Welcome to the Discussions & Ideas page for July - September 2017
Once again, it's time to start a fresh page for Discussions & Ideas, to allow plenty of room for new comments. Previous pages have been archived, so you can look at what has gone before. Links to those pages are in the sidebar.
This page is an open forum and catchall for discussing anything about Netflix, this blog, and/or other related topics. Feel free to ask questions, make suggestions, share information, offer opinions, even rant if something is bugging you (although we now have a very nice "Complaining" page that is especially good for that).
The body of this page will be used to keep everyone updated when there is blog news, and to ask for feedback about improvements/changes/additions, etc. Of course, your participation is always optional and voluntary.
Blog News: Changes to the Daily Update
My time has more demands on it than when I started this blog, so I haven't been able to spend as much time working on it as I would like. I'm sure you have noticed that I'm not always able to meet my self-imposed deadlines, and I apologize for that confusion.
For July, I'd like to experiment with a more open, flexible update schedule. Here's what to expect:
> Expired titles and the current day's "last day to watch" titles will be updated every day.
> Press release titles and end of month titles will go on the master list within 24 hours of their appearance in the comments (same or next day).
> Renewals will go up every day, even if there isn't a complete update.
> When there are only a small number of titles - say, fewer than ten - that need to be added to the list, I might postpone the full update for one or two days - no more than that, even if there are no titles. I won't let contributed titles pile up in the comments, or let the list languish without regular updates.
> The time of day for updates will depend on my schedule for the day. I'd love to have it be consistent, but, realistically, it will vary from day to day. Lots of titles will usually mean a later update. Also, some days I'm just not able to get to it until later in the day. My goal, though, is always to get the update done as early as possible.
> Check the top of the main page for update information. If there will not be a full update, there will be a note to let you know.
> When there is a full update, I will put a note in the Comments, so you will know where the break is between titles added to the list, and titles not yet on the list.
One of the changes the new update policy will bring is that newly added titles might stay in italics for two or three days, and added-this-week titles could be there a little longer. Hopefully, this will not be too much of a problem for anyone.
As always, if you have comments or suggestions about these changes, feel free to share them on this page.
Other Open Discussion Pages
When a particular topic generates a lot of discussion, it will be spun off to its own specific Discussion page. Links to open Discussion pages follow. Please feel free to add comments to any of these. If your comments do not fit any of these topics, then please add them here, in the comments section below.
The New Netflix Ratings System of Thumbs Up or Down
Netflix "My List" - Problems/Questions/Changes/Updates
All Things Related to the Netflix-Disney Deal
Issues Around Netflix's Policies Regarding Expiration Notices
Complain About Netflix: Vent, Kvetch, Whine, Grouse - Get It Off Your Chest!
My goal: A blog that looks polished and feels complete (not giving up on this!), and that offers helpful content for all, without detracting from the sacred mission of giving followers as much lead time as possible to watch expiring titles.
Thanks to the many contributors who share their time, knowledge, and expertise to keep the blog interesting, informative, and fresh in a variety of ways. It is truly a collaborative effort, and I'm honored to be part of it.
Thanks to the many contributors who share their time, knowledge, and expertise to keep the blog interesting, informative, and fresh in a variety of ways. It is truly a collaborative effort, and I'm honored to be part of it.
ReplyDeleteThe following comment was posted on the last Discussions page, and I'm afraid it got away from me. So I'm copying it here, and responding to it - at long last!
CanandaiguaNY May 25, 2017 at 8:33 AM
I've also noticed expirations of titles that I, vaguely, remember as having expired some time in the past. It may well be that Netflix is buying titles to stream on short-term contracts. It seems to me that there'd be an advantage to it to advertise this: "now, for a limited engagement, we have ..." This is what movie theaters used to do back in their glory days, 1930s to 1960s. They thought it helped bring people to the theater, and it could help Netflix add or keep the subscribers which its investors prize. I, certainly would like to know if a title is available for only a limited run, but this doesn't fit Netflix's business model.
The archives of this blog hold this information, but it isn't worth my time, or anyone else's, to hunt through the archives to find out if a title, listed for upcoming expiration, had expired in the past. I wonder if one of Carol's house elves could write a program or macro (or whatever such things are called nowadays) that, regularly or at the touch of a button, could scour the archives and put up a note on a title on the current list that it had previously expired and come back.
ReplyDeleteHi CanandaiguaNY - I’m so sorry I didn’t reply to you sooner (and I got interrupted right after publishing your comment here, so was delayed some more - dang!). For what it’s worth, here goes.
Although I like your idea, I’m afraid I won’t be able to implement it - that level of sophistication is more than this blog was ever intended to do. However. . .
If it’s just one or two titles here and there, it really isn’t that time-consuming to search the archives to see if they have expired before. In literally a few minutes, using the ctrl F search function, I was able to determine that Braveheart had not only just expired on July 1, but also on last October 1, and on January 16 before that.
If you start at the Home page, without opening comments, you can search several posts at a time. Keep clicking “Older Posts” at the bottom of the scroll until you’ve searched them all. You have to click ctrl F for each batch, but the search box holds the title, so it only requires that you “Enter” for each new batch of posts.
Another method for seeing what tends to bounce back-and-forth is to check MaFt’s site, New on Netflix USA (link in sidebar). If you search for a streaming title, and click on the poster for details, it gives you the Netflix history. For example, I found E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial at: http://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/60022398/s. Among other info, it told me:
04/01/2016: Added to Netflix
11/01/2016: Removed from Netflix
01/03/2017: Added to Netflix
06/01/2017: Removed from Netflix
07/01/2017: Streaming Again
I guess if I were deciding between 2 movies to watch, knowing if one of them was a “bouncer” - and therefore had a fair-to-good chance of returning - could be useful. But history is not a guarantee of what’s to come, so I’m not sure how much good this information would do us.
