Life hasn’t been easy for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they decided to step away from the Royal family in the UK and go it alone. I mean, their lives are still a hundred times easier than your average person but it seems the couple is running out of second chances.
The film and television industry is cut-throat and the road to stardom is paved with failed actors, writers, and producers. It turns out even being prominent figures in the British monarchy won’t help you out here as Harry and Meghan are finding out the hard way. While their status and influence may have got them a foot in the door it turns out you also need to have talent, creativity, and, well, a good idea. Something which Harry’s latest Netflix endeavor sorely lacks.
I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hear that Harry’s latest six-part docuseries covering the elite sport of polo is receiving harsh negative feedback despite not even being out yet. It’s not exactly something that you’d expect to appeal to the masses, although the prince will be taken aback at just how badly it’s being received.
POLO is the latest series to be produced by Harry and Meghan as a part of their $100 million Netflix deal, although the show won’t feature either of them in front of the camera, instead focusing on the players.
A supposed former friend of Harry spoke to the Daily Beast to give their thoughts on the new series and they were far from kind.
“It’s hilarious, but not in a good way. It’s so tacky and cringey, it is literally all the worst things about polo. I watched it in appalled hysterics.”
Another former friend criticized the show for focusing on the wrong things about the sport, claiming that polo has become more inclusive nowadays, “It doesn’t look like this show is going to foreground that, which is a real missed opportunity.”
An unnamed Hollywood executive also chimed in saying, “It’s debatable whether anyone cares about these two if they are not serving up outrageous stories about the royals. They are running out of last chances to prove that isn’t so.”
Harry and Meghan need this success to survive
It’s hard to disagree – Harry and Meghan received a ton of attention back in 2020, but the public are fickle and this attention was less on Harry and Meghan as people and more on the drama surrounding them.
Of course, if things carry on the way they are it won’t be long until the Netflix deal goes up in smoke. The streaming giant isn’t exactly known for wasting money on underperforming shows (even the good ones). Harry and Meghan need a win right now, they have a lot of enemies including the soon-to-be President, Donald Trump. Just one Netflix hit could potentially save the Prince from being deported under the new administration. However, it’s clear POLO is not going to be that hit.
In fact, viewers have even gone as far as to call the new series “shameful” due to the animal cruelty involved in the sport with some in the comment section for the trailer vowing to cancel their Netflix subscription over the show.
All in all it seems this latest release from the royals-turned-Netflix producers is a swing and a miss. Although Harry and Meghan have tried to present themselves as more humble and down to earth, (at least compared to the rest of the royals across the Atlantic). But it turns out they might be just as out of touch as the rest, I mean a six-part documentary about polo? Did they really think a general audience would enjoy such a thing?