Netflix Drops First Episode of New Show for Free on YouTube

A new Netflix original series is still three weeks away from premiering, but you can get a sneak peek at the first episode for free now. My Dad the Bounty Hunter is slated for release on Thursday, Feb. 9 on Netflix, but the first episode just dropped without warning on YouTube. This move might be the key to Netflix enticing some new young viewers.

My Dad the Bounty Hunter is a sci-fi comedy about two kids who stow away in their dad's car and follow him to work one day, only to find that he is secretly an intergalactic bounty hunter. The show has some A-list talent, including The Boys star Laz Alonso as their father, Terry. Terry's kids are Lisa and Sean, played by Priah Ferguson and Jecobi Swain respectively. Other stars include Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash, Rob Riggle, Leslie Uggams, Yvonne Orji and Jamie Chung.

My Dad the Bounty Hunter was created by Everette Downing and Patrick Harpin, who issued a statement saying that the series was originally conceived as an homage to the kids' adventure media they grew up on like The Goonies and E.T. However, they decided their unique twist would be to steer specifically toward fatherhood, exploring the accountability that comes with the role.

This comes through in the first episode, where Terry needs to balance his usually risky work with the protection of his stow-away kids. He suddenly hesitates before making the kinds of split-second decisions that ordinarily get the job done. Meanwhile, the kids find a new respect for their father as they realize he is renowned and feared around the galaxy.

Netflix made its name on the binge-watching model while many other streaming services struggled to catch up, and today it is one of the few services still sticking to that script. While other outlets are leaning towards releasing an episode at a time for a few weeks to stir up conversation, Netflix continues to drop whole seasons at a time. This YouTube preview is a clever way of catching the attention of a younger generation who may not browse Netflix for as long as their parents.

My Dad the Bounty Hunter Episode 1 is streaming now on YouTube. The other nine episodes will premiere on Netflix on Thursday, Feb. 9.