Thanks so much for the suggestion, though, CanandaiguaNY. They are always welcome, and I’ll try to do a better job of responding in the future.
another solution is to search for a movie or show listed on this site through google or your preferred search engine, e.g.:
Delete"eyes wide shut" site:expiringonnetflix.blogspot.com
Changes to Daily Update:
ReplyDeleteFirst, Happy 4th to you Carol.
I think whatever you do will work; you diligently strive to keep this blog in "top" form. Thus, I thank you for your continued efforts and time. With the many parameters you have in place (italics for new items, colors for longer items, checking comment section to see when item added) we can continue to find new, expiring titles -- the goal for this blog! Plus you have added many other features to this blog that allow people to share views, thoughts (good or bad) and ideas. Again, thank you for your time and effort.
DeleteThanks for your kind words, Anonymous. I'm glad to know the scheduling changes don't seem too disruptive.
Love the new banner. I really missed the old NF logo and even the old NF. I read somewhere that Netflix should not have the flix in it anymore since you can't find blockbuster flix's to watch anymore.
ReplyDelete
DeleteGlad to hear you like the new banner, Tony. I appreciate you telling me that.
I'm back in the Netflix fold and I'm excited to note that those with Kindle Fires can now download titles to be watched later. Been doing so for a couple of weeks so far and no real issues with watching when I'm ready to (although I do kind of prefer Prime's good until date).
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I know that Netflix caps the DVD queue at 500, but I thought it included saved titles along with the main queue. (I'm pretty sure between the two, I'd hit 500 and couldn't add any more a few years ago.) Is this a new thing? I just realized that between my main queue and my saved queue, I was over 500 and was able to add titles to the main queue up to 500.
ReplyDelete1. The Saved queue is for DVDs that Netflix does not, at present, have, but that it expects it will get at some time in the future. I have some titles that have been in the saved queue for years, with no indication of why Netflix doesnt have the DVD but, if they're willing to keep them "saved"', so am I.
Delete2. The 500 limit is for the main queue; saved titles don't count against the limit. I don't know if there's a limit for saved titles; I have 500 titles on the main list and 262 saved. The saved list might also get full at 500; I've not got there yet. When the main queue hits 500, no new titles can added to either the main or the saved lists (actually, sometime, at 500, saved titles can be added, but I don't count on this, as usually they don't add).
3. The order in the saved list used to be alphabetical, but this has recently changed. Now those titles for which Netflix has a release date (the date Netflix will have the DVD to send out) are at the top, followed by those for which there is no release date, in the order in which I added them to the list. Just before the release date, Netflix will automatically add them to the bottom of the main list, even if this means that the list goes over 500. This is why my list is often 500+. When this happens I can't add anything until the main list drops to 499, either by getting DVDs in the mail and returning them, or by deleting a title with a play button (after adding it to MyList for streaming).
4. My practice each week is to check the New Yorker for reviews, new releases coming to theaters, classics being shown at the film museums, etc., and make a list of what I want to see. Then I go to my DVD queue and search for each title. The title will show with a yellow star rating if I've already seen it (I sometimes don't remember) and with a play button if it's available to stream. I have to open MyList in another window, to add these titles to MyList (there used to be a "add to MyList" button, but that's long gone). Or the title will have a "save" button -- this is usual for the new releases which aren't out yet on DVD. Some titles aren't found in the search, of course, and for these I'll look for another source, or just forget about it. Of course, I can't add titles to either the main or the saved list if the main list is at, or over, 500. As soon as it gets to 499, I add all the titles I've noted to save, and then add one to the main list. I don't want to let the main list to fall below 499 because Netflix will fill the list when it gets release dates and I'll never get new titles saved.
5. Please forgive me for being lengthy, obvious, or sounding patronizing, but I thought I'd put down each point fully, even though I assume you know much of this.
DeleteThank you for the detailed and clear explanation about how the DVD queue, including the Saved list, works, CanandaiguaNY. Especially with Netflix changing things all the time, I find it helpful to know what to expect. I like your "trick" to make sure the new releases don't take up your regular queue spaces before you get to use them. Excellent job.
There were some things I didn't know, like that you can actually have more than 500 if one of them was from the saved queue, but I'm still pretty sure that the 500 used to include the saved titles. I know for a fact that before yesterday, I never had 500 in the main part of my queue, but I've been told I was at the 500 limit and upon doing the math, realized it was main and saved queues totaled together. I'm just curious when that changed.
Deleteme, too. i distinctly remember 500 counting both, which is why i haven't used the saved section in years (waste of slots). i also remember that when i used to save series titles, like season 1 of a show, when they became available they would add to the queue even if exceeding 500, just as an exception because they were added as one title before netflix knew the number of discs.
Deletewith this good advice from CanandaiguaNY, i may start using the saved section for its express purpose rather than doing occasional checks from my lists for availability. i don't have a lot of faith in many of these titles ever becoming available (again), but if they are no longer taking up valuable queue space then i can at least monitor them more easily.
i wonder if this is a programming error on netflix's part instead of an intended benefit. either way, it's a savvy use.
Nica and Travis: I believe you are both right, that the DVD queue originally counted both the master and saved titles to the 500 limit, although my memory of this is more vague than distinct. But the change was quite some time ago. There were major changes in the queue/MyList programming years back, when the streaming "saved" list disappeared from MyList (Netflix said that this list wasn't eliminated, but was just "hidden", although I've never seen any indication that a title that was eliminated from MyList was "saved" and then put back on my MyList). This may have been when the change was made to the DVD queue, to just count the master list to 500 limit. And there may be a limit on the saved queue also--Netflix doesn't say and I haven't hit a limit yet.
