Streaming’s golden age is upon us, but not even Netflix’s original series can guarantee their place on the service with its first-ever original getting kicked off the platform.
Norwegian-American coproduction Lilyhammer will soon disappear to the mists of time with the series facing its final days on Netflix ahead of an uncertain future. Very much Netflix’s answer to The Sopranos, it even features Steven Van Zandt from the hit HBO series.
Lilyhammer sees a New York crime boss start a new life in the rural Norwegian county Lillehammer, with his past threatening to catch up with him as blood hits the ice. Originally debuting on Norwegian TV in 2012, its pilot saw one-fifth of Norway’s population tune in before it went overseas with Netflix.
Promoted as Netflix’s first-ever exclusive content, it premiered in the United States in Nov. 2012 some four years before the behemoth hit Stranger Things. Lilyhammer represents something that audiences potentially take for granted now, quality original content sourced from around the world ending up on Netflix.
Lilyhammer lasted for three seasons before facing the remorseless scythe in July 2015, and audiences now have until Nov. 20 to stream the landmark series. There are even strong fan theories Van Zandt’s character is the same as from The Sopranos, with the series heavily implying it’s a continuation of sorts.
Lasting a decade on Netflix is still a tremendous feat, with it likely the original deal for the series meant a ten-year exclusivity deal. Similar deals are still being done with movies such as RIPD 2, with the film to stay exclusive to Netflix for three years before reverting to Universal.
Lilyhammer is currently available to stream on Netflix.