Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s latest Netflix venture, a five-episode series titled “Polo”, has been met with less than stellar reviews from critics and viewers alike.

The show aimed to provide an insider’s view of the ‘elite and privileged’ sport, but many took issue with the premise, noting that polo is essentially “the playground of the rich”.

The Telegraph labeled the series as “tedious”, while the Mail on Sunday newspaper dismissed it as a “load of old tosh”. The Guardian predicted that “Polo looks destined to fall through the submenus into obscurity at the speed of light. And rightly so”.

Even The Cut, a magazine once favored by Meghan, published a scathing review in an article titled ‘Harry and Meghan’s Projects Can’t Stop Flopping’. Writer Danielle Cohen commented on the couple’s “tortured attempts to launch a successful Stateside endeavour” which, she wrote, “continued this week” with the release of Polo.

“Seems like this one is bound for the same fate as Markle’s beleaguered jam company,” she added. This backlash has sparked questions about the couple’s next Netflix project.

For almost a year, rumors have circulated that Meghan is creating her own show celebrating ‘the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship’. However, it remains uncertain if and when it will air – with a Netflix insider expressing their dissatisfaction with the Duchess and her work thus far, as reported by the Daily Mail, reports the Mirror.

In a harsh six-word assessment, they allegedly said: “It’s so much work with her.” The insider continued: “Bluntly, the ‘deliverable’ does not seem to be worth it.”

Harry and Meghan on the polo pitch

The couple’s latest series focuses on Harry’s love of the elite sport polo ( 

Image:

Netflix)

Harry and Meghan inked a five-year deal with Netflix in 2020, valued at around $100million (£80million), which is set to expire in autumn next year. To date, they’ve released only four projects through the streaming giant, all of which are documentary series: Harry and Meghan, chronicling their romance, Heart of Invictus, about Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, Polo, and Live to Lead, showcasing inspiring world leaders.

However, it remains uncertain whether the streaming giant will continue collaborating with the couple, especially after their £15million Spotify contract ended prematurely in June last year. Hollywood executives have indicated that any new deal with the couple will be significantly less than the initial $100 million, mainly due to the limited content Harry and Meghan have produced.

If Meghan’s series is given airtime, it will likely launch – along with her brand – in the first quarter of the year. Since it’s not included in Netflix’s January schedules, it might premiere in late February – after Harry’s Invictus Games in Whistler, Canada – or in March.

The critique of the couple’s Netflix collaboration comes just before they plan to celebrate Christmas at their Montecito home with their two kids, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three. Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, is also expected to join them for the holiday.

Reports indicate that the couple did not receive an invite to spend Christmas with Harry’s Royal family in Sandringham, England, this year, where 45 members of the Royal Family are set to congregate.