Perpetually Waiting For a Sequel

Most of you will probably be familiar with the popular series Emily in Paris, starring Lily Collins, which premiered in October 2020. Due to the first season having been a huge success, another season was released almost exactly a year later, in December 2021, and most recently season three came out in late December of 2022. There could be a certain pattern that the producers of the show might have put in place intentionally. Why space the releases out by almost exactly a year, twice in a row, during the holiday season?

The funny and sympathetic misadventures of Emily drew in the audiences immediately. Her slight awkwardness and her difficult relationship with her boss made her a ‘normal’ character with whom the viewer could identify, as well as motivate them to keep going as everything apparently turns to gold in Emily’s hands. Nevertheless, there were also some disagreements vis-à-vis the representation of French stereotypes in the series, especially from the American point of view. The success overweighed the criticism though, so the decision to continue the series was taken.

Now, is it possible to produce, film and edit another storyline all in one year? They must have had it in mind already, hoping for a successful debut. Then why did they not release two seasons at once, or spaced out by half a year?

Firstly, it prevents binge-watching, and it effectively keeps up the suspense considering the cliff-hangers introduced in each season finale, arousing the viewer’s curiosity. Furthermore, the release dates being in December is worth mentioning because there are rumours that the fourth season will appear around that time too. December is the epitome of the holiday season, the cold weather propels people to spend more time inside, cosy up on the sofa with a blanket, and working people or students are likely to have some time off. All these instances produce a ‘fertile soil’ for the series to grow successful on.

Considering what I have mentioned above, I don’t believe the producers chose those release dates coincidentally. They had their ultimate goal in mind, i.e., producing a profitable and enjoyable show, which is something they achieved. It would also have been too ‘easy’ to release them all at the same time: the hype and buzz surrounding Emily In Paris might have been over too quickly with a simultaneous drop, since our lives are dictated by the fast-paced rhythm of new releases.

Personally, I liked that the seasons were spaced out by a year each and that they were released in the holiday season because it gave me something to look forward to, since I am prone to devouring a series in two days. It being the holiday season I was at home, and thus was able to enjoy the show with my mother who enjoyed it a lot too. We both can’t wait for the fourth season coming out in December 2023!