Netflix has announced that it has renewed both Monster and The Watcher. Both series come from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the true crime dramas debuted within several weeks of each other. Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story had Evan Peters in the lead. The Watcher found an ensemble cast to tell the story of a couple who started receiving anonymous threats after they moved into a new and expensive house. These adaptations of true events caused some division amongst viewers as questions arose about whether or not the stories unintentionally glorified traumatic events or downplayed the extent of it all.
Despite various controversies surrounding Dahmer, and even though the actual Watcher couple said they wouldn't watch the Netflix show, both series were an absolute hit with viewers. Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story became the second-best watched English Netflix series, with 934 million viewing hours globally - according to data from the streaming service. The Watcher has been watched for 341 million hours eighteen days after its debut. Now, enforced by the data, both Monster and The Watcher will return - albeit with a twist.
In the case of Monster, the series will turn into an anthology series that focuses on "stories of other monstrous figures who influenced society". As far as the second season of The Watcher is concerned, creative plans are currently kept secret. Thus, it is unclear whether or not the same story will go on or if this will also turn into an anthology series.
The discussion regarding Murphy's massive Netflix deal has recently increased, which he abided to despite constant involvement in various FX projects, which is owned by Disney. Due to a special clause in his Netflix contract, Murphy is allowed to work on American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud. That portfolio has expanded as the new spin-offs American Love Story and American Sports Story have been announced. This all happened because Murphy's previous scripted Netflix series such as The Politician (2019), Ratched, Halston and Hollywood (2020) didn't have the same impact as his established FX brands.
At some point, there were rumors that Murphy was going to leave Netflix after his deal ended. For now, with two big hits on his name, it seems like he will remain at the streaming service with the intent of doing what he does best: campy horror, murderers, and a familiar cast.