Netflix’s On My Block season 3 starts production as the cast secures considerable salary increases. On My Block, which arrived on Netflix in 2018, has received praise for blending comedy and drama to chronicle the highs and lows of four high school friends as they go through life in the inner city of South Central Los Angeles. Each of the four - Monse Finnie (Sierra Capri), Cesar Diaz (Diego Tinoco), Ruby Martinez (Jason Genao) and Jamal Turner (Brett Gray) - deal with their gritty environment differently.

On My Block has only gained more of a following since its debut and, according to Netflix’s own estimates, it was the most binged show of 2018. On My Block season 2 debuted a year after season 1, in March, and was similarly well received. However, though season 3 was slightly delayed as the main cast negotiated salary increases, On My Block season 3 is officially underway.

On Twitter, Netflix announced production had begun on On My Block season 3 with a video of the main cast, who, as reported by THR, all negotiated together to receive $65,000 per-episode. A fifth star, Jessica Marie Garcia, who plays Jasmine Flores, was included in the discussions by the streaming service. This is a significant pay bump from the first two seasons of the show, which saw the cast earning $20,000 for each episode. The new contracts also stipulate a $200,000 jump with each new season, meaning the cast could earn more than a million dollars for a potential fifth season. However, it’s debatable whether or not a fifth season is likely, given Netflix’s well-publicized tendency to cancel shows only a few years after their debut.

The THR story notes that the goal was to achieve a salary of $1.75 million per episode. Still, the cast is happy with what they were able to negotiate. On My Block season 3, which was announced at the end of April, will consist of eight episodes. The drop from a total of 10 episodes, as had been the norm for the first two seasons, is said to have been a creative decision and not a financial one.

This leads to a tricky choice. At one point, not so long ago, Netflix’s main competition was television. Now, with more streaming options popping up all the time, with rivals like HBO weaponizing their extensive library, the streaming service has to decide whether it wants to cancel original content after a brief run in search of the next colossal hit and in hopes of keeping costs down. Or if it sticks with shows that have proven an ability to build an audience - even if that audience might eventually taper off a little. Luckily for fans of On My Block, and luckily for the cast, Netflix has chosen the latter option in this case.

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Source: Netflix, THR