Netflix Announced Original Programming at NAB in Vegas
posted Friday Apr 20, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo
At the beginning of the month, Netflix came out of the shadows and decided to buy DVD.com. This comes after a long quiet period that followed what I have been dubbing The Great Netflix Debacle of Late 2011, where even though 800,000 customers left the company who at the last minute lost its backbone because of Facebook, it wasn't too concerned that it couldn't move forward and prosper.
What's in store for Big Red? A whole lot of good show! We have the details after the break.
Netflix announced at the National Association of Broadcasters show (NAB) in Vegas that the company has a bunch of original programming coming to the platform in the next year. The entire original programming is interesting for companies like Hulu and Netflix, because those streaming companies are trying to keep cable companies happy by listing their content with ads in an effort to generate revenue and decrease piracy of the hosted media. A move to original programming essentially adds in a bit of competition in the same company that is rubbing shoulders with the frenemy.
However, with more TV everywhere-type applications and hardware hitting the market, it's easier and easier to just load up Netflix than it is to subscribe to cable, especially for those traveling. It would only be right for Netflix to tap in to that market and grab some revenue of its own.
We will start by the now-infamous David Fincher and Kevin Spacey project House of Cards, which is based on the UK book and miniseries of the same name. Netflix says we should expect to see the long-awaited series in early 2013. There's also a new program led by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan, Orange is the New Black which tells the life and time of a woman in a minimum-security prison. We will see star Famke Janssen shine on murder mystery Hemlock Grove and finally Arrested Development makes its way back to the homes of viewers everywhere after being cancelled by Fox five years ago.
I think the key here is that both actors and creators alike are finding a space in which they can produce shows that they have envisioned without having the broadcast and cable networks putting their hands into the pot and changing the final product. Sometimes, the end result turns out to be completely unrecognizable from the initial concept, which can certainly frustrate the content creator. It almost feels like Netflix is taking the route of HBO's original vision - giving shows a home where they may otherwise be frowned upon for pushing the envelope.
Are you a cord-cutter already? Is your Netflix (or Hulu) accounts supplementary? Are you excited about these upcoming shows? Tell us in the comments section below.