With the latest rom-com on Netflix, “Too Much,” the platform is betting on an original concept, bringing in tested talent who have already proven their worth, particularly on HBO. Leveraging known talent who have built their own following is one tool that can help an original concept get off the ground initially.
As of July 11, one day after its premiere, “Too Much” had 22.3 times the average series demand in the U.S., tracking ahead of demand for both “Hacks” and “The White Lotus” at the same point in their first season. To be fair, both HBO series took advantage of a weekly release schedule, which helped to build anticipation going into the finale, while all episodes of the first season of “Too Much” were dropped on Netflix at once. We still need time to get a full picture of how the show is performing, but it is certainly in a similar category with both “Hacks” and “The White Lotus” in terms of the amount of attention it has garnered in its first few days.
While Megan Stalter may be the lead of “Too Much” and riding the high following the recent season of “Hacks,” Lena Dunham appears to be the biggest talent draw for the new series. As of July 11, Dunham ranked as the 57th most in-demand talent in the U.S. Stalter’s role in “Too Much,” meanwhile, has catapulted her to new levels of fame and a higher level of demand than she has seen, even over four seasons on Hacks, but she has yet to break into the Top 500.
Parrot Analytics’ Streaming Economics model shows that “Hacks,” “The White Lotus,” and “Girls” have all generated serious financial returns on HBO Max. The fact that “Too Much” features talent from these series and has had comparable levels of demand early in its premiere are two indicators that it has the potential to match these financial results for Netflix.
Lena Dunham’s best-known show, “Girls,” which ran from 2012 to 2017, continues to pay dividends on streaming platforms today and has generated over $110 million in global streaming revenue on HBO Max since 2020. Although it has had four seasons since 2021, “Hacks” has had a more modest return for the platform ($77 million). “The White Lotus” has been the biggest success of these three shows, raking in nearly $170 million in streaming revenue since premiering in 2021.
Netflix bringing in proven talent, both on screen and behind the camera, was a savvy way to help ensure the success of a new original concept. So far, the show looks capable of matching the results of the other major series its talent have been involved with, but keeping audiences engaged over multiple seasons will be key.
