Investigative journalism is about to have a new home on streaming giant, Netflix. According to a new report from Market Watch, the media company is currently at work developing a weekly news magazine show that will rival established network shows like CBS’s 60 Minutes and ABC’s 20/20.
An anonymous source, who has recently worked with Netflix on a collaborative documentary, spilled the beans and confirmed that the forthcoming program is an intentional, strategic move. “Netflix have spotted a hole in the market for a current affairs TV show encompassing both sides of the political divide and are seeking to fill it,” the person told Market Watch.
Subscribers may recall that the streaming outlet has previously launched investigative documentaries and specials, but a weekly show is uncharted territory. Given this notion, Netflix is apparently carefully investing in its upcoming experiment. “Netflix are proceeding with caution over this because they’re well aware that most new current affairs shows underwhelm and are expensive,” the source states. “They want to make their show economically viable without compromising the production costs and newsgathering operation.”
Netflix has yet to comment on the news, but earlier this year, the corp announced a partnership with Vox Media for an untitled docuseries that will focus on politics, pop culture, and other hot topics. For now, we’ll have to settle for network institutions like the above-mentioned 60 Minutes.
In related Hollywood news, read about Jon Favreau’s new gig with Lucasfilm and Disney’s on-demand video service.