Delete
DeleteCanandaiguaNY - this is just a guess, but could the streaming "saved" list be those titles that expired while still on MyList, and are "hidden" until they return, when they reappear on MyList?
May be. But I am not a good test for this. I follow your site carefully and watch almost all of the titles on my MyList before they expire, so there may be nothing at all on my hidden "saved" streaming list. Titles just don't reappear on my MyList. I can rarely find time to watch anything on Netflix other than the soon-to-expire titles, both those from my MyList and those that weren't on MyList but which you embolden and Eric, or some other contributor, gives a very good rating.
DeleteI can confirm that the hidden streaming saved list does exist, as I have had titles come back after expiring.
Deleteditto. the saved section, as we know but netflix employees don't, oddly enough, was displayed in the early days of streaming but is now hidden. for me, there are certain spots on My List i usually find these returning titles depending on where i had them before they expired.
Deletethis has no bearing on the dvd queue. the redesign of that happened years after the "saved" section disappeared from what wasn't even called My List at the time. i have a hunch that when the dvd queue suddenly got tabs there was also a programming change that (probably inadvertently) allowed the more than 500 titles scheme in question, but i don't know because i wasn't saving titles at the time based on past experience.
one note of caution based on talking to netflix a couple years ago when My List was still numbered. there was a time i had it up to 500, before the epix and miramax purges. i also knew i had titles occasionally returning. i asked netflix about this, explaining that there used to be a "saved" section and asking what happens if My List exceeds 500 due to returning titles. they weren't exactly sure but suggested that random titles could be dropped. i wonder if netflix were to fix this bug with the dvd queue would the same happen as well. (maybe netflix is as clueless as we all think and nothing would happen.)
ReplyDeleteA cautionary tale (from http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/12/carolyn-hax-fiance-not-entitled-to-second-chance/):
"DEAR CAROLYN: My former fiance, “John,” prefers staying home to going out unless it’s for work or family. I’m easygoing and never had a problem until a few weeks ago when he didn’t come to an awards ceremony where I was being honored. This was a big deal for me and I had to beg him to come.
"Then he blew it off. Instead he binged some Netflix show before it expired. No apology.
"I told him I needed to think and packed some things and went to my sister’s. After thinking things over, I told him I wanted to break up. . . ."
Oh dear, I hope our site didn't have anything to do with this! ;- )
This gets a ;-) ? Are you gleeful? ;-(
Delete
DeleteYou have a good heart, CanandaiguaNY. I hope both parties find someone that suits them better. Given our readership compared to the tens of millions of people who subscribe to Netflix, it is highly unlikely "John" was influenced in any way by us. But his choice of activity (not his lack of respect for his fiancee, or her resulting pain) did strike an amusing chord with me. That's what the emoticon was about, not the couple's unhappy predicament. I apologize for any offense to anyone, especially the LW, although I'd bet money she's never going to read this blog.
I thought I was bad, but I'm not that bad. Heck, I just purged some titles from both my instant and DVD queues after realizing that I just wasn't that interested in some of the shows I had on them anymore.
DeleteThe expiration of The Secret Circle and Ringer, both one-season CW shows that ended in 2012 appears to confirm my theory that CW shows roll off Netflix five years after their last season. My guess is that they will wind up on either the CW or CW Seed streaming sites, both of which are free (at least for now).
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, all four seasons of Everwood are streaming for free on CW Seed.
DeleteI'm pretty sure I remember reading that the CW deal is for 5 years after the last season has aired. I haven't been in too much of a rush to watch the CW shows that I know are still airing because of that.
DeleteNo surprise. Really what will be left after the Fox, Disney, and then CW purge. 90% adult originals with about 10% being for kids and a few for everyone and more budget B dollar store bin movies.
DeleteBut it will be okay because I will have all those other streaming services and they can cater them right. Kids services like Disney won't have any mature garbage while others might have a few but not as much as Notflix.
Tony, you will be happy to know that the Washington Post largely agrees with you regarding Netflix's original TV shows. While he hails such series as OITNB, The Crown, Master of None and Stranger Things, he describes most of their shows as mind-numbing garbage. He is an adherent of "less as more" and points to the limited number of shows on Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO and FX (without naming any show other than The Handmaid's Tale). While I think the general quality of new shows on Netflix has declined (I don't think an algorithm works to judge people's taste in TV shows), I'm not convinced that the networks he cites have done any better. If you look at the IMDb website which shows the top 100 TV shows in popularity, Netflix generally has about 20 original series on the last at any given time and, with licensed content (taking out the expired or expiring Fox and F/X shows) has about 50 of the top 100 shows. That may not be indicative of quality but it does indicate that they are showing TV content that (most of) their viewers want to see.
DeleteBack when HOC and OITNB came on NF I really though it was going to be a fad. I knew they would produce originals but I did not think they were going for most originals and letting good licensed deals expire to waste a lot of money of originals most bombed.
DeleteSo, after speaking to one CSR who was unable to help me because he insisted he couldn't see the message, I was able to get a supervisor who was able to see it. I only brought up Reign s4, however. She sent that over to one of the other departments, and basically found out that for whatever reason (even she seemed stumped by this, as CW shows are among Netflix's most popular), they really did only acquire the licenses for a short period of time. She said for now, the only work-around is to download the episodes to your device and then put it on airplane mode, but if it connects to wifi at all, it will recognize the license has expired and then you won't be able to watch it. Not a very good work-around, to me, but I can't just keep my phone in airplane mode the whole time I'd be trying to get through the first 3 seasons.
ReplyDeleteShe also told me that I was the only one to call about it so far, so either everyone else has already watched the seasons that are leaving or they have no clue and are about to become very, very angry.
Better off just torrent it. Really Notflix you are pushing people to torrent. This smug CEO needs to be fired and also his programing partner needs to go too. Everytime I see there smug faces next to new mature original titles I want to punch them in the face so bad.
