Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s long-awaited docuseries Polo made its debut on Netflix this week.
But you wouldn’t know it from the couple’s recent activities.
Yes, given that they executive produced the series and they both appear on camera in small cameo roles, you might expect that Harry and Meghan would be working hard to promote Polo.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speak on stage at the “Friends @ Home Event” at the Station Airport during day three of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 on September 12, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Instead, they seem to be distancing themselves from the project, which might be a smart move considering the ice-cold reception Polo has received thus far.
As a glorified reality show (the “docuseries” label is quite a stretch here), the show has been mostly ignored by critics.
In fact, only one review — a two-out-of-five rating from The Guardian — is linked on Rotten Tomatoes.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend as Intrepid Museum hosts Annual Salute To Freedom Gala on November 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum)
“It’s clattering and niche, and feels like a spoof documentary designed to play on screens in the background of episodes of Succession,” writes the outlet’s Stuart Heritage. Ouch.
“The critics have universally slammed the show. Harry and Meghan are box office poison. Of course everyone is running away from it, in every direction, so to as to not pick up the stench of this colossal bomb,” marketing expert Tony Case tells The Daily Beast.
“From a brand perspective, I’m not really sure anything can be done at this point to reverse consumers’ obvious apathy toward the Sussexes,” Case adds.
Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive at the Lightway Academy in Abuja on May 10, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP) (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images)
“They set out to conquer America, but nobody here, it turned out, found them or what they’re peddling to be particularly compelling.”
The outlet describes Polo as “a reality TV-style take on polo that’s been compared to Selling Sunset and The Real Housewives franchise, just without the ratings.”
This is the latest in a long line of PR setbacks for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Signs of the couple’s plummeting popularity Stateside began earlier this year when Meghan’s Spotify podcast was canceled after just one season.
One source tells Closer magazine that Harry and Meghan lost control of their latest project to Netflix bosses who wanted a soapy reality show, and not a thought-provoking doc about a little-understood subculture.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit a local farming family, the Woodleys, on October 17, 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. (Photo by Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)
“Harry and Meghan are putting on a brave face and saying it’s a good bit of fun and ultimately not something to get worked up about,” says the insider.
“As far as they’re concerned it’s very unfair they’re catching heat, they take issue with people who roll their eyes and call them reality TV sellouts.
“Meghan knows it doesn’t really matter how she and Harry feel about it, perception is everything and now online forums are burning up with people ridiculing them,” the source adds.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (Photo by Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Truth is, it was pretty much out of their control,” they continued. “The bosses wanted the series to appeal to the masses and pushed this reality TV slant so it’s not entirely their fault.”
The Beast also notes that Prince William may have subtly trolled Harry and Meghan by revealing that he’s addicted to a different Netflix show — the Keira Knightley spy thriller Black Doves.
This is a worst-case scenario for Harry and Meghan, who were in desperate need of a hit following a year of bad press and failed projects.
Now more than ever, Meghan will need her lifestyle brand to take off like a shot in 2025.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Distancing Themselves From ‘Polo’ Series Amid … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
But you wouldn’t know it from the couple’s recent activities.
Yes, given that they executive produced the series and they both appear on camera in small cameo roles, you might expect that Harry and Meghan would be working hard to promote Polo.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speak on stage at the “Friends @ Home Event” at the Station Airport during day three of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 on September 12, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
Instead, they seem to be distancing themselves from the project, which might be a smart move considering the ice-cold reception Polo has received thus far.
‘Polo’ Stumbles Out of the Gate
As a glorified reality show (the “docuseries” label is quite a stretch here), the show has been mostly ignored by critics.
In fact, only one review — a two-out-of-five rating from The Guardian — is linked on Rotten Tomatoes.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend as Intrepid Museum hosts Annual Salute To Freedom Gala on November 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum)
“It’s clattering and niche, and feels like a spoof documentary designed to play on screens in the background of episodes of Succession,” writes the outlet’s Stuart Heritage. Ouch.
“The critics have universally slammed the show. Harry and Meghan are box office poison. Of course everyone is running away from it, in every direction, so to as to not pick up the stench of this colossal bomb,” marketing expert Tony Case tells The Daily Beast.
“From a brand perspective, I’m not really sure anything can be done at this point to reverse consumers’ obvious apathy toward the Sussexes,” Case adds.
Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Britain’s Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive at the Lightway Academy in Abuja on May 10, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP) (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images)
“They set out to conquer America, but nobody here, it turned out, found them or what they’re peddling to be particularly compelling.”
The outlet describes Polo as “a reality TV-style take on polo that’s been compared to Selling Sunset and The Real Housewives franchise, just without the ratings.”
Harry and Meghan’s Latest Misstep
This is the latest in a long line of PR setbacks for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Signs of the couple’s plummeting popularity Stateside began earlier this year when Meghan’s Spotify podcast was canceled after just one season.
One source tells Closer magazine that Harry and Meghan lost control of their latest project to Netflix bosses who wanted a soapy reality show, and not a thought-provoking doc about a little-understood subculture.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit a local farming family, the Woodleys, on October 17, 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. (Photo by Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)
“Harry and Meghan are putting on a brave face and saying it’s a good bit of fun and ultimately not something to get worked up about,” says the insider.
“As far as they’re concerned it’s very unfair they’re catching heat, they take issue with people who roll their eyes and call them reality TV sellouts.
“Meghan knows it doesn’t really matter how she and Harry feel about it, perception is everything and now online forums are burning up with people ridiculing them,” the source adds.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. (Photo by Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“Truth is, it was pretty much out of their control,” they continued. “The bosses wanted the series to appeal to the masses and pushed this reality TV slant so it’s not entirely their fault.”
The Beast also notes that Prince William may have subtly trolled Harry and Meghan by revealing that he’s addicted to a different Netflix show — the Keira Knightley spy thriller Black Doves.
This is a worst-case scenario for Harry and Meghan, who were in desperate need of a hit following a year of bad press and failed projects.
Now more than ever, Meghan will need her lifestyle brand to take off like a shot in 2025.
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Distancing Themselves From ‘Polo’ Series Amid … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.