Comedy crime drama Lilyhammer will be removed from Netflix next month, despite being the streaming service’s first original series. This comes after the removal of another early Netflix original, Hemlock Grove, this month.
When Lilyhammer premiered in 2012, it was described as “the first time Netflix offered exclusive content,” with all eight episodes of season one dropping at once. The show follows Steven Van Zandt as Frank, a former gangster who has relocated from New York to Lillehammer, Norway.
However, Van Zandt, also known for his role as a guitarist and mandolin player in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, is not too pleased about the show’s removal. He Tweeted, “I haven’t had it confirmed, but it looks like Lilyhammer is about to be disappearing from Netflix, for which it was the very first show, on Nov 20.”
The musician/actor, who composed the soundtrack for Lillyhammer, has urged people to watch the show before its too late. With his 72nd birthday approaching just two days after the show’s supposed removal, he exclaimed, “Some birthday present! Big drag. It’s only 24 episodes. So if you haven’t seen it, or want to rewatch it, you’d better do it now.”
Netflix regularly takes down titles, often because of licensing issues. However, the removal of original shows has sparked a debate over the future of these shows’ availability.
