesbians like Daria. Yet to be disproven.

Posted by: googergieger at October 10, 2011 3:12 PM

Smart move on their part....I'd hate for "Anonymous" to become involved in someway.

Posted by: Lord-ninja at October 10, 2011 4:23 PM

I echo the appreciation for Branded's comment.

Wonder Years just wouldn't be Wonder Years without those song cues. I'm all for protecting license rights of musicians, but I wish the networks would just ante up for perpetuity across all media, if not retroactively then at least going forward. It's a shame we can't relive so many great shows as they once were.

Posted by: DarthCorleone at October 10, 2011 6:22 PM

I watched the first episode of The Wonder Years on Sunday with my 9 year old daughter. It came with a lovely surprise mention of birth control, which I then awkwardly explained to her.

Posted by: Morosey at October 11, 2011 11:28 AM

Mitt Romney, the multi-millionaire, in his own caring words: "I'm 110 percent behind the anti-union efforts.". This is not the man i invision saving our country from the fiscal and social issues that we face. His views are at times extreme and i would hate to imagine my america in his hands.

Posted by: Anton Goldies at October 31, 2011 9:00 PM