Netflix hands out triple-season renewal

Netflix has once again gone against industry norms, this time handing Orange is the New Black a three-season renewal.

The women’s prison-set drama will have a fifth, sixth and seventh season, with creator, executive producer and showrunner Jenji Kohan staying on.

Handing any series, regardless of its success, three additional seasons is an unusual move for a commissioning platform, and once again points to Netflix’s pioneering and experimental strategies.

The streaming service is credited for establishing the binge-viewing model by releasing all episodes of its shows at once, and for being the first SVOD player to challenge the movie theatres by acquiring exclusive rights to feature films.

The OITNB renewal is also noteworthy as it comes before the debut of season four, on June 17.

OITNB comes from Lionsgate Television, and follows Taylor Schilling as a middle-class New York professional sentenced to jail for her involvement in drug smuggling ten years prior.

“Jenji and her team have produced a phenomenal and impactful series that is both funny and dramatic, outrageous and heartfelt,” said Cindy Holland, VP of original content at Netflix. “Audiences around the world have come to love the ladies and men of Orange is the New Black, and we are eager to see where three more seasons will take them.”