The

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

streaming media Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a Computer network, network for playback using a Media player (disambiguation), media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of Network packet, packets from a Server (computing), ...

provider,

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

, performs

April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. ...

practical joke A practical joke or prank is a trick played on people, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. The perpetrat ...

s on its subscribers. These jokes have included overly detailed categories for films, comic

public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. Oftentimes these messages feature unsettling imagery, ideas or behaviors that are des ...

s and two original films composed entirely of footage of food cooking.

Jokes

2013

Netflix added overly detailed genres to its service, including "Movies Starring Estelle Getty and Some Other Guy" (with only the film '' Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot'' listed), "Reality TV About People With No Concept Of Reality," "Surreal Ballets Based On A William Shatner Album" (with only the film '' William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet''), "When You Watch Netflix, It Watches You" (featuring videos with eyes on the cover), "Movies And TV Shows About Seriously Pissed Off Wives," "Movies Featuring An Epic Nicolas Cage Meltdown," "Nephrotic Adventures Featuring Very Tiny Children" (with only the film '' Chasing the Kidney Stone'' listed), "Movies That Are in English, But Still Require Subtitles" (with '' Snatch'' and '' Trainspotting''), and "TV Shows Where Defiantly Crossed Arms Mean Business!" (featuring television shows with cover art showing people with their arms crossed).

2014

Netflix added two " Netflix originals" including ''Sizzling Bacon'', a 20-minute feature of bacon cooking, and ''Rotisserie Chicken'', a 73-minute feature of a chicken cooking on a rotisserie.

2015

Netflix created a series of

s, warning users of the "dangers of

binge-watching Binge-watching (also called binge-viewing) is the practice of watching entertainment or informational content for a prolonged time span, usually a single television show. Statistics Binge-watching overlaps with marathon (media), marathon viewin ...

." Thirteen messages were created, starring actors and actresses from Netflix original programming shows, such as Michael Kelly from '' House of Cards'' (telling the viewer to go to work) and Selenis Leyva from '' Orange Is the New Black'' providing a bilingual message (Spanish and English) encouraging the viewer to do their homework. The PSAs would play when the viewer watched two episodes of the same show in a row.

2016

Netflix again added overly detailed genres to its service, but all having something to do with John Stamos of ''Full House'' such as "Horror Movies that give John Stamos the Heebie-Jeebies" and "Movies that make John Stamos feel emotions." The next day, the site issued a humorous apology to Stamos in an exclusive video.

2017

On March 31, Netflix added a new featured Netflix Original titled ''Netflix Live''. The show features 48 minutes of comedy actor

Will Arnett William Emerson Arnett (; born May 4, 1970) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his roles as Gob Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and the titular ch ...

providing commentary on "live crosses" to tediously mundane footage, mostly featuring office settings and appliances. The featured settings were a photocopier, a microwave, a toaster, two people thumb wrestling (who turned out to be

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...

and Shannon Purser), a crossword puzzle, a refrigerator (from the inside with the door closed), a pencil sharpener, an office cubicle, a book of Shakespeare (being read), a driver parallel parking (poorly), nighttime, a puddle, and grass. During each scene, Arnett appears in a box in the bottom-left of the screen giving running commentary. Some of his witticisms were: * (About the copy room) "Everything in here is so organized. Must be a German in this office, huh?" * (As the microwave counted down) "If you listen to Jared Leto, apparently you can get to Mars in 30 seconds. I tell you what will take you one second is getting out of the room if someone puts on a Jared Leto record." * (About the book) "The only thing worse than 'The Works of Shakespeare' is its index." * (About the puddle) "That puddle makes me happy because water is the essence of life, I think. If it isn't, it should be." * (About the field of grass) "Finally, something more boring than Jason Bateman." On April 1, the show was marked as "Canceled" in bold letters across the image, with the show's description including an explanation that Netflix overestimated the number of people that liked binge-watching microwaves and that "Dave from analytics" was in trouble.

2018

Netflix released a video starring

Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...

and Lonny Ross in which Seth signs a contract stating Netflix will now own Seth's mind, body, and soul in order for him to come up with original movie ideas for Netflix. All Netflix has to do in return is air Seth's '' Hilarity for Charity'' special.

References

April Fools' Day jokes Internet humor English-language television shows Netflix original programming {{Netflix