‘Happy’s Place’ & ‘St. Denis’ On Netflix, ‘Hunting Party’ In Limbo

Universal Television continues to license broadcast series to Netflix. Following the successful Netflix U.S. launch of The Hunting Party in February, the studio’s two other NBC sophomore series, comedies Happy’s Place and St. Denis Medical, debuted their first seasons on the global streamer in the U.S. April 1.

Of the two, the multi-cam sitcom starring Reba McEntire immediately started charting on Netflix’s Daily Top 10. Interestingly, it is the single-camera St. Denis Medical that has had a semi-regular presence on Peacock’s Daily Top 10. All three series remain on the NBCUniversal platform with their full stack of episodes to date. (As a single-camera workplace comedy, St. Denis fits well into Peacock’s roster of popular library titles such as The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and 30 Rock.)

Like with The Hunting Party, the Happy’s Place and St. Denis Medical licensing deal with Netflix is designed to give the shows additional exposure (and bring some additional cash to the studio).

But unlike Happy’s Place and St. Denis Medical, which have been safely renewed for next season, The Hunting Party‘s Netflix performance may factor into NBC’s renewal decision as the drama procedural starring Melissa Roxburgh is on the bubble.

The Hunting Party had a strong launch on Netflix, making the Global Top 10 in its first week, despite only being available in the U.S., with 3.5M views. It also opened at #2 on the weekly U.S. chart. But, in a less encouraging sign, the show quickly faded away, falling off the Global Top 10 right away and off the U.S. Top 10 after one more week.

What’s more, there hasn’t been a halo effect on The Hunting Party‘s NBC run as the show has not gotten a linear ratings bump for its second season after its Season 1 became available on Netflix. The crime drama remains one of NBC’s lowest rated scripted series on linear. It has occasionally popped up in the Daily Top 10 on Peacock which has new episodes available the next day.

That is keeping The Hunting Party on the bubble, with a decision possibly going down to the wire and tied to how NBC’s five drama pilots come in. NBC ordering so many pilots (by today’s standards) puts more pressure on the series in limbo, raising the bar for renewal. At NBC on the drama side, that is largely The Hunting Party and fellow sophomore Brilliant Minds, from Warner Bros. Television, which is facing even longer odds.