Big Showtime Series Just Left Netflix

No licensed title stays on Netflix forever, and that includes the Showtime comedy Episodes. Several major titles have left the streaming platform recently, including the acclaimed show starring Matt LeBlanc. The show marked the Friends star’s first television show since Joey ended. In a notable twist, LeBlanc plays a fictionalized version of himself in Episodes.

All five seasons of Episodes exited Netflix after Jan. 5. However, Showtime subscribers can still stream the show on the Showtime app. It is also available to stream on Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Fubo, and Amazon Prime Video if you get the Showtime channel add-ons. The series was also released on DVD, so you won’t have to worry about the show leaving a streaming platform if you prefer to own physical copies.

David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik created the show. It centers on Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig), a super-successful married couple who keep winning awards for their U.K. sitcom. They are persuaded to travel to Hollywood to remake the show for American audiences, but the network makes several changes and pressures them to cast LeBlanc in the lead role. Although they don’t like the idea of hiring the Friends star, they soon become friends with him, but the project puts a strain on their marriage. The show’s 41 episodes aired between 2011 and 2017. It also aired in the U.K. on BBC Two.

The show was a favorite with critics, and LeBlanc won a Golden Globe Award in 2012. LeBlanc was also nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy four times. Crane and Klarik were nominated for the Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Emmy four times as well.

After Episodes wrapped, LeBlanc returned to network television with CBS’ Man with a Plan, which ended after four seasons last year. He then participated in HBO Max’s Friends: The Reunion. LeBlanc also starred in Charlie’s Anbels (2000), which is available to stream on Netflix. LeBlanc can be seen in Friends and episodes of Top Gear on HBO Max.

There are several other major shows and movies leaving Netflix in January. After Jan. 15, all five Twilight movies will leave the platform. Other movies on the chopping block in January include Snowpiercer, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, The Bling Ring, Homefront, Cloud Atlas, Mystic River, Shutter Island, My Girl 2 and The General’s Daughter.