Deletea lot of industry professionals and analysts specifically credit netflix (and music streaming providers like spotify) for the steep decline in piracy, but now that the streaming landscape is so fragmented from exclusive deals and the push toward original content, i can easily see piracy making a comeback. for me, it's not worth the risk torrenting a movie i can easily rent as a disc through netflix. it's also easy for me to check where else it is showing legally. if that happens to be a service i don't have, i can either make a note or forget about it, at least for the time being. i'm thankful that i can afford to add another streaming service, but i don't have time to watch everything i have access to now. not everyone is resourceful, patient, or organized when it comes to movie or tv show watching. on another site i read, someone admitted to pirating the original 2 seasons of twin peaks, which you can stream on netflix. people today are all about instant gratification. it's not netflix's problem that they are driving some of their customers to illegal activity by what they drop from or don't add to their library, and they will continue to be successful even if they only offer 100% MA-rated originals tomorrow. still, they have to realize they are losing some customers who do want fox and CW content, and once those shows are gone from netflix, so are those customers.
DeleteLot of perverts out there. MA content most of there own NF original is loaded with sex. Really. Too think NF use to be a family company. Yes they has some adult shows but not all the smut they have now.
DeleteI should call Netflix not Notflix but Matureflix or Netflith.
ReplyDeleteI've been checking all the seasons of all the CW shows. So far I've only found one more that has a season expiring (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, season 2 is last day 9/12; season 1 is safe for now - I'll be putting a comment on the main page, of course). The other shows I've checked (nothing expiring) are:
The 100 - 4
90210 - 5
Beauty & the Beast - 4
The Carrie Diaries - 2
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow - 2
Gossip Girl - 6
Hart of Dixie - 4
Life Unexpected - 2
The Originals - 4
The Vampire Diaries - 8
(the numbers after the titles are the number of seasons streaming)
Still to be checked are (I'll let you know what I find later today):
The Flash - 3
iZombie - 3
Nikita - 4
Arrow - 5
Gilmore Girls - 7
Charmed - 8
One Tree Hill - 9
Supernatural - 12
The following series are only 1 season, so they'll show up on allflicks.net if leaving:
Containment - 1
Cult - 1
Emily Owens, M.D. - 1
Frequency - 1
The Messengers - 1
Star-Crossed - 1
The Tomorrow People - 1
Wellesley72 (or anyone), have I missed any?
The only additions I have are Supergirl (2 seasons) and Riverdale (1 season). The Secret Circle and Ringer, both of which are also expiring, have been streaming at least five years after their last seasons on the CW.
Deletei called CS. first, it was a nice surprise they had the stranger things theme as hold music. most companies have terrible muzak. anyway, i made the point that removing the latest seasons of a couple CW shows i gave as examples from My List made no sense (for the reasons discussed here today). he actually offered the upcoming fox expirations as a comparison to explain licenses (i sort of played dumb so as not to be dismissed as a superuser) but had to agree that there's a difference between shows around for years and only the latest seasons being removed after just 3 months. i made sure to indicate these shows were not available to rent as discs, so netflix is driving its customers to their competitors. he agreed but didn't seem to know what else to say. at least i registered the complaint. incidentally, he said the fox contract is still under negotiation and specifically mentioned the prospect of the shows disappearing and then returning under a new contract. i wouldn't get my hopes up: look at all of the miramax movies that never came back despite promises otherwise. still, it was interesting to me that this was top of mind to him (he told me he was trying to finish the league but had 2 seasons to go), so this is probably very much a hot topic over at netflix.
ReplyDeletehe also suggested that member reviews are separate between streaming and discs. after i said they weren't always, he offered that it probably started when the new rating system was put in place. i said this doesn't make much sense either because an old movie could join streaming for the first time and have no reviews. i suggested they reintegrate the reviews so they all show on both sides, and streaming can just hide the star rating if it seems confusing, even though currently titles are being added to streaming and reviews show 1 or 5 stars, likely connected to thumbs down or up.
he said he took down all of my comments but didn't seem to have much insight into anything, calling himself and his coworkers the bottom of the company. he did make sure to email me a link to https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest . that may be a good link to keep in the sidebar of this site because if you're signed in as a member i think it's the only alternative to calling. this rep told me he sends it to all callers and that netflix supposedly pays a lot of attention to what gets submitted.
Really NF is going too far. Now that the CW shows are going away Disney in 2019 what is left besides there mostly adult originals, B movies and dubbed crap. I am now strongly going to drop NF. They went from my 4 hour a night viewing to less than one hour (heartland which they will remove I know them), now the rest of my TV viewing is shared with Hulu, Funimation and Boomerang services.
DeleteI also wonder if this has anything to do with it.
Deletehttps://www.engadget.com/2017/08/28/hulu-live-tv-the-cw/
Hulu moving the CW shows from Notflix is not surprising. Really just like FOX I am not surprised. So for me $12 a month Hulu comes out cheaper than wasting $10 on Noflix too.
If Hulu actually adds these most recent seasons for streaming then I might give Netflix a break for a while, that plus the Fox shows would be worth the 12 bucks. Not a great deal for Netflix here.
DeleteMe too. I also found out that Amazon Prime has heartland. Really what is the point of me keeping NF anymore. Really. When the only original I can watch Series of Unfortunate Events comes back the only TV-PG original that is not just for kids but everyone I can sign up for one month, watch it then cancel again.
Deletelike with Nica, the rep i spoke to today had to check on the seasons of the shows i was calling about because it wasn't a known issue to him. either he was guessing or was informed that the new, short contracts were the result of CW going with another provider, so the (same) current seasons appearing on hulu in preparation for live CW access doesn't strike me as coincidental. when you consider that the tv networks own hulu, it just makes sense. it's too bad for me as a customer because i don't have hulu and don't like having to keep track of what shows i want to watch are on which services. it was convenient when more licensed shows i was interested in were streaming on netflix, but they are being removed at a pretty steady clip now.
