Netflix, which began as a fairly quaint-feeling red envelope enterprise and has since grown into a streaming behemoth with an ever-growing fleet of competitors, turns 25 on Monday.
To mark the occasion, Netflix has shared a variety of commemorative content, including (but not limited to) a short video tracing the company’s story from envelope to app. The story, of course, begins in 1997, at which point Netflix formally launched. This year is featured in the aforementioned video by way of a visual reminder of what “the net” looked like at the time, not to mention the then-current state of at-home viewing options.
From there, a number of Netflix originals are highlighted, including earlier hits like Orange Is the New Black and more recent blockbusters like Squid Game and Stranger Things. Also given some well-deserved attention here are BoJack Horseman fan tattoos and the once-omnipresent phrase “Netflix and chill.”
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For a slightly deeper dive on this 25-year journey, Netflix has also shared a rundown of some key moments and stats from the company’s journey. Among those of note are the reminder that Beetlejuice (starring eventual Stranger Things star Winona Ryder) was the first DVD to be shipped by the service in 1998, another confirmation that Squid Game is indeed still its biggest series, and some insight on just how influential the 2020 origins The Queen’s Gambit was on the chess board market.
Among the platform’s recently debuted originals is comedian Mohammed “Mo” Amer’s series Mo, which premiered just last week. Ahead of the series’ rollout, Amer spoke with Karla Rodriguez for Complex, touching on everything from the genesis of the idea that ultimately became the show to how music plays an important role in its story. Read the full discussion here.
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