Netflix Says Goodbye To DVD Delivery And The Red Envelope

Netflix ships out its final DVDs today, and users get to keep them this time. They became a part of our weekends, but never again will you see a DVD wrapped in that special red envelope again.

Once Netflix pooped on Blockbuster (may they rest in peace. Except for that one that is still plugging away in Oregon). It was really the cheapest and only way to get hundreds of DVD titles delivered directly to your home.

It was very innovative at the time, and the convenience factor was unbeatable. I mean, the DVD you wanted to watch from the minute it was released such as "Dances with Wolves," "Showgirls,"  delivered right to your house! Truly a "Netflix and chill" weekend!

Netflix mailed out its first DVD in 1998.  It was "Beetlejuice" (good trivia question). There are now fewer than a million people who still actually subscribe to the Netflix DVD-by-mail plan. And there are only five distribution centers left in California, Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey.

What was Netflix most popular title? According to The Guardian, that honor goes to  "The Blindside," staring Sandra Bullock

Those of you who refused to quit your plans will get that extra bonus:  You get to KEEP whatever comes your way.  According to The Guardian, some subscribers will get lucky, and receive ten discs as a parting gift. Probably because they have nowhere to store them if you send them back! At Netflix peak, the DVD service had 20 million subscribers, and a library of more than 100,000 titles.

They did a very special "goodbye" video. You can watch it below.

It is rather bittersweet. For all of us, and I'm sure Netflix, as well. I personally remember how excited I would be when I opened my mailbox, and that little red envelope was in there. SCORE!!!!

Good or bad, there are so many streaming services available now. Not cheap, but definitely easy.

Goodbye Netflix red envelope -- and thank you!

We might be heading into a similar time, not unlike during the pandemic, thanks to the dual strikes from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA.)

The WGA strike began on May 2. SAG-AFTRA began its strike on July 14. Both unions have many of the same reasons for striking, among them being a more liveable wage via receiving a fair cut of streaming royalties. (An explanation on the growth of streaming compared to royalties is available below.) Additionally, both unions want regulations related to AI to prevent studios from exploiting the technology that would negatively impact writers and actors.

Sadly, there's no real end of either strike in sight. Deadline caused a lot of stir with an exclusive where the outlet quoted an anonymous studio executive. This executive said regarding the WGA strike, "The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses."

Understandably, this has rejuvenated the WGA's energy around the strike. The Hollywood Reporter has been running a featured title "Anonymous Strike Diary," written by an anonymous WGA member. This writer wrote, in part, " ... Thank you, whoever you are. Because those quotes turbocharged us. They reminded every writer why we’re doing this."

So, where does that leave us as consumers? It means it might be a long time until television and film production resumes. This means we all might be leaning on finding shows to binge to pass the time before we get to watch new content again.

Lucky for you, we've created a list to help get you started on figuring out your next show to binge. Without further ado, here are eight '80s sitcoms that you should be streaming right now. (Plus, by binging these shows, you'll prove the WGA and SAG-AFTRA's point about how they should be getting a bigger cut of streaming revenue.)

Who doesn't wish they had a special place where everybody knew their name? One of the most iconic sitcoms of all time, the unique community of Cheers is something truly special.

Cheers is currently streaming on Paramount+.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXED2AVlbR0

It's the series that gave us Jackée Harry and "Mary!" That alone makes 227 priceless!

227 is currently streaming on Hulu and Tubi.

The Golden Girls have grown in popularity over the years. It's largely due to the iconic cast and the stellar writing, which still holds up decades later. Huh...it's almost as if writers are super important. Who knew?

The Golden Girls is currently streaming on Hulu.

We're sure plenty of southern belles (and maybe, also, Leon Phelps) still have a big place in their hearts for the ladies (and Anthony) of Sugarbaker & Associates.

Designing Women is currently streaming on Hulu and Prime Video.

The charm of Bob Newhart is simply unmatched, and so is the ridiculousness of Larry, Darryl and Darryl. It also goes without saying Newhart truly has one of the best series finales of all time. Just perfection!

Newhart is currently streaming on Prime Video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdUWXf8jJk

Who really was the boss? If you ask Abed from Community, it's clearly Angela Bower. However, perhaps you should rewatch and judge for yourself.

Who's the Boss is currently streaming on Tubi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h386rG5Srs4

Fun fact: There really is a night court. Per the New York Post, the New York Criminal Court sees between 70-90 cases during its sessions, which run from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Of course, we doubt they have as many memorable characters as the show.

Night Court is currently streaming on Freevee.

Hippies raising children during the wild, yuppie-tastic '80s? What's not to love?! Plus, the show introduced us to Michael J. Fox, and who doesn't like Marty McFly?!

Family Ties is currently streaming on Paramount+ and Pluto TV. (Sha la la la.)