Deleteseemingly confirmed today by Ed's comment
Delete
DeleteIt's an unfortunate truth that Netflix Customer Service reps often do not know what they are talking about. The whole business of "licensing up for renewal," "can't say for sure if it will be renewed," "working on renewal possibility," etc., etc., is simply what they have been told to say to customers who are complaining about a show/movie that is scheduled to expire. They can look up the show to see if it does have an expiration date, but other than that, they are not privy to the particulars of any specific show (unless it's a rare case where the IT or Content dept. has actually passed along some info about something that is a special case).
I usually start these kinds of conversations with CS by asking if they HAVE had any specific info about such-and-such show. When they say no, I ask to speak to a supervisor. Then I start my conversation with the supervisor by explaining that there is something weird going on with the show in question. This is what I did when trying to find out about Reign, No Tomorrow, Crazy Ex GF, and Jane the Virgin. Supervisors are more likely to recognize that they have a customer who knows what s/he is talking about, and don't bother with the standard patter. They are also more comfortable saying that they can see that it's a weird situation, and admit they are puzzled by it, as well. The supervisor I spoke to agreed that the CW shows in question shouldn't be expiring, so at least there was a meeting of the minds on that issue. All he could do, of course, was report it.
Netflix has grown rapidly. I suspect they are understaffed in most departments. Researching a query from Customer Service, and sending a memo to all the call centers is most likely a low priority, so we are left hanging. And the CS reps are left with nothing more than jibber-jabber and the confounded go-to "solution" - the url for requesting a title - to try to appease us.
Moral: Don't believe everything you hear from Netflix Customer Service.
ReplyDeleteI still have to get to the other CW shows (thanks for the additions Wellesley72), but stay tuned.
Regarding DVDs for Season 4 of Reign and Seasons 2 and 3 of Jane the Virgin (from Nica's comment on the main page):
Reign, S4 is due to be released October 10 (http://www.dvdsreleasedates.com), so it might be worth saving on the DVD side.
Jane the Virgin does not have a scheduled release date for S2, but it looks like there will be a DVD. Season 3 just ended, so that one will probably be a while.
All of both shows are available to stream at amazon videos, but it's awfully pricey to do so (not available on Prime). Hulu people: are these shows on Hulu now? All seasons?
At present, none of the CW shows are on Hulu. Part of the CW/Netflix deal was a prohibition on Hulu streaming CW shows. About four or five of the final episodes of the expiring season are on the CW web site, with commercials., although I have no idea how long they will stay. It is possible these seasons could stream on CBS Access. Or maybe the seasons could go to Hulu although that defeats one of the purposes of the renegotiated deal which was to deny them to Hulu. Or maybe they will be renewed at the last minute (or after the last minute) if enough people complain. I just can't figure out what Netflix was thinking--or if they were thinking--when they came up with a 3 to 4 month window. (I guess it's seven months in the case of Reign.). And it certainly would have been nice of them to give us a timely announcement that these seasons were going to expire instead of having to find out by getting a notice when streaming an episode of an expiring season.
DeleteI also thought Jane the Virgin was a world-wide deal so I don't know if everyone is going to lose Season 3 or just us in the US.
None of these shows are on hulu, which is why I was so confused about why they are now leaving Netflix. I was quite upset last year when all the hulu CW shows up and disappeared. I like to watch them online as the season unfolds and they used to have episodes appear the day after they aired on TV, but last year they all suddenly disappeared with no warning and the only place to watch them was on the CW app, which is awful and jerky and shows a thousand commercials. My understanding of it was the same as Wellseley72's, in that they had done some kind of deal with Netflix so that hulu couldn't stream the episodes. So the fact that they are now leaving Netflix so quickly simply baffles me.
DeletePlus, I have no idea why they decided to take only the last season of each of those shows. As was explained earlier, often these shows connect to each other through the years so we'll lose a lot if they pull the plug.
DeleteI was going to give Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend a shot knowing I had enough time to catch up. But after this kerfluffle, even if it turns out it's just a scare, yeah, I can't trust the red box anymore when it comes to deals. So if I want to see the series, I'll just either have to commit to stream away when it shows up in Instant Streaming or wait knowing that they'll pull the plug at any time. No Tomorrow, I think, had a one week warning before it went away and those last seasons of the other shows had maybe a two weeks notice.
Yeesh. So much for that CW deal.
If no one is going to watch these shows going forward, the value to Netflix is $0. I can't believe they made such a stupid deal. Going to have to DVR the next seasons of Jane and Crazy Ex.
Deletethese are the same people who said a prime subscription, for example, is complementary to a netflix one. watch the first seasons on netflix through the existing deal and the current and next season on hulu. everybody wins according to that logic. at a certain point, i wonder about collusion. netflix is savvy in that they are not duplicating what's already available, like they are with AHS and louie on prime, to go back to the fox examples. if these companies can't have your absolute loyalty, they'll make it so you have to spend with as many as possible. it's a stream dream, for them.
DeleteI didn't realize Jane the Virgin season 2 wasn't out on DVD yet. That strikes me as pretty unusual, since they tend to be released just before the next season airs.
DeleteLike Brian, I was going to give two CW shows a watch (Jane the Virgin and Reign), but with their last seasons leaving Netflix, I don't know that I even want to start them now. It would be a little different if I knew they were going to another service or definitely coming to DVD, but that seems to be a mystery.
just an update, louie is currently not on prime, and unfortunately netflix did publicly confirm this series is leaving. (it is on hulu.)
