Netflix Doubles Down on Meghan Markle Deal With Cooking Show, Polo Series
Netflix is remaining in the Duchess of Sussex business!
And business is — well, booming might be a strong word, but clearly, both sides believe they’ve got a good thing going.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry first signed a deal with Netflix back in 2020, but since then, the couple’s media market value has declined a bit.
Their first two projects with the streaming giant met with mixed results, but according to a new announcement, two more series from the couple’s Archewell production studio are currently in development.
News of the new shows was first reported by Deadline.
One of the projects is a food-focused lifestyle series that will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining and friendship.”
The show will be directed by Michael Steed, who’s best known for his work on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
The showrunner will be Leah Hariton, who was previously a producer on Selena Gomez’s Selena + Chef cooking show on HBO.
Harry and Meghan’s other forthcoming project is a docu-series that promises to “provide viewers unprecedented access to the world of professional polo.”
“Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level,” reads a statement issued by Netflix.
The series will take place primarily at the US Open Polo Championship in Florida, with Welcome to Wrexham producer Miloš Balać serving as showrunner.
Harry is a lifelong polo player, and we’re sure his passion for the sport will translate to the screen.
But thus far, Netflix audiences have been only lukewarm on Harry and Meghan content.
A December 2022 docu-series about the couple’s personal lives reportedly performed well (Netflix is notoriously secretive about viewership data), but a second series — about Harry’s involvement with the Invictus Games — failed to make a splash.
Of course, Suits is currently Netflix’s most-watched show, so Meghan might be enjoying some residual goodwill from the acting career she left behind when she married Harry.
Whatever the case, based on recent remarks from Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, it seems that there are still more Sussex projects in the works.
“They have a couple of unscripted things they’re working on with Brandon [Reigg],” Bajaria said at a press event in February, according to Hello! magazine.
“And they actually have like a bunch of development. They have a movie in development, a [scripted] series that they’re working on. So all very early development, with a movie, a TV show and a couple of unscripted shows. But yeah, the movie’s great.”
What do you think, TV fanatics? Do Meghan and Harry have a future as TV moguls, or should they stick to other forms of media?
Hit the comment section below to share your thoughts.
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.
