Never underestimate the power of young teenagers when it comes to entrainment. After all, it was that demographic that has largely led to the success of films franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and Harry Potter over the years. And it’s that latter franchise that is perhaps most important to a certain generation of youngsters who grew up with beloved characters and defined how they viewed their entertainment.
Ever since then, fantasy and magic have become lucrative markets that many studios have tried their hand at tapping into in an effort to create a new cultural phenomenon. Netflix is looking to connect with a new generation of teenagers a live-action version of Winx Club, titled Fate: The Winx Saga. Like the original cartoon series, Winx Saga focuses on a group of young individuals learning how to use magic, while also battling fiery monsters in a traditional battle between good and evil. Only slightly darker this time:
As mentioned above, Fate: The Winx Saga is a live-action remake of Iginio Straffi’s Italian-American cartoon series Winx Club, although this remake is a far darker affair and based on the trailer, is aimed firmly at the young adult crowd with its more mature themes. I’m not convinced that this series is a must-watch just yet, but the trailer is certainly hitting a lot of familiar notes that should entice many fans of the genre.
Fate: The Winx Saga stars Abigail Cowen, Hannah van der Westhuysen, Eliot Salt, Elisha Applebaum, and Precious Mustapha. The show’s six-episode first season will be available to stream on January 22.
Last Updated: January 22, 2021
Mandalorian Jim
January 25, 2021 at 11:25
“Never underestimate the power of young teenagers when it comes to entrainment”
Usually, entrainment refers to the ability of a liquid to move an object within it… I’m not sure how that applies to teenagers…
Mandalorian Jim
January 26, 2021 at 04:58
Two episodes in and .. yeah… this is going the same tired route as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Sabrina could have been such a cool show, they had great characters (Aunt Hilda, their queer cousin, Ambrose and even Father Blackwood), but the show eventually decided to bury itself up its own arsehole, because it became more important to be a vehicle for specific social justice issues than telling great stories. I think there’s a fine line between being a great writer, and being able to tell deep and meaningful stories that resonate with the times, and just being a hack who writes to appeal to Variety and get a few high fives and a few fist bumps in the circle jerk, that is called Twitter and Tumblr.
Just like in the last absolutely dreadful and shit, 3rd season of Star Trek Discovery, it’s more about diversity points and getting high fives from publications like this one, then telling a good story and allowing those characters to exist naturally (with flaws, problems, etc.). Rather than shoehorning their race, gender identify or sexual preference as the main subject of an episode.
Or, take the first episode of the new Batwoman season… holy fucking christ.. what a dumpster fire. I used to hate-watch the first season, because it was so bad, you could laugh at it, and have a drinking game. This new season is just… bad. There’s nothing redeeming about it.
Netflix seriously needs to get its act together, and to really stop smelling its own farts. Ten years ago, LGB characters may have been more stereotypical but at least their character development made them endearing. Take Will and Grace as an example, it was an amazing show that had two gay men with their loser female friend. It wasn’t funny because they were gay, but rather the situations they found themselves in.
+30 years, we had the Cosby Show, which showed a black family, that wasn’t stereotypical at all, the father was a dentist, the kids were normal teenagers, who just so happened to be African American. Then, there was also Family Matters with the iconic Steve Urkel (a black nerd), or the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, that took the stereotypes of the time and turned it all upside down, to create a series that was endearing and fun to watch. They didn’t have to remind the audience that they were black every 5 mins – AND yet, they touched on some pretty hardcore issues for the times. There was a balance between educating the public and creating a good TV show that can be enjoyed by EVERYONE.
It’s really like modern TV writing has taken a massive step backwards…. but at least the Good Place exists :/ Such a pity it was cancelled, but at least I have Season 4 to look out for.