DeleteAs you can tell from reading this blog, there are a lot of titles leaving that are not on the “official. Netflix list, like All seasons of Damages. You just have to love how selective this list is. Yet another big thumbs down for Netflix.
Deletei know, but as someone who'd been meaning to finish watching louie, it was a double blow for that to be one of the select few actually confirmed as leaving and removed without notice from prime just recently. i didn't want anyone to have false hope if they read my earlier comment about louie at least being on prime.
DeleteIf it’s any consolation (and it probably isn’t), you can watch Lucky Louie, a one-season show that was on HBO around 2007, on Amazon Prime. I bit the bullet and bought a subscription to Hulu.
Deletethanks. i have seen that series, and i recommend it for major louis ck fans and completists, but personally i much preferred the seasons i've seen of his fx show, louie. the hbo show didn't quite work, but without it there'd probably be no pamela adlon on louie or their recent fx series starring her, better things, which i liked a lot.
Deleteas for hulu, i just cannot see myself subscribing to it and netflix simultaneously (i only have prime because i'm splitting it with someone else who wanted it for the shipping). there are several series leaving netflix as part of the fox contract that are now or are supposed to be on hulu, and alas i'll just have to continue watching louie down the road unless it returns to prime (i'm miffed it left without notice because i was counting on it being there after leaving netflix). there really is a lot of quality content on hulu, and, being someone who also watches current programming, the idea of live tv or episodes 24 hours after airing is appealing.
ReplyDeleteI have now checked all but two of the multi-season CW shows (listed in my comment from this morning, above, plus Supergirl). I will check Charmed and Supernatural tomorrow morning, but all the others are clear - no seasons expiring at this time.
Netflix is now like HBO you don't get it for the movies you get it for the stupid originals. I really missed the old NF but Hulu is now turning into the old NF so there is that.
DeleteI will wait until cordcuttersnews.com says something about the CW shows on NF. I trust that site as they not pro bias towards originals unlike many other NF sites.
ReplyDeleteHeadline in today's Wall Street Journal: The Age of 1000 Streaming Services is Upon Us--And It's Going to Get Ugly
ReplyDeleteSee also, on a la carte streaming, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/08/28/meet-the-sometime-streamer-tv-watchers-who-sign-up-for-one-show-then-cancel/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-technology%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.40aa7f4aa326
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ReplyDeleteWrap up for the CW shows: I checked all of the Charmed and Supernatural seasons yesterday; nothing expiring. So, other than what's already on the main list, the rest of the CW shows seem safe for now.
I honestly don't understand why No Tomorrow and the most recent seasons of Reign, Jane the Virgin, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are expiring. It doesn't make sense, but I think we need to take it seriously all the same. (Ringer and The Secret Circle do make sense, because they've been streaming for quite a while.)
If there are any CW shows you want to make sure you get to see, keep an eye on all the seasons to make sure Netflix doesn't pull any more fast ones.
I think Charmed was produced by Sony pictures.
DeleteSomeone in the PR Department at Netflix just sent me an e-mail saying that the CW shows aren't going anywhere. When I click on an episode of Season 4 of Reign on my iPad, I am no longer seeing an expiration date. However, I am still seeing an expiration date for No Tomorrow, Season 2 of CrazyEx and Season 3 of Jane the Virgin. So either the shows are staying...or they are not. Guess we will find out about No Tomorrow and Season 4 of Reign on September 4. If they are still streaming on that date, my guess is the other seasons will not expire.
ReplyDeleteOf course, this begs the question as to why someone put expiration dates on these seasons in the first place.
DeleteI am highly skeptical that "the CW shows aren't going anywhere." I don't know what the deal is, but I'm still trying to track that down. If the questionable shows/seasons are renewed, great! But I think we should all be prepared for them to expire as they now show.
As for the notice on S4 of Reign, it was still there as of 10:00 p.m. tonight. Wellesley72, if you had looked at a S4 episode earlier in the day, the notice would not show again until the following day, unless you viewed it using a different profile.
Yeah, given how surprised the Netflix rep I spoke to sounded, I'd like to think that this was a glitch, but given how much varied information we've all gotten from folks over there, I can't really trust anything except the notices at this point. I, too, am still seeing a notice for Reign s4.
DeleteI won't be surprised one bit if they go away matter of fact there is a 90% they will be gone. Notflix tricked me too many times saying that the show is safe but it is not. Remember everyone though Doctor Who was safe and look what happened.
DeleteThe expiration of One Tree Hill, another CW show, doesn't surprise me. It's been five years since the last season ended, which is consistent with how I understood the first CW contact worked.
ReplyDeleteI posted my disappointment that the latest seasons of Reign, Jane and Crazy Ex were leaving Netflix on their Facebook page and received a reply that they were not leaving. The expiration dates are still up on all three so who knows what is going on there.
Notflix makes pathetic contracts. Really the media makes a big deal but many of these sour contracts are just a front to produce more mature originals. They are not even multi year no more. I am not surprised they are monthly.
Deletei saw they also said Star Wars: The Clone Wars isn't leaving so that should be interesting
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ReplyDeleteIt's late on the last day to watch No Tomorrow and Season 4 of Reign. Notices are still up on both shows (as they still are for Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). Someone at Netflix told me they were updating their system, and that these shows were not going to be leaving, but I don't trust that she knows what she's talking about. So we will wait and see.
Another weird thing occurred that makes me think they MIGHT be having system problems. The kids' show, Oggy and the Cockroaches, expired on 9/1. It came back on 9/2 WITH an expiration notice for 9/7. They brought it back for a week??? I decided not to put this on the main page list, because it makes no sense. There was lots of notice that it was going to expire, so I'm just going to leave it alone. But it does make me wonder what the heck is going on at Netflix.
NF needs new management.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrpEHssa_gQ
I watched this video and the guy is right one wrong big mistake and they are done.
