Netflix EMEA Chief Puts ‘Mr Bates' Debate To Bed: 'We Absolutely Would Have Commissioned It In The UK'
Netflix EMEA boss Larry Tanz has put the Mr Bates vs the Post Office debate to bed.
That debate over whether a streamer would have commissioned a local show like the ITV breakout hit has been raging for the past 18 months and Tanz, whose team has recently had success with Adolescence, strove to kill it off at today's Deloitte Conference in London.
More from Deadline
Sony's Wayne Garvie Roasts "Ridiculous" Channel 4 In-House Plan: "It Could Be Potentially Disastrous"
BBC Director General Floats Concerning Vision Of Future Where "People Don't Care" About Nation's Oldest Public Broadcaster
Sky Boss Dana Strong Raises Artificial Intelligence Copyright Concerns: "I Can't Fathom How A Small Producer Keeps Up"
'Maybe this is finally my chance,' said Tanz. '[Netflix UK boss] Anne Mensah and her team in the UK commissioned Adolescence, Baby Reindeer and Toxic Town for the UK audience first and foremost. Maybe I can finally put that to bed here and say we absolutely would have commissioned Mr Bates in the UK. We think our audience would love it.'
Tanz's shutdown of the debate was unsurprising given that Netflix has found such success with local UK hits of late. Adolescence has been killing it and is now nearing Stranger Things in becoming Netflix's second most watched English-language series of all time. Ironically, top execs at the BBC and Channel 4 have recently said they could not have afforded Adolescence, which was made via an expensive one-take style and starred Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty and Ashley Walters.
Since the BAFTA-winning Mr Bates aired to millions in early 2024, debate has raged over the death of truly local British programming. Earlier at the Deloitte Conf, ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo joked that the show has made 's***loads' of money via international sales. He has frequently said it made a loss even though the stars took paycuts.
While Tanz confirmed Netflix would have commissioned Mr Bates, Amazon's ex-UK MD Chris Bird recently said the opposite, with Bird acknowledging that the ITV smash was 'too British' to have been commissioned by an American streamer. Tanz clearly disagrees.
Tanz, who oversees thousands of hours of content across Netflix EMEA, was speaking at the Deloitte and Enders Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference after BBC boss Tim Davie and alongside Sony international boss Wayne Garvie.
Best of Deadline
2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far
List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Faro Airport opens e-gates to British travellers in time for summer
Faro Airport in Portugal has started the rollout of e-gate access to British arrivals, the UK Government has announced. Downing Street expects British holidaymakers will be able to use the technology in their 'millions', after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer struck an agreement with EU leaders last month. Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, whose brief includes EU relations, said at the despatch box on Thursday that the deal 'makes life easier for holidaymakers'. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Yesterday, Portugal opened e-gates at Faro Airport to British citizens, which will mean millions more Brits going to the Algarve will be able to use e-gates in time for the summer holidays.' He added: 'We're obviously continuing to work with other countries and other airports to ensure Brits can use more e-gates as soon as possible and that work continues. 'It's obviously good news to see a very significant airport, I think for British holidaymakers, opening e-gates to British citizens yesterday.' When he unveiled the deal last month, Sir Keir said that 'for holidaymakers wanting to get out this summer, they will want to know that they can do so easily and without delay and chaos'. The Prime Minister called on 'all EU members states to help make this a reality without delay'. Since Brexit, UK nationals have been unable to use e-gates in most Schengen area countries. Passengers from the UK face warnings that passport controls on arrival at Portugal 'may take up more time, as the passport will have to be stamped and there are additional questions that may be asked by the border control officers', according to the Faro Airport website. The Government has said the deal will smooth over 'legal barriers to e-gates use for UK nationals', once a new stamp-free biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) launches, due in October this year. Taking a question about steps 'to improve relations with the EU', Mr Thomas–Symonds told the Commons: 'The historic deal that we signed with the EU on May 19 is in our national interests – good for bills, borders and jobs. 'It slashes red tape and bureaucracy, boosts British exporters and makes life easier for holidaymakers. 'Indeed, I'm delighted to confirm this morning that Faro Airport in Portugal will start the rollout of e-gate access to UK arrivals this week.'
