Round up the kittens and throw some cheeseburgers on the grill, “Trailer Park Boys” is back. Netflix has revived the cult favorite, which ended its initial run in 2008. The company is producing three new specials, two new movies and two full seasons of antics
from everyone’s favorite recidivists set to premiere later this year.
Netflix announced the deal on March 5 and said that it will also make the first seven seasons of the show available for the first time on a streaming service in the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands and Latin America.
“The Trailer Park Boys are Canadian legends and their brand has an incredible fan following at home and around the world,” Netflix said in a press release. “We are looking forward to seeing their global success explode as Netflix rolls out fresh content and old favorites.”
The show, which began airing in Canada in 2000, follows the exploits of three lovable career criminals as they rob liquor stores, fence stolen goods and dream pulling off one last, big score. While the show has a cult following in the U.S., its initial run scored solid ratings in its home country of Canada for the premium cable channel Showtime.
Thesis student Emily Bolotin said that she is excited to see what the boys from Alberta have in store.
“I’m very excited because that seems to be going well … [Netflix] seems to be competent at bringing back
the cast and keeping it true to what the original series was about,” Bolotin said.
Despite financial disputes, most of the original cast are expected to reprise their roles.
“Trailer Park Boys” ended in 2008, but the large cult following it amassed gave Netflix a reason to resurrect the show.
their roles. With “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards” being met with critical and popular acclaim, Netflix
is expanding its arsenal of exclusive offerings to include a broader range of properties. With its circuitous story lines and brisk, 25-minute episodes, “Trailer Park Boys” fits right in with the current trend for binge watching.
Last year, Netflix premiered a new season of another cult favorite “Arrested Development.” However, the new season received a tepid response from audiences and critics alike.
Alum Diana Watson (‘09) said that she hopes “Trailer Park Boys” will dodge the problems that beset “Arrested Development.”
“I’m tentatively very excited for the new seasons,” Watson said. “While I think it’s great that we get more of the show, its been many years since it first came out so I’m concerned that a similar situation to Arrested Development will happen where the producers feel the need to reintroduce characters to reel in a new audience.”
Th e revival of “Trailer Park Boys” is part of a larger strategy to garner more viewers in the lucrative 20-39 age
bracket. “Trailer Park Boys” is intended to bring more millennial subscribers to Netflix.
Ironically, the popularity of shows such as “Trailer Park Boys” among younger viewers could hurt rather
than help Netflix. According to CNET, about 175,000 users downloaded the Netflix-exclusive episodes of Arrested
Development within 48 hours of the season’s premiere.
Whether “Trailer Park Boys” will draw more viewers to Netflix will largely depend on the fan response to the first slew of episodes. With two new seasons and a slate of specials and movies, the “Trailer Park Boys” package picked up by Netfl x
may make a more compelling case for potential subscribers to stick around than the one-off season model.
Pre-production for the new season began in January. Th e new episodes are expected to stream on Netflix in summer of 2014. The third film, “Trailer Park Boys: Don’t Legalize It,” is currently slated for theatrical release in April of 2014.