Netflix Michigan-Centric Comedy About the Last ‘Blockbuster’ is Just Meh

Ironically, the new comedy available this month on Netflix is about a franchise that Netflix wiped off the face of the earth. Well, almost. 'Blockbuster' focuses on the last of the video stores still standing, placing it somewhere in Michigan.

The Real Last Blockbuster Store

The Netflix comedy (some are referring to it as a documentary) is based on the real last Blockbuster video store in Bend, Oregon. The store has gained a lot of notoriety in the last few years for its bigger-than-life presence on Twitter, with tweets that are often hilarious and usually irreverent.

A Pretend City North of Detroit

The producers of 'Blockbuster' set the scene for the show in a pretty non-descript Michigan town known as Iron Creek. Is that a combination of Iron Mountain (in the Western UP) and Swartz Creek (just outside of Flint) or Battle Creek?

There are a few hints in the first couple of episodes that indicate the show is set somewhere between Flint and Detroit. In the first episode, events at the store are covered by a local reporter from 'Channel 12' although there's no specific reference to Flint's ABC-12. In episode two, store manager Timmy implies that it's a bit of a drive to shop in Ann Arbor.

Accuracy is not exactly a requirement of TV.

Netflix Series Misses the Mark

I had such high hopes for this show. As a longtime follower of the real last Blockbuster's Twitter account, I had high expectations.

The show shares actress Melissa Fumero and showrunner Vanessa Ramos with 'Brooklyn 99,' a genuinely funny comedy cut from the same cloth as Blockbuster. Randall Park, who you may remember from 'Fresh Off the Boat' plays Timmy, the manager of the cast of misfits employed at the store.

Although the show has a solid roster of actors and a great premise to draw from, it seems to fall a bit flat.

Keep Reading for more Shows that use Michigan as their backdrops.