Amid reports of Netflix shaking up its subscription offerings and broadening its reach by investing abroad, the streaming giant is also looking to change the direction of its original content.

According to memos sent by the streamer to creators, the company is currently looking to develop the next “New Girl,” a female-led version of Amazon’s “Jack Ryan,” a fresh take on “The Voice,” and a whole lot more. The sourced documents are meant to help executives, writers, and producers develop pitches and provide an insight into the streamer’s current content desires and reveal what types of programming audiences can expect to see in the future.

According to the documents, Netflix is looking for big stories that can be told on a budget. The streaming giant is searching for content with a “wow factor” and have specifically asked for no “sad coms,” presumably short for “sad comedies.”

Netflix referenced both “Emily in Paris” and “Never Have I Ever” as examples of what production creators should strive for. According to the memos, the company is looking for content that can encourage a broad reach that will help them attract — and maintain — audiences from across demographics. Netflix is hoping that its theoretical spin on “The Voice” will attract the “TikTok generation.”

The streaming giant has told agencies that they are open to almost any type of story as long as it has a “hook.” Additionally, the company specifically mentioned they are looking for a “Gracie and Frankie” replacement that caters to an older audience that might otherwise be uncertain of subscribing or sticking with the streamer.

Former Netflix Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation Phil Rynda once told creators, “We want to be the home of everybody’s favorite show.”

The streamer’s co-CEO Reed Hastings has retooled that mantra saying, “We want to make what our audience wants to see.”

With a yearly budget of $18 billion reserved for content, it is interesting to see what the world’s largest streamer is prioritizing from creators. Rather than allowing artists to create the new, viral, binge-worthy show or movie for the service, it appears that Netflix wants to reverse-engeneer what it thinks audiences will want to watch. Will that work? Only time will tell.

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Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”

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The platform constantly updates its catalog, introducing fresh content alongside timeless classics and international hits. Netflix’s commitment to storytelling has also earned critical acclaim, with award-winning exclusives such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Mank,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 2023, their animated film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, further solidifying Netflix’s reputation for high-quality content.

Recently, Netflix has expanded beyond standard movies and TV titles with the addition of video podcasts, and is also exploring a digital store that would offer third-party streamers within the app.

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