Netflix Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

On Netflix, Leigh Bardugo’s ‘Shadow And Bone’ Celebrates A Diverse Grishaverse

By NPR News April 27, 2021

Jessie Mei Li stars as Alina Starkov in the new Netflix series, Shadow and Bone, adapted from author Leigh Bardugo's works. Netflix

Every so often, a fantasy series with adventure, magic and an unfairly attractive villain comes along and captures the imagination and attention of a passionate base of readers. And when that series leaps into a fully realized television adaptation? Well then, that niche fixation can become a global fantasy phenomenon overnight. And Netflix is hoping its new adaptation Read More

Netflix’s ‘Indian Matchmaking’ Is The Talk Of India — And Not In A Good Way

By NPR News July 26, 2020

Sima Taparia (right) is a jet-setting matchmaker from Mumbai. Here she confers with astrologer Pundit Sushil ji, who helps her come up with prospective mates for her clients. Netflix

The TV series, which debuted on the streaming service this month, has sparked debates about colorism, classism and caste-ism.Read More

In ‘Unorthodox’ On Netflix, A Religious Woman Leaves Her Marriage And Her Past Behind

By NPR News March 29, 2020

Shira Haas plays Esther Shapiro in Unorthodox, a four-part Netflix adaptation of Deborah Feldman's 2012 memoir. CREDIT: Anika Molnar/Netflix

The new Netflix series was inspired by Deborah Feldman's best-selling memoir about ending her arranged marriage. In the TV adaptation, the young woman leaves her home in Brooklyn and moves to Berlin.Read More

O’ Valley Of Plentyyyyy: ‘Toss A Coin To Your Witcher’ Is An Intentional Earworm

By NPR News January 15, 2020

Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) potentially traveling through the much speculated about "valley of plenty" mentioned in the song "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher." CREDIT: Katalin Vermes/Netflix

The song is from the Netflix series The Witcher and has inspired enthusiastic remixes and covers. Composers Kathryn Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli discuss their songwriting process.Read More

Life Kit: How To Pick The Streaming TV Services You Actually Want

By NPR News November 1, 2019

The Walt Disney Company exhibited details of its Disney+ streaming service at a Disney expo in August. The service goes live Nov. 12, 2019. CREDIT: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Apple TV+ is here. Disney+, HBO Max and Peacock are coming soon. Netflix, Amazon and Hulu keep on growing. And that's just the beginning. Here's what our television critic recommends.Read More

FILM REVIEW: ‘El Camino’ Gives Jesse Pinkman Life Beyond ‘Breaking Bad’

By NPR News October 13, 2019

Aaron Paul plays Jesse Pinkman in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. CREDIT: Ben Rothstein/Netflix

The new Netflix movie starring Aaron Paul as a desperate Jesse, on the run immediately after the events of the Breaking Bad finale, explores the trauma that his association with Walter White created.Read More

TV REVIEW: Netflix Series ‘Unbelievable’ Is A Searing Drama About Violence And Justice

By NPR News October 5, 2019

Merritt Wever and Toni Collette play two detectives investigating a series of sexual assaults. CREDIT: Beth Dubber/Netflix

"Unbelievable" is based on a true story about a young woman named Marie who was sexually assaulted and pressured by the police into recanting her story.Read More

TV: In Northern Ireland, ‘Derry Girls’ Balances Teen Comedy And Sectarian Conflict

By NPR News September 10, 2019

Derry Girls follows five teenagers in a Catholic school in Northern Ireland during the 1990s. "This show, it's very Derry, in all the right ways," says Derry Girls fan Gilly Campbell. "It's put Northern Ireland on the map for all the right reasons." CREDIT: Netflix

The hit comedy follows teenagers in a Catholic school in the 1990s. Even with The Troubles as the backdrop, it's "put Northern Ireland on the map for all the right reasons," says one Derry Girls fan.Read More

In ‘The Spy,’ Sacha Baron Cohen Goes Undercover Again — But Not For Laughs

By NPR News September 6, 2019

In The Spy, based on the true story of Israeli agent Eli Cohen, comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen takes on a serious role, playing the title character. CREDIT: David Lukacs/Netflix

In the new Netflix series The Spy, the comic master of disguises portrays an Israeli intelligence agent who embeds in Syria during the early 1960s. It's based on the true story of Eli Cohen.Read More

A Kinder, Gentler Wave Of Reality TV Tries A Little Tenderness, For A Change

By NPR News August 3, 2019

Jonathan Van Ness embraces a participant on Season 4 of Queer Eye. Following the success of the reboot, Netflix has made kindness a key element of its unscripted and competition programming. CREDIT: Netflix

It's a genre historically known for screaming matches and backstabbing competition. But lately, the shows at its forefront — say, Queer Eye or Marie Kondo — feature a lot more generosity of spirit.Read More

‘Pose’ Choreographer Creates A Safe Space — On The Runway

By NPR News July 12, 2019

Indya Moore walks the runway as Angel in the FX series Pose. Michael Parmelee/FX

Twiggy Pucci Garçon got her start competing at drag balls — now, she's the runway routine choreographer for the FX show Pose, which celebrates ball culture in New York City in the '80s and '90s.Read More

Hannah Gadsby: If Political Correctness Can Kill Comedy, It’s Already Dead

By NPR News July 1, 2019

The Australian comedian publicly called it quits in her breakout special, Nanette, last year. That only got more people to pay attention. She now returns with a new tour, Douglas.Read More

Ava DuVernay Hopes You Hear ‘The Heartbeat Of The Boys’ In Central Park 5

By NPR News June 1, 2019

Caleel Harris plays Antron McCray in Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries, When They See Us. "He was a part of a gorgeous small family unit — his mother, his father and himself — living in Harlem," DuVernay says. "He had dreams of being a baseball player." Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix

In her Netflix miniseries When They See Us, DuVernay tells the story of five innocent teens who were pressured into falsely confessing to the 1989 assault and rape of a white jogger in Central Park.Read More

Academy Leaves Door Open To Netflix After Tussle Over Oscars Eligibility Rules

By NPR News April 24, 2019

A reproduction of an Oscar statuette stands tall at a 2016 media event in Hollywood, Calif. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A controversial proposal would have limited the ability of streaming services to compete for Oscars. But after a dust-up that even included the Justice Department, the academy decided against it.Read More

Rachel Dolezal Documentary Shows Life And Struggles Of Former Spokane NAACP Leader

By NPR News May 3, 2018

After years of claiming she was black, Rachel Dolezal was outed as white in 2015. The Netflix documentary The Rachel Divide explores the fallout for Dolezal and her family. CREDIT: NETFLIX

Back in 2015, Rachel Dolezal became a walking Rorschach test for America's racial dysfunction. She was the president of the Spokane NAACP chapter, and she was outed as white after spending years claiming she was black.Read More