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Netflix officially launched its £4.99-a-month subscription service in the UK last week, with 30 second adverts shown during films and TV shows.
‘Basic with Adverts’ is £11 cheaper each month than the streamer’s most expensive package, as viewers will be subjected to four to five minutes of adverts per hour.
And there’s another catch – many of Netflix’s most popular movies and programmes are blocked from this option.
This includes the sitcoms New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, dramas Suits and House of Cards, and movies Paddington and The Imitation Game.
Netflix explained on its website: ‘Some TV shows and movies aren’t available to watch with the Basic with ads plan because of licensing restrictions.
‘These titles will have a lock icon when you search or browse Netflix.’
These unavailable films and TV shows may not be immediately obvious to Netflix users, as they could still appear in searches.
MailOnline takes a look at some of the most popular content that will no longer be available to subscribers choosing this cheaper option.
Netflix officially launched its £4.99-a-month subscription service in the UK last week, with 30 second adverts shown during films and TV shows
TV Series
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The comedy series ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ will not be available on the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan.
It stars Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olsen and Danny Devito as a group of friends who run an Irish Bar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
While the latest, fifteenth series had an average of 268,000 viewers upon airing on FXX, the series has gained a cult following who enjoy its dark humour.
The Good Place
The Good Place is another series that UK viewers will no longer have access to on the £4.99-a-month subscription plan.
Starring Kristen Bell, it follows a woman who is welcomed into a Heaven-like utopia after her death, despite leading a morally unethical life.
William Jackson Harper and Jameela Jamil portray other characters in the afterlife, and the final series garnered an average of 3.56 million viewers in 2019.
New Girl
New Girl stars Zooey Deschanel as Jess, a quirky teacher who moves in with three men who she’d never met before.
In series 5, while Deschanel was on maternity leave, Megan Fox temporarily took over as the female protagonist.
While its final series drew in an average of 2.18 million viewers, since being included on Netflix it has become one of the most popular shows on the platform.
New Girl has become one of Netflix’s most popular TV series since it was included on the streaming service. It will not be available to subscribers of the ‘Basic with Ads’ package
Arrested Development
Arrested Development follows the dysfunctional Bluth family who face bankruptcy after the father figure went to prison for fraud.
It aired on Fox for three seasons from 2003 to 2006, followed by two seasons on Netflix until 2019.
The series’ first season was the 120th most popular show among US households, according to the Nielson ratings system.
Suits
The legal drama Suits primarily follows a university dropout, portrayed by Patrick J. Adams, working a law firm next to a succesful closer played by Gabriel Macht.
It also famously starred Meghan Markle, who played ambitious paralegal Rachel Zane prior to her marriage to Prince Harry.
The nine-season series will not be available to watch on Netflix for subscribers of the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan.
The US Office
The Office, starring Steve Carell as the regional manager of a paper company, will be blocked to those on Netflix’s new advert-enabled plan.
The series finale of the much beloved mockumentary sitcom was viewed by an estimated 5.7 million viewers in 2013.
In 2016, Rolling Stone named it one of the 100 greatest television shows of all time.
House of Cards
House of Cards is a political drama and Netflix Original that was released in 2013, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
Netflix terminated its relationship with Spacey in 2017, following allegations of sexual misconduct, and the last series was released without his involvement.
It remained popular over a its six-season run, the last of which had an average of 1.5 million viewers in the US alone.
Suits, that starred Patrick J. Adams and Meghan Markle, will not be available to watch on Netflix for subscribers of the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan
Movies
The Imitation Game
The Imitation Game stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing as he tries to crack German intelligence messages for the British government during World War II.
It grossed over $233 million worldwide when it was released in 2014.
Paddington
Paddington follows the loveable bear from Peru as he joins the Brown family in London to start his new life.
The 2014 film and its sequel both received critical acclaim, and grossed $268 million.
It unfortunately will no longer be available to Netflix subscribers on the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan.
Oblivion
The 2013 post-apocalyptic action film Oblivion stars Tom Cruise as one of the last survivors on Earth after an alien attack.
Viewers with the ad-supported Netflix package won’t be able to watch this movie, likely due to contractual agreements between the streaming service and production company.
Snatch
Snatch, a 2001 movie directed by Guy Ritchie, follows gangsters, thieves and smugglers who cross paths in their pursuit of a stolen diamond.
It has an all-star cast including Brad Pitt and Jason Statham, and is currently number 118 on the IMBDb list of 250 top-rated movies.