Harry and Meghan to launch two new Netflix shows, on cooking and polo
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have announced two new TV productions — one about cooking and another about polo — from their Archewell Productions company, in partnership with Netflix.
Archewell said in its press release that both shows were in the early stages of production and that titles and release dates would be revealed “in the coming months.”
The announcement follows the couple’s 2022 Netflix documentary series that explored Harry’s departure from front-line royal duties and the well-publicized rift between him and other senior royals.
The first series will be “curated” by Meghan and “celebrate the joys of cooking & gardening, entertaining, and friendship.” It’s unclear what role the duchess will play — but the production will be headed by showrunner Leah Hariton who made “Selena + Chef” with Selena Gomez in 2020.
The show will be made by production company The Intellectual Property Corporation, owned by Sony Pictures Television, and the cast list credits Meghan as an executive producer.
The second series focuses on the rarified world of polo, a sport closely associated with aristocratic culture in England and a favored sport of generations of royals.
It was primarily shot at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, and Archewell promised it will give “unprecedented access” to a sport that remains unfamiliar to most.
“Known primarily for its aesthetic and social scene, the series will pull the curtain back on the grit and passion of the sport, capturing players and all it takes to compete at the highest level,” the company’s statement said.
The polo series’ showrunner is Miloš Balać, who made the acclaimed “Welcome to Wrexham,” which followed Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in their quest to revive the fortunes of an underachieving Welsh soccer team.
The production company is Boardwalk Pictures, and both Harry and Meghan are listed as executive producers.
The two productions are part of the multiyear deal Archewell signed with Netflix after its formation in 2020. Last year, Harry’s book “Spare” shot to the top of bestseller lists after it revealed his side of his bitter split with the royal family in London.
The news comes as Harry’s brother, William, the heir to the throne, was seen in public on Thursday for the first time since the news emerged of his wife, Catherine’s, cancer diagnosis.
The prince was in Birmingham, England, with his oldest son George to watch his favorite soccer team, Aston Villa, play French side Lille in the Europa Conference League. The English side won 2-1 in the quarterfinal first-leg game.
Catherine, popularly known as Kate, announced in March that she was undergoing treatment in London for an unspecified form of cancer.
Her news came weeks after King Charles III, William’s father, announced that he too was diagnosed with an unidentified form of cancer in February.
