‘Blockbuster’: 3 Facts the Netflix Series Gets Wrong About the Real Last Blockbuster
The Netflix comedy Blockbuster is not about the actual last Blockbuster Video store. So the discrepancies between the real last Blockbuster and the show don’t ruin it at all. But, if you are interested in the actual last Blockbuster, Showbiz Cheat Sheet is here to help. And if you like the show, you may still be interested in the true story.
The last Blockbuster Video store has an interesting story of its own. Here are three major differences between the real story and the Netflix Blockbuster show, now streaming.
The real last Blockbuster is in Bend, Oregon
If you want to visit Blockbuster Video in real life, the only store remaining is in Bend, Oregon. The Netflix series does not take place in Bend; it takes place in a Michigan town. It is a small-town environment where the neighbors know all your personal business, but it’s not actually Bend.
If you can’t visit Bend in person, the Bend Blockbuster sells plenty of Blockbuster merch on their official website. Sales support the last Blockbuster and are made locally in Bend.
It actually became the last Blockbuster in 2019
The downfall of Blockbuster officially began in 2010 when the company filed for bankruptcy. By then, the company was down from over 9000 stores to only 1700. Corporate offices closed in 2014 and the straggling franchises all closed, leaving Bend the last Blockbuster standing in 2019.
The Netflix show takes place in 2022. Timmy (WandaVision‘s Randall Park) gets the call from the corporate office that the company is just shuttering now. In the fictional world, the video chain lasted another eight years as a corporation, and presumably other locations were open before they liquidated.
It is true that the emergence of Netflix ran the competition out of business. First, Netflix mailing DVDs was stiff competition. Blockbuster attempted their own version of that, but Netflix had already dominated the market. By the time Netflix offered streaming, the writing was on the wall for brick-and-mortar stores. It’s kind of ironic that Netflix now has a streaming show about the very store they rendered obsolete.
The Tisher and Harding families are the real proprietors
The cast of the Netflix show are all fictional characters, and they’re all friends who only form a family through the store. The Bend location belongs to the Tisher family. According to their website, Ken and Debbie Tisher moved to Bend in 1990. They ran an independent video store, Pacific Video, for 10 years.
They became a Blockbuster in 2000. Now, they are the last ones keeping the chain alive. The Tishers have two kids, Marc and Rory. Debbie’s parents, Larry and Berniece Dean, are also partners in the store. Ryan and Sandy Harding manage the store and run the blog now.
On the show, Timmy goes from manager to owner/operator. His staff includes Eliza (Melissa Fumero), who returns to work when her marriage breaks up. Connie (Olga Merediz) is probably the most veteran employee besides Timmy. Carlos (Tyler Alvarez) is an aspiring filmmaker working at the video store to follow the Quentin Tarantino path. Hannah (Madeleine Arthur) is working there to save up her money. Kayla (Kamaia Fairburn) is the daughter of landlord Percy (J.B. Smoove).
