The startling success of the Prime Video release The Summer I Turned Pretty has executives’ mouths watering for more. The streamer wants not only spin-offs but a reevaluation of the YA genre in general and how it attracts not just young viewers but eyeballs of all ages.
The second season of the adaptation of Jenny Han’s popular novel is the second most-watched series on the channel so far by women aged 18-34, per Deadline. The only show with more views in that demographic is Rings of Power.
Another metric: people are actually finishing the series, something Rings of Power couldn’t quite get people to do. It’s actually been such a hit that it kick-started subscriber growth for the streamer.
The accolades don’t stop there, either. In the first three days of the Season 2 July premiere, it doubled the audience of the first season premiere. This kind of runaway success has Amazon executives salivating, and per Amazon and MGM Studios head Vernon Sanders, there’s more on the way.
“It had been one of our goals for years to have that defining show for that audience. So we’re just over the moon… This show is going to continue to be a huge centerpiece for us, and we absolutely have plans to continue building it. Jenny’s got great vision for where she wants to go with all of it, but we’re already hard at work developing complementary pieces.”
Sanders said another reason for the show’s success is the soundtrack. “Music for that show is so key, as you know, and the success we’ve had both seasons partnering with Taylor Swift and her team and so many music artists.”
Also, having a pre-existing hit in book form helps a lot.
“There are just so many different elements that all worked really closely together over the course of launching Season 2. It starts with Jenny and her team, and then we had a really engaged group of show executives throughout the company who were genuine fans themselves, and I think it was due to all of their hard work. But it’s just a great show.”
As much as executives like Sanders like to talk about success, there really isn’t any magic bullet to making a hit. He said, “The key here is leaning into great stories that are really just focused on characters and relationships. This show is all about Jenny’s vision and the tight team that she has.”
That just sounds like the streamer got lucky, to be honest, but Sanders said, “We will continue to look for those authored stories.” In what could be a reference to Rings, Sanders also said there doesn’t need to be “a ton of special effects” or “bells and whistles,” just “characters and universal storytelling.”
There’s also the fact that YA content is cross-generational. Prime Video VP Kelly Day said that if you make a “great YA show, people of all ages come.”
As for spinoffs, Sanders said, “Jenny’s got some exciting surprises. So we’re thrilled about a Season 3, and she’s got a vision for more.”
The first two seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty are streaming on Prime Video.
Published: Sep 5, 2023 07:09 pm