The streaming wars have been going strong for years, and they're showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. A number of projects have changed streaming networks as a result of cancellations, including the campy musical comedy Girls5eva, which is on Netflix after previously being available with a Peacock subscription. Season 3 officially dropped, and Girls5eva's showrunner/creator Meredith Scardino spoke to CinemaBlend about spoofing various Netflix shows, and how the streamer supported the series with a Black Mirror tie-In.
Those with a Netflix subscription have spent years watching shows like Black Mirror and other original properties. Girls5eva's third season pokes fun at Netflix content a number of times, with spoofs of The Crown, The Witcher, and more. As you an see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with Scardino ahead of Season 3's release, where I asked if the change in networks influenced the various Netflix references that pop up in the new episodes. In her words:
I will say Netflix is so massive that it is almost the culture. So if you’re going to make a show that has any pop culture references you’re going to stumble upon having some fun with some Netflix shows.
That's a fair point. While Girl5eva's cast pokes fun at Netflix a number of times, that's basically impossible to avoid when you have a show that includes pop culture references. So maybe some of these spoofs would have happened regardless of the show's change in streaming services.
On top of telling CinemaBlend which Season 3 Girls5eva song made her cry, Meredith Scardino also spoke about the way Netflix actually helped one of the show's references come together. Specifically because in-universe the girls use Streamberry to watch shows aka the fictional streaming service from Black Mirror's "Joan is Awful" episode. She explained to me how that came about, offering:
They seemed like they had only fun with it. They did have a suggestion they were like ‘Do you want to use Streamberry?’ Because Wickie pitches a network at one point, a streamer. They were like ‘Do you want to use Streamberry?’ which was the streamer that was in Black Mirror in the ‘Joan in Awful’ episode. So they shared the art, and that’s a fun little easter egg.
How fun is that? While one might have assumed that Netflix wouldn't appreciate being made fun of, that wasn't the case for Girls5eva. Not only did it save it from cancellation, but the streaming service actually happy to provide resources from Black Mirror to sell the Streamberry gag. I guess Netflix is just one big happy family.
All three season of Girls5eva is streaming now on Netflix. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