CNN
9 minutes ago
- CNN
Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag goes on sale
The original Hermès Birkin bag, which acted as the blueprint for what would become one of the most desirable celebrity status symbols in the world, will go under the hammer in Paris next month. The capacious saddle-stitched handbag, inspired by actor and singer Jane Birkin who died in 2023, will lead the 'Fashion Icons' sale at Sotheby's on July 10, the auction house said in a statement Thursday. Known as 'The Original Birkin,' the all-black, leather handbag is the first version of the timeless luxury staple, which was envisaged about 40 years ago after a chance encounter on a plane between Birkin and then-Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, Sotheby's said. 'There are rare moments in the world of fashion when an object transcends trends and becomes a legend. Jane Birkin's Original Birkin bag is such a moment,' said Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, in the statement. Halimi said the bag 'stands shoulder to shoulder with other exceptional items with similarly dazzling provenance,' such as Princess Diana's 'black sheep' sweater and British rock star Freddie Mercury's crown and cloak. 'Like them, the Original Birkin holds the potential to redefine records,' Halimi added. CNN asked Sotheby's how much they expect the handbag to sell for, but the auction house would not provide an estimate. Birkin herself acknowledged the bag's legacy as a pop cultural phenomenon. She told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in 2020 that, after the bag's fame skyrocketed, she wondered whether it might – rather than her movies or hit song 'Je T'aime… Moi Non Plus' – become what she was best remembered for. 'Bless me, when I'm dead… (people) will possibly only talk about the bag,' she joked. The origin story of the bag started with an unexpected encounter. On a flight in 1984, Birkin found herself seated next to Dumas. They struck up a conversation in which she said she wanted a bag 'half the size of my suitcase,' Birkin told Amanpour. 'He said, 'Well, draw it for me,' and so I drew it on one of those sick bags – the vomit bags – in the airplane,' Birkin said. The original Birkin differs from subsequent versions in seven ways, Sotheby's said, with its size, metal rings, brass hardware, shoulder strap, zip and bottom studs setting the prototype apart from future bags. The bag, which is branded with Birkin's initials – 'J.B' – on the front flap, also has a pair of nail clippers hanging from the shoulder strap, the auction house said. It will go on public display at Sotheby's New York galleries from June 6 to 12. Thousands flocked to see the bag when it was exhibited publicly at Sotheby's Paris Galleries last autumn, and then at Sotheby's Maison in Hong Kong earlier this year, the auction house added.
New York Times
10 minutes ago
- New York Times
Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds become co-owners of Australia SailGP team
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds have become co-owners of the Australia SailGP team. A news release on Thursday confirmed the co-stars of the 2024 movie Deadpool & Wolverine have joined the team as it has been rebranded to the BONDS Flying Roos. BONDS is an Australian underwear company. Australia has established itself as a leading force in the 12-team SailGP, winning the championship title in each of the first three seasons. Advertisement 'Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country as well as being an avid fan of sailing,' Jackman and Reynolds said in a joint statement. 'He will also be bringing his overly clingy emotional support human along for the ride.' Their fellow co-owner Tom Slingsby, an Olympic gold medalist who is also team CEO, described the move as a 'milestone' moment for the Australia team and SailGP as a sport. 'We're building something distinctly Australian; a team driven by spirit, resilience, and national pride,' Slingsby, 40, said. Launched in 2019 by five-time America's Cup winner Sir Russell Coutts from New Zealand and American tech billionaire Larry Ellison, SailGP is an annual championship between teams racing in identical 50-foot catamarans that have wing-like foils mounted either side of their hulls. French soccer star Kylian Mbappe bought a stake in France's SailGP team in March and is one of many global stars associating themselves with a championship now in its fifth season. Emirates GBR, the British team, was the first to be sold to external investors in 2022, when Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful sailor in Olympic history, joined up with commodities trader Chris Blake and property developer Peter Green to take full control in a deal valued at $40 million. Other teams have subsequently had notable names investing; the German team had four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel as a founding investor, while last month, actor Anne Hathaway was named among the female-led ownership group of the Italian team. In 2024, former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry was among a group of investors, including heavyweight boxer Deontay Wilder, ex-USMNT striker Jozy Altidore and several NFL stars, who acquired the U.S. team for $35 million. CBS Sports has recently extended its deal to broadcast the series in the U.S. having seen audiences grow every year. The newly-named BONDS Flying Roos SailGP Team, who are currently one point clear of second-place British team Emirates GBT on top of the leaderboard, will next race at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on June 7-8. Portsmouth hosts the British GP on July 19-20, with further races in Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain, before the season finale in Abu Dhabi where the top three teams will compete for the SailGP trophy and $2m in prize money. (Image supplied by SailGP)
