A research brief I conducted on Netflix and its show runners:

Streaming diversity:

How deals between TV Showrunners and Netflix have contributed to representation in mainstream television

Introduction:

Television showrunners who have partnered up with Netflix have created and produced shows that have garnered massive success from all around the globe while helping Netflix maintain its brand as a diverse streaming platform. In recent years, Netflix has built its brand image as a streaming platform that supports diversity and inclusion, so much so that it is included in its mission statement and values. On its website, Netflix states that its "greatest impact is creating empathy and understanding through the stories we tell. We believe more people deserve to see their lives on-screen and are committed to creating opportunities in front of and behind the camera for people from all backgrounds and cultures" (Netflix). Axelle Asmar, Tim Raats, and Leo Van Audenhove have discussed in their "Streaming Difference(s): Netflix and The Branding of Diversity" article that the streaming service "presents itself as a platform set on dismantling traditional structures to usher the television industry into a new era" (Asmar, Raats and Audenhove 8). 

The company has produced and released a collection of shows which celebrate representation of all identities and backgrounds, as Asmar, Raats, and Audenhove have discussed in their article. Their article claims that "Netflix stresses the company's commitment to representing its audience in all its diversity—that is, ethnic, sexual or linguistic" (Asmar, Raats, and Audenhove 2). Aside from producing content that promotes diversity, Netflix has joined hands and collaborated with a range of showrunners in television. When picking successful TV showrunners, Netflix stayed true to its inclusion and diversity values. Over the few years, Netflix has signed deals with huge TV showrunners to amplify its diverse brand while producing content of high quality.  

Shonda Rhimes:

Netflix's most successful contract with a TV showrunner has so far been with Shonda Rhimes. Before working with Netflix, Rhimes worked with ABC and has written and produced shows like Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. Due to the great reception her shows received during her time at ABC, Rhimes quickly became one of the top TV creators and showrunners in television. According to an article from Forbes, Rhimes and her production company called, Shondaland had signed a multiyear deal with Netflix for $100 million in 2017 after her run at ABC (Hale 2021). Alongside her team at Shondaland, Rhimes has produced and released successful shows such as Bridgerton and Inventing Anna for Netflix, which has helped the platform make money and gain millions of viewers. The show Bridgerton was praised highly for its reimagining of the Regency Era and diverse casting choices considering most historical shows cast predominantly white actors. In 2021, it was reported that Netflix had extended their contract with Rhimes as they intended to work further alongside the showrunner "in hopes of wading deeper into diverse audiences" (Hale 2021). The extension of Shonda Rhimes's contract showcases how much Netflix values Rhimes and her work.

Ryan Murphy:

Another prominent TV showrunner Netflix had signed with was Ryan Murphy. Netflix had bagged Murphy soon after he left FOX, with whom he had released high-profile shows such as American Horror Story, Pose, and Glee. In 2018, Murphy signed a five-year development deal with Netflix for $300 million, which marked it as "the biggest producer deal in television history," in an article from The Hollywood Reporter written by Lacey Rose (Rose 2018). After signing a contract with Netflix, Ryan produced and released well-liked shows such as Hollywood and Feud. Netflix's Hollywood, created and produced by Murphy, is recognized for its effort to celebrate inclusion and representation despite having mixed reviews from critics. Murphy still intends to produce more shows for Netflix as he has recently released works like The Watcher and Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which shows he is not going to stop anytime soon. 

In Murphy's feature with The Hollywood Reporter, he had reportedly noticed that "Netflix's two biggest deals have gone to him and Rhimes, a gay man and an African-American woman." Murphy confesses this kind of "development was something that he could never have imagined possible when he first began" working in the TV industry. He further states "I think if you're an 'other' — if you're a woman or a gay person or a person of color — you have grown up in a business where you've been made to feel you're just lucky to be in this fucking game and you should stay in your corner." Murphy admits his deal with Netflix has lead him to think the culture has shifted and now has a positive outlook on the television industry where he thinks people like him are very much worthy of those things as "there are statistics from a business perspective to back it up" (Rose 2018). Netflix's decision to form partnerships with showrunners like Rhimes and Murphy reveals that the company is taking a step forward in the right direction when building a safe and diverse streaming platform for audiences to consume. 