Something I came across by way of a Gizmodo article (http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/use-these-secret-codes-to-unlock-netflixs-hidden-catego-1751536273) -- a list someone's compiled of links to Netflix's hidden sub-categories (those number codes you see at the end of the URL when you browse by genre). Some of them are oddly super-specific. Not all of the links still work -- it depends on what's currently in NF's library.
ReplyDeletehttp://ogres-crypt.com/public/NetFlix-Streaming-Genres2.html
DeleteThanks P.V. This is a great resource that can really cut down on the time we spend trying to find the right kind of movie we want to watch right now.
No Tomorrow (2016) did not expire at the end of yesterday but Season 4 of Reign and Season 8 of Vampire Diaries did.
ReplyDeleteWow, season 8 of The Vampire Diaries left? I thought that one didn't show an expiration date. Dang, Netflix. I actually just removed The Vampire Diaries, too, because I decided from what I had watched of it that I wasn't interested in it anymore, but that's a big blow because I know that show is popular.
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ReplyDeleteWellesley72 September 4, 2017 at 7:29 AM
Netflix claims that the removal of Season 4 of Reign and Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries was due to a "technical error" and will be restored (without saying when). Interestingly, No Tomorrow, which was also scheduled to end on September 30, is still streaming and its expiration date has been renewed. I guess they have selective technical errors.
DeleteTravis September 4, 2017 at 7:42 AM
whether September 30 or September 3, there was "No Tomorrow" for this show: it has expired on schedule. netflix didn't lie about this one.
Bizarre. No Tomorrow was streaming about 3 hours ago with no expiration date. Now it's gone. So much for selective technical errors.
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DeleteAs of August 29, there was no notice on Season 8 of Vampire Diaries. I'm going to check to see if any of the other CW shows lost a season that we don't know about.
Wellesley72, not sure why you think No Tomorrow is still streaming. It's definitely gone, and has been since midnight.
I will be keeping an eye out for the return of No Tomorrow and the dropped seasons of Reign and The Vampire Diaries.
DeleteSorry, Wellesley72, I didn't refresh before posting my comment. It is WEIRD that you still had No Tomorrow streaming a few hours ago. Maybe it briefly flashed back on? I checked around 12:30 last night, and it was gone. This does lend credence to the possibility of system problems.
it's clear that netflix has continued its tradition of outsourcing its quality assurance checks from discs to streaming. good thing they are a small and struggling upstart and not a massive behemoth putting its resources toward such essentials as https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/29/netflix-engineers-search-queue-morse-code/ .
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DeleteI checked all the CW shows - they all had all seasons as before. As fantasticangel reported on the main page, Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries is back, but No Tomorrow and Season 4 of Reign are still gone. You're killin' me Netflix.
Well, I guess this instance really was more of a technical glitch on the part of Netflix. What that technical glitch was, I guess none of us will ever know. I'm curious how many angry phone calls they got yesterday over the CW shows.
DeleteAccording to InstantWatcher, No Tomorrow and Season 4 of Reign are back.
DeleteThis is encouraging news for Jane The Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfirend.
DeleteLets hope it is not for a month.
DeleteThanks for all the updates - This seems like a pretty massive "glitch" but I'd rather that than all the shows leave.
Deletemaybe when customers report the missing seasons of the shows today the glitch will be magically fixed again
DeleteOkay all of you where do you find all this info about Netflix news, Hulu etc? Really I search Google and even if I don't mention original all I get is all the news about the next or current new mature original filth.
ReplyDeleteLinks to some sites would be good. I know about cordcuttersnews.com but they focus more on cord cutting services like PS Vue, Sling, DirecTV now and less on streaming services like NF and Hulu.
Tony, I have a Google alert for Netflix that sends me a host of articles daily. Also I have bookmarked references to Netflix on the on-line sites of FanSided, Screencrush, Vulture and Uproxx. Also, Decider and Netflix Media Center (which has a partial list of upcoming titles. Used to read What's on Netflix but stopped because their information is usually bad. Have also bookmarked Amazon Prime and Hulu in Variety although not as much news for those sites as for Netflix. These sites provide a lot of info on what is coming to Netflix and developments at the company, like the end of the Disney deal. For what's leaving in the next month or so, this blog can't be beat. Info on this site is frequently used by What's On Netflix without attribution (usually it's described as rumors) and then is picked up by others and credited to What's on Netflix.
DeleteThing is I used Google but many sites are bias towards new originals especially the adult kind and I use all kind of keywords like "kids" "-mature" etc does ot work I still get the latest news on House of Crud and Orange is the new Bleak.
Deletewhat do you want to know?
Deletei keep Google News up at work and do see the shilling over the latest mature netflix originals. i also have netflix stock in my watchlist in Microsoft Money, and below my watchlist is the aggregate of related news stories. that's where i see articles about netflix as a company.
DeleteTony, to find the kinds of shows you want, try the following search string:
family programming streaming
That came up with a lot of appropriate sites. Some are faith-based, which may or may not be your cup of tea, but better to know what's available. Slight variations of the string show different results first, e.g.,
family programming streaming free
family programs streaming
The more patient and flexible you can be when searching, the more success you will have. Also, double check to make sure you have spelled all words correctly for best results.
Roku has announced that it is rolling out a new site called The Roku Channel that will provide free movies. Their press releases does't say whether this content is commercial-free or not. My guess is that it will have commercials.
ReplyDeleteIt will have commercials. The issue I will have is that at first the ad load will be minimum but as with every other ad supported version they will increase the ad load to become annoying. That is why I don't bother with any ad supported media.
DeleteIt sounds a lot like Crackle. Which wouldn't bother me as long as they vary the commercials and the types, particularly when they have a movie I want to see. But some free film sites (TubiTV) repeat the same 3-4 commercials over and over again and it gets annoying.
