Netflix has landed a new comedy series starring Ricky Gervais.The show, titled “Derek,” currently airs on Channel 4 in Britain. Instead of bringing it over to a traditional American network, the comedian has decided to give the broadcasting rights in the US to Netflix.
As to be expected with a show headed by Gervais, the series is already striking up a bit of controversy overseas. It is likely for fear of being censored or pressured to cut back on the controversial comedy that the show has ended up on Netflix. That, and apparently the streaming service also made a pretty good offer.
“As an artist you want the fruits of your labor to be seen by the largest number of people possible without having to compromise the product. This deal gave me the freedom and the huge potential viewers of the Internet but the production values of film and TV. They also made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Come on, an artist gotta eat man,” Gervais said.
As we all know, TV on Netflix is a godsend. Nobody wants to go out to the store and buy those terrible expensive DVD or Blu-ray box sets anymore. Just clicking the remote to Netflix and streaming classic episodes of your favorite shows has revolutionized the way we stay connected to serial dramas, comedies, and more.
The company does face the difficult point of diminishing returns at this point. It has most of the major TV shows in its back pocket, so the question is how it remains fresh and relevant. Most likely it will continue to dole out brand new, original programming.