Strengths:

Netflix's practice of signing with diverse creative workers such as Rhimes and Murphy demonstrates their inclusive work ethic, which creates opportunities for people from all backgrounds and cultures. Hiring Rhimes and Murphy in a public manner has helped Netflix define its brand image as diverse and inclusive. An article titled "Who's Running the Show?: Negotiating Authority in the Post-Fin-Syn Writer-Producer Deals" written by Josh Heuman discusses how "hired-gun showrunners might enjoy an authority and authorship comparable to creators" (Heuman 43). This stands true in Shonda Rhimes's case. For instance, "The Golden Ratio of Algorithms to Artists? Streaming Services and the Platformization of Creativity in American Television Production" article by Annemarie Naval Gill mentions one of the crucial aspects of why Rhimes had decided to sign with Netflix. The article's writer inserts a quote from Rhimes explaining why she prefers to work with television companies that prefer to look at viewership data rather than ratings. In an observation, Rhimes noted, "if a streamer was happy with the performance of a series on the basis of viewership numbers or whatever other data points they were interested in, they would signal it by ordering more. This was largely seen as liberating because it meant there was not even the temptation to become overly invested in ratings at the expense of storytelling." She further clarifies her decision to work with Netflix by saying, "I have never paid attention to ratings because I can't control them, and ratings can never control the story. What I like is that now I don't have to work at a place where people believe it could be helpful for me in some way" (Navar-Gill 5). Rhimes's and Murphy's appreciation of working with a company like Netflix that mostly aligns with their values and vision discloses how important it is to embrace a work culture that supports diversity and gives creative workers a voice. 

Hiring creative professionals from different kinds of backgrounds to produce shows that encourage diverse representation in the television industry is something that Netflix is keen to follow. Although Netflix is trying to encourage representation in television, it still needs to work on following that attitude behind the screen. A quote from Aymar Jean Christian's "Beyond Branding: The Value of Intersectionality on Streaming TV Channels" article notes how "Netflix's black representation behind the camera, which is invisible but materially significant to creating roles for more actors, continues to fall far below black representation in the broader population. Yet a small group of entrepreneurs are working against these dynamics by entering the realm of distribution to release and market narratives that address how race, gender, sexuality, class, and other intersecting forms of difference impact American and global lives. Established producers [like Shonda Rhimes] in Hollywood have jumped into distribution" (Christian 463). Christian's statement brings up a challenge by calling attention to Netflix's imperfect black representation but ultimately recognizes the streaming platform's attempt to fix its mistakes by hiring established producers such as Rhimes and Murphy, who are dedicated to exploring inclusivity in the television sphere.  

Netflix's Bridgerton, which is produced by Shondaland, is a historical show which quickly gained a huge following after the first season was released in 2020. The Shondaland series is based on novels of the same name written by Julia Quinn and is set during the Regency Era. The show rose to popularity as it garnered views from over 63M households in 28 days and broke viewership records right after the first season was released, making it one of the streamer's most-watched shows, as reported in an article by Variety (Otterson 2021). Besides being known for its flamboyant and colorful costumes, scandalous affairs, and instrumental covers of pop songs, the show is most recognized for its reimagining of the Regency Era, such as its inclusion of people of color characters. The show has a diverse cast as it is set in a fantasy alternate era where a racially integrated London exists. The showrunners and the producers of the show have followed a color-blind casting approach to create the diverse world of Bridgerton. The show was praised mainly for its black and south Asian representation in its two seasons. Signing deals with showrunners like Rhimes, who have brought distributed shows such as Bridgerton that contribute to representation, supported Netflix's diverse brand image. 

Weaknesses:

Unfortunately, great rewards often come with great risks. From an outside perspective, Netflix's decision to sign expensive contracts with showrunners is a bold yet risky move, no matter how successful they are. Netflix's decision to join hands with Ryan Murphy has proven to come with its own ups and downs. While Murphy has contributed a lot to Netflix, like producing critically acclaimed Feud, there have been challenges along the way. For instance, Murphy has produced shows that haven't done so well in terms of gaining approval from critics and audiences. For instance, his shows, such as The Politician and Hollywood, have not been able to attract popularity among audiences and received low reviews from critics. An example that discloses the show's failure to gain popularity is an article from Esquire written by Justin Kirkland that describes the first season as "hot garbage" and an "emotionally constipated train wreck" (Kirkland 2019). Although Netflix's The Politician focuses on LGBTQ representation, it fails to move audiences and critics as the show does not have the same sparkle as Murphy's other work, such as Pose and Glee.

Similarly, although Shonda Rhimes's Inventing Anna had done well in terms of attracting viewership, it had struggled critically. The show, which is based on a true story and follows the life of a fraud named Anna Delvey, gained quite a lot of viewership from audiences as it was reported in a Deadline article that it had garnered over 273 million views after nine days the limited series was released (White 2022). Though the show had a high viewership and was nominated for three Emmy categories, it received mixed reviews from critics and maintained a 63% Rotten Tomatoes rating online. A review article from Vox by Alex Abad-Santos called the show a "lazy girl boss revenge fantasy" and implies that the show failed to portray Delvey's life (Abad-Santos 2022). Murphy's The Politician and Rhimes's Inventing Anna reveal that lucrative deals do not always guarantee success.

