Picture: Sky Deutschland
As we’ve relentlessly covered, Netflix Originals have been gradually disappearing from the service for several years. One recent departure has just found a new streaming home, What’s on Netflix can confirm.
The reasons for Netflix Original departures vary, but primarily, it’s because another party owns the underlying rights to a series or movie. In those cases, Netflix has only acquired exclusive streaming rights for a fixed period. When that period expires, the show may be renewed, but often it is not, and the title leaves. Sadly, when these titles leave Netflix, they often don’t find new streaming homes, leading to some titles becoming hard to find on disc or lost entirely.
In recent weeks, we saw arguably one of the biggest titles to date leave the Netflix US library in the form of Babylon Berlin, a German-language period drama series that has rave reviews and a dedicated audience. Its removal from Netflix in a handful of regions saw all three seasons available depart with the fourth season, which has already aired in Germany, skipping a US release.
That’s until now.
In a press release provided to What’s on Netflix, it’s been announced that as part of a launch of a merging of two streaming services: MHz Choice and Topic. The two services exist separately today but are scheduled to bring their respective libraries together under the MHz Choice brand beginning April 1st.
The streaming service specializes in European mysteries and Nordic noir and operates in the United States and Canada. Their best-known titles include The Bridge, Detective Montalbano, Pagan Peak, A French Village, Spiral, and Beck.
Not only will the streamer be housing seasons 1 through 3 of the former Netflix Original Babylon Berlin (serving as the new exclusive US home), but it’ll also house season 4 beginning June 25th.
Other Former Netflix Originals on MHz Choice
This is not the only former Netflix Original seemingly rescued by the Kino Lorber streaming service.
The Sea Beyond was the first to stream on MHz Choice in 2023, with Bordertown (which departed Netflix in May 2023) joining the service in February 2024.
You can also count The Killing on that list too. Netflix exclusively commissioned the fourth and final season of the AMC series but departed the streamer all the way back in 2018.
Will you be following Babylon Berlin to its new streaming home? Let us know in the comments down below.