Netflix Offering Unique Watch-In-Any-Order Limited Series About A Heist: Could It Be A Hit In The Streaming Wars?

ZINGER KEY POINTS

• Netflix has a unique limited series launching on Jan 1, 2023.
• New series “Kaleidoscope” will have eight episodes aired in varying order to different viewers.

A new heist drama, limited series is ringing in the new year for streaming giant Netflix Inc. The series offers a unique choose-your-own format for viewers and could be a test of what’s to come in the binge-watching market.

What Happened: 

Netflix is launching “Kaleidoscope” on Jan. 1, 2023. The limited series will feature eight episodes that can be watched in any order. The series could be one of several positive items for Netflix in the future. 

The series was created by Eric Garcia and executive producer Russell Fine. The tagline of the show is:

“A master thief and his crew attempt an epic and elaborate heist worth $7 billion dollars — but betrayal, greed and other threats undermine their plans.”

Stars of the series include Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega and Rufus Sewell.

“It’s loosely based on something that might have happened,” Garcia told Netflix companion site, Tudum. “After Hurricane Sandy, $70 billion worth of bonds got flooded in the basement of the DTCC, which is a large clearing effort that’s owned by a bunch of the big banks.”

The timeline of the series will span from 24 years before the heist to six months after, with episodes not all in chronological order.

Each Netflix viewer will be given the episodes in a random order.

“The new heist series is told through a unique streaming experience, where viewers will enter the crime at different moments in time,” Tulum reported.

Fine said viewers will be tasked with connecting the dots using the information in the episode order they watch. Each episode is named after a different color and could have an alternative viewpoint based on the order the episodes are watched.

Why It’s Important: 

The streaming market continues to be competitive and has seen the likes of Netflix and Walt Disney Co launch ad-supported plans to attract new users.

This show sounds like it could be the type of “watercooler” hit for Netflix that has people at work and late-night talk show hosts discussing it. This can help shows become can’t-miss events that can lead to spikes in sign-ups and viewership.

For Netflix, a hit show in the ad-supported world can mean it can ask for premium advertising rates ahead of the episodes.

Netflix had a global hit with “Squid Game,” a series that likely reached the level of success through word of mouth and people feeling a sense of FOMO, or fear of missing out.

“Kaleidoscope” may not be the next big hit for Netflix, but its choose-your-own-adventure, immersive experience could be just the show to get fans talking and hopefully watching.

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Originally Posted November 29, 2022 – Netflix Offering Unique Watch-In-Any-Order Limited Series About A Heist: Could It Be A Hit In The Streaming Wars?