DeleteI think Hurricane Irma has put my Netflix DVD queue on hold. I mailed one back on the 7th, but they still haven't released a new one. I don't know where my distribution center is located, but I'm in the Florida Panhandle (my area was not affected).
ReplyDeleteglad to know you're ok.
Deleteyour distribution center is located where the address is on the return label. mine is a few states away even though i'm near a major city. if you leave the barcode up, the post office is supposed to scan it to indicate the return, but they probably are dealing with hurricane fallout, so it wouldn't surprise me if your disc is sitting in the post office, en route to the distribution center without being scanned, or lost.
i'm starting to have questions myself about how this system works. my mailers always have the same return address, but i suspect they sometimes come from other distribution centers. it used to be i'd get red envelopes from across the continental u.s. it's hard to believe they all come from the same place now, especially with bonus rentals shipped after a delay of a day or two, which i think they even still attribute to being sent from another distribution center in the confirmation email. it's like the true sending address is masked, especially without a postmark.
If you've not already done so, click on the Report button next to this title at the top of your DVD queue and report the disk as returned but not received. This is not an uncommon problem, so there's a button for it. They'll send you the next disk on your queue even if that one has not been received, assuming that both the distribution center and the post office are operating in the area. You can find your distribution center easily by looking at the mailing address on the red return envelope. (This doesn't help you now as you've already mailed back the disk. But check on your next DVD--almost all that you get will come from the same center.)
DeleteI'm glad Irma missed you. We were waving here in Chapel Hill too, but the storm well our west.
Sorry I didn't see Travis' response before I posted. I always get DVDs from the same center here in NC, except for those cases where I first get an email informing me that the DVD at the top of my queue is unavailable at this center and I'll get it from another center. But this is always a bonus. They'll send me the next disk from my queue at the same. This worked the same way when I lived in NY.
DeleteNot sure how my iPad's working today. We were waiting here in Chapel Hill, not waving. I corrected that but the post went out uncorrected.
DeleteThanks Travis and CanandaiguaNY. If I recall correctly, my envelopes just say "Nearest Netflix Shipping Facility", or something like that. For some reason, I'm thinking the nearest facility was in Panama City (maybe the envelope used to say that?), which was only about 2 hours from here (and still safe from Irma) but DVDs take a lot longer now, so it's possible that one was closed. I did the report like you both suggested but I feel a little guilty complaining about my DVD when the USPS potentially has a lot more serious issues to worry about.
DeleteAh well. I'm sure there are distribution centers throughout Florida, so now I'm wondering how they all fared. If any of these centers were destroyed it could certainly have an impact on the entire Southeast.
Just an update: I got the DVD and checked the return address this time. It was Orlando.
Deletei got an envelope with a return address across the country yesterday.
DeleteTravis: this only happens for me when I get an email first, saying that I'm getting a bonus disk. I have the one DVD at a time plan. If you have the 2 at a time plan, it makes sense that they'll just send you disks from wherever they are available, giving you no bonus.
Deletei actually brought it up again to dispel what i said about them hiding the true address. this was a bonus disc, but unlike previous discs it didn't come from my usual distribution center. it came from across the country like in the old days. (technically, this was the disc they "meant" to send out, and the "bonus" disc shipped from the usual spot. i got it several days earlier.)
Deleteit's hard to peg the pattern lately. they'd been skipping the top dozen or so titles in my queue and not sending me a bonus disc. previously they pretty routinely sent me two, on a one at a time plan, with the second disc delayed one to three days but listed on the envelope as coming from my regular distribution enter.
DeleteRegarding DVD comments: I'm thinking about putting up a dedicated page for all DVD discussions/complaints. On the one hand, it would be yet another page, but I think the benefits would be worth it. Those of you with DVD plans have a lot of info that is helpful for others with similar DVD issues. I kind of wish I'd put a page up a lot sooner. Let me know if you have any weigh-in on this idea. Unless you talk me out of it, I'll go ahead and put the new page up for October.
i support that idea as long as you don't mind the dvd site being mentioned elsewhere when relevant, e.g., wallander removed season being available to rent or streaming content suggested as being (un)available there contrary to what the main streaming page indicates. perhaps some guidelines like all of your netflix dvd crackpot theories, questions, tips & tricks.
DeleteI have the two-at-a-time plan and do get the occasional bonus disc.
DeleteCarol can you please put the DVD comments section in its own discussion? I don't care about there DVD service I am surprised NF still offers it but the comments are everywhere.
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ReplyDeleteWellesley72 September 27, 2017 at 8:47 PM
Variety has reported today that Hulu will become the exclusive streaming home for all seasons of 30 Rock on October 1. In addition, sometime next year (no date announced yet), all seasons of Parenthood will leave Netflix for Hulu, another exclusive deal. Comcast, the owner of NBC, is a part owner of Hulu.
It will be interesting to see if Netflix can get its act together and continue to produce quality original programming and/or license good foreign content. They have had a lot of stumbles this year (Girlhood, Gypsy and Friends from College). I saw a trailer for their Italian series Suburru, which looked like a total ripoff of the series Gomorrah.
quality original programming
DeleteDon't make me laugh. What a joke of a company this service is. I am keeping it because I now get it free with T-Mobile but i use it a lot less then I use too.
ReplyDeleteAs promised a few comments above, I have made a page for discussions about the Netflix DVD service. There are links in the footer and in the sidebar under "Ongoing Discussions." The url is:
http://expiringonnetflix.blogspot.com/p/discussions-dvd-page.html
ReplyDeleteThere is now a new Discussions & Ideas page for October. Please use that page going forward. The page that you are now on has been archived. The new page link is in the footer, sidebar, and on the main page. The url is:
http://expiringonnetflix.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-discussions-ideas-page-for_3.html
Thanks!