Opportunities:

Besides partnering up with Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, Netflix can consider making deals with showrunners they have worked with before or who are entirely new to the industry. Lately, Netflix has partnered up with young TV producers with little experience working in the entertainment industry, such as signing a multiyear deal with Gina Atwater, who has experience filming short films. A Deadline article by Denise Petski announces that Netflix signed a deal with Atwater and was hired to lead a television series adaptation of a young adult book called Raybearer in 2021 (Petski 2021). The Hollywood Reporter article by Lesley Goldberg has also publicized that Netflix has signed a multiyear deal with Molly Smith Metzler, the creator of the limited-series Maid. The article from The Hollywood Reporter states that Metzler "will focus on the creation of socially conscious originals featuring empowering roles for women for the streamer (Goldberg 2022). Like partnering with Atwater and Metzler to build a diverse range of content for their platform, Netflix could sign deals with showrunners like Mindy Kaling and Michaela Coel. Netflix has already worked with Kaling and Coel in distributing their shows Never Have I Ever and Chewing Gum, respectively. A CNBC article released in 2021 and written by Jennifer Liu reported that Michaela Coel had turned down Netflix's $1 million offer for her show I May Destroy You. Coel had reportedly turned down the offer as she wanted to retain most of her rights over the show she created (Liu 2021). Netflix should consider allowing showrunners and creators to retain most of their rights over a show besides offering them an enormous amount of money to maintain their brand image as a company that wishes to share stories of diversity.

Netflix could also contemplate partnering with international showrunners who have preferably worked with the company previously. For instance, the streaming platform could work with famous international showrunners and creators such as Hwang Dong-Hyuk, who has written and directed Squid Game. Netflix's Squid Game has gained critical acclaim and popularity worldwide as it has broken records and is one of the streamer's top shows. The show has gained a total of 14 Emmy nominations and has won 6 of them. Signing a deal with Hwang Dong-hyuk can help Netflix expand its audience and maintain some of the popularity it had attracted following the release of Squid Game. Netflix could also sign a deal with Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the creators of Dark, a German science fiction thriller show that was well-received among audiences internationally. The show began in 2017 and ended in 2020 with its third and final season. The show was praised for its world-building and intricate plot. Partnering with international TV creators and showrunners can help Netflix expand its market and reach new audiences.

Threats:

One of the main challenges that Netflix faces is losing showrunners with great potential over other streaming competitors. There is a lot of great talent in the television industry, and it is hard for even a corporation like Netflix to poach all of them. However, there are a lot of talented TV showrunners and creators whom Netflix missed the chance to partner with because of competitors. For instance, it was publicly announced in an article from The Hollywood Reporter, which was written by Lesley Goldberg, that Quinta Brunson, who had created Abbott Elementary, had signed a multiyear deal with Warner Bros. TV (Goldberg 2022). Losing the opportunity to sign and partner with talents such as Brunson is ultimately a loss for Netflix. 

Another challenge that Netflix might face is tackling controversies over shows produced by creative workers partnered with them. This applies to the controversy surrounding Ryan Murphy's latest project Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. A Times article written by Moises Mendez II discussed the controversy surrounding the show in depth. The article reports, "critics have questioned the need to revisit the story of a serial killer who targeted young men who were primarily black and brown." The article further discusses how "much of the discussion has focused on how systemic racism allowed Dahmer to continue killing men, mostly of color and that some family members of the victims of Dahmer have also spoken out against the series, saying it has retraumatized them" (Mendez II 2022). The controversy behind Murphy's Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story ultimately might negatively impact Netflix's trading of inclusivity as the show focuses on black trauma caused at the hands of a white man.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Netflix's partnership with TV showrunners and creators is to build a collection that showcases diverse representations of all identities and backgrounds. Referring back to the "Streaming difference(s): Netflix and the branding of diversity" article written by Axelle Asmar, Tim Raats and Leo Van Audenhove briefly mention how Netflix benefits by focusing on distributing diverse works to support the public's image of them as an inclusive company. "By focusing on the diversity strategy, the research shows how Netflix appeals to a global frame of experiences and ideals while at the same time addressing niche audiences through its distinctive promotion as the industry's wind of change" (Asmar, Raats, and Audenhove 12). In closing, Netflix has raised the bar of diverse representation compared to other streaming platforms and improved mainstream television by showcasing works from POC and LGBTQ+ showrunners. On the other hand, the streaming platform company needs to improve its practices, such as supporting its creative workers and allowing them to retain rights over their work.

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