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Netflix streaming strategy for August: replace great movies with Reading Rainbow nostalgia

Netflix streaming strategy for August: replace great movies with Reading Rainbow nostalgia

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Every month, Netflix announces which films and television shows will be joining and leaving the streaming service. August's list, like the lists of many recent months, is an example of the company's ability to fill the service with nostalgic fluff, while losing some of its best material. (I love you, Bill Nye the Science Guy, but I'm looking at you.)

We say goodbye to Titanic, Unbreakable, Driving Miss Daisy, The Fifth Element, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and more, and in their place, we get The Hurt Locker, Reading Rainbow volume 1, and Girl Meets World season 1. That's not a random selection of three new additions; those are the best new things not made by Netflix that will be added to the service this month.

With hundreds of films quietly being removed at random, Netflix's selection of streaming content is losing its shimmer. Perhaps licensing and serving content is no longer the company's main focus. This week, the episodic prequel to Wet Hot American Summer will be available on Netflix, and Narcos will release in late August. Both are produced by Netflix for Netflix. Take a look: the company's production slate is in fast-forward.

Here's the full list of arrivals and departures:

Available August 1st

Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein (1999)

Asylum (2005)

Back in Time/ Cong Cong Na Nian (2014)

Beneath the Helmet (2014)

Breakup Buddies/ Xin Hau Lu Fang (2014)

Bride and Prejudice (2004)

Casting By (2012)

Dancing on the Edge: Season 1

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Season 2

Dear Frankie (2004)

Dogs on the Inside (2014)

Electric Slide (2014)

Enemy at the Gates (2001)

Flex is Kings (2013)

Lost and Love/ Shi Gu (2015)

Masha and the Bear: Season 1

November Rule (2015)

Odd Squad: Season 1

Outcast (2014)

Pants on Fire (2014)

Reading Rainbow: Volume 1

Russell Brand: End the Drugs War (2014)

Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery (2012)

Somewhere Only We Know/You yi ge di fang zhi you wo men zhi dao (2015)

Sorority Row (2009)

The Code: Season 1

The Golden Era/Huang Jin Shi Dai (2014)

The Hurt Locker (2008)

The Living (2014)

The Mind of a Chef: Season 3

Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (2008)

Utopia: Season 1 .

Vexed: Season 1-2

War (2007)

Wing Commander (1999)

Available Aug. 3

Chronic-Con, Episode 420: A New Dope (2015)

Available August 4th

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2015)

Available August 5th

Yellowbird (2014)

Available August 6th

Kill Me Three Times (2014)

My Amityville Horror (2012)

The Look of Love (2013)

Welcome to Me (2014)

Available August 7th

Club de Cuervos: Season 1

Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story (2015)

Project Mc2 (2015)

Transporter: The Series: Season 2

Available August 8th

Doctor Who: Season 8

Available August 11th

Fred: The Movie (2010)

Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred (2011)

Fred 3: Camp Fred (2012)

Two Days, One Night (2014)

Available August 12th

For a Good Time, Call... (2012)

Leap Year (2010)

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2014)

Available Aug. 14

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Ever After High Way too Wonderland (Season 3)

Ship of Theseus (2012)

Available August 15th

Alex of Venice (2014)

Available August 16th

Being Flynn (2012)

Pariah (2011)

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Available August 17th

Lord of War (2005)

Available August 19th

Jerk Theory (2009)

Real Husbands of Hollywood: Season 3

Available August 20th

30 for 30: Angry Sky (2015)

As Cool As I Am (2013)

Strange Empire: Season 1

Available August 21st

Grantham & Rose (2014)

Transcend (2014)

Available Aug. 23

Girl Meets World: Season 1

Available August 27th

Byzantium (2012)

White God (2014)

Available August 28th

Inspector Gadget: Season 2

Narcos: Season 1

Once Upon a Time: Season 4

Revenge: Season 4

Available August 29th

Ride (2015)

Available August 30th

Muffin Top: A Love Story (2014)

And here are the currently-available movies and series leaving soon:

Leaving August 1st

Bad Girl Island (2007)

Barbershop (2002)

Beauty Shop (2005)

Bulletproof (1996)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Digimon Adventure: Season 1-3

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Face/Off (1997)

Fools Rush In (1997)

Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld: Season 1

Hawking (2013)

Hot Pursuit (1987)

Houseboat (1958)

Inside Fendi

Joe Dirt (2001)

Kiss the Girls (1997)

Pumping Iron (1977)

The Pitch: Season 1

Shooter (2007)

The Fifth Element (1997)

The Longest Day (1962)

Titanic (1997)

Unbreakable (2000)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

We're No Angels (1989)

Leaving August 6th

The Raven (2012)

Leaving August 8th

Albert Nobbs (2011)

Explorers: Adventures of the Century: Season 1 & 2

Leaving August 15th

Family Ties: Season 1-7

Immortalized: Season 1

The Forsyte Saga: Series 1-2

Leaving August 23rd

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Leaving August 24th

My Fair Wedding: Season 5

Leaving August 25th

Petunia (2012)

Leaving August 27th

LEGO Atlantis (2010)

LEGO: Hero Factory: Breakout (2012)

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: King of Shadows (2011)

LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Way of the Ninja (2011)

The Moth Diaries (2011)

Leaving August 31st

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: Season 1-3