The summer months may see a shortage of options when it comes to network TV, but Netflix has plenty to offer streamers in the market for some new and unique series. One new release is already earning a fandom, just a week after making its debut on Netflix. Scandinavian-Swedish teen drama Young Royals delivers a story that has been described as if "Gossip Girl and The Crown had a baby," and if that's not enough to convince you that it's worth checking out, there are already plenty of viewers to recommend it.
Young Royals released on Netflix on Thursday, July 1, and follows Prince Wilhelm as he arrives at a prestigious boarding school, where he begins imagining of a future free from royal obligations... until he becomes next in line for the throne. He faces big decisions to make, including between love and duty. The season runs for six episodes, and that is evidently enough for fans to start obsessing over Wilhelm and the rest. Check out what one fan had to say on Twitter:
Focusing on teen drama against the backdrop of a royal family really does come across as a bizarre union between Gossip Girl and The Crown, and those aren't two projects that many people probably would have thought to combine for a TV show. Unlike The Crown, though, Young Royals has the benefit of not being based on real people, so it can get quite as twisty and Gossip Girl-esque as it wants without contradicting anything that really happened.
The good thing about a six-episode season is that it doesn't take all that long to binge-watch; the bad thing is that fans run out of episodes pretty quickly. Young Royals clocks in at less than six hours, and evidently left at least one fan feeling empty after finishing it. Although originally filmed with Swedish-speaking actors, the show was dubbed into English for Netflix about as well as possible, so even viewers watching in English probably weren't overly distracted.
Therapy seems to have an appeal in the aftermath of finishing Young Royals, and it seems two characters in particular are responsible for the strong emotional response from viewers who have already checked the series out and gotten obsessed. And as it turns out, even somebody famous for starring in their own teen drama is a fan:
Kevin McHale, best known for playing Artie on the hit Fox series Glee, hit Twitter to suggest that six episodes weren't enough of Young Royals, and suggest Netflix orders a Season 2. And unsurprisingly, McHale isn't the only one of the opinion that one season of just six episodes wasn't enough.
Whether or not Young Royals does receive a Season 2 remains to be seen, as Netflix can be unpredictable about which shows continue and which shows come to an end. When it comes to fans already passionate about the series, however, there seems to be one prevailing emotional reaction which can be summed up with one tweet:
During the wait for news of whether or not Young Royals will return for Season 2, you can find more viewing options on our 2021 summer TV premiere schedule. If you're not yet ready to move on from Young Royals, you can always watch and rewatch the six episodes on Netflix to your heart's delight.
