Netflix: House of Cards
 

Premieres tomorrow. All 13 episodes drop at once.

Heres an interesting nugget from a Forbes column:


http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothyp...s-this-friday/



But BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield thinks that if House Of Cards is a success, Netflix could also start demanding a fee from the broadband suppliers that plug their fat pipes into our homes and let us stream House Of Cards in the first place.

You can read Greenfield’s full report here (subscription required) but his basic idea is that the cable companies are taking about $40 bucks a month from you for your Internet service and not sharing any of that with the content side because for the most part, they are paying networks like AMC and Discovery a per subscriber fee on the cable side.

If Netflix’s exclusive programming takes off and viewers demand it, Netflix could be in a position to start taking a per subscriber fee from the cable guys on the Internet side. It’s not a completely unprecedented idea. According to Greenfield, ESPN gets a per sub fee for ESPN 3 from broadband.

It would be a bold move on Hastings’ part and one that he’s not yet in a position to make. But if shows like House Of Cards help Netflix become the next HBO, the service could be looking at a whole new stream of revenue.

then the cost is passed on to us three fold

thanks guys

Yes

I am excited about the show though.

I really wish cable was ala carte and you could just select the channels and programming you want. I have so many channels I never watch.

This sounds good in theory, but I doubt many would like the end result. Do you know how much ESPN alone would cost if it wasn't subsidized by all those basic cable subscribers?


I also think that analyst guy is a bit confused. Espn3 and Netflix have two completely different models. Netflix would prefer open internet it can effectively ignore, keeping its relationship with the individual customers.

First episode is free if you dont have a subscription.

Has anybody started watching this

I just watched the first episode, it's really good. Spacey is great, I'm in for the long haul if it maintains the quality of the premier.

I just watched the first one as well. Loved it, and can't wait to see where it goes.

I suppose the consumer over pays regardless of the approach. Oh well. There is a lot of great television on right now it's just the same few channels putting it out.

Watched the first episode. Feels like Sherlock but dealing with politics instead of detective work.

4 episodes in. Makes The American President look like an after school special. Great characters and even better story lines. Definitely one of my top five shows since The Sopranos. As a matter of fact, this show makes me feel like the Sopranos was poorly done. All IMHO....

The breaking the 4th wall stuff is weird, but it's not too over the top.

I'm 2 episodes in and I'm going to marathon this tonight and try to get 3 more episodes in. Netflix has a winner here, I hope a lot of people watch it.

HUGE Winner. I can't believe this isn't on HBO. THIS show, being delivered like this, could signal a huge shift in how people consume content going forward. If I were the top brass at a network, I would be very afraid.

Netflix needs to add more workaholics and dexter

I didn't like Episode 3 as much as the first two, but I still liked it overall. Onto episode 4.

I watched the first 2 episodes and man, that's a lot of Spacey. I'm not a fan of self narrating to begin with. I like the storyline but it may be a bit too much Spacy for me.

His narration made me think that the show was going to be like American Beauty where he completely melts down and brings others with him.

four episodes in, it's obvious that's not the case. I really dig the show and fully embrace Netflix becoming the new HBO.

I'm three episodes in and will definitely keep watching. The acting is great, story is compelling so far, and I love the aesthetic. I definitely see the Fincher touch.

This show is incredible. I'm six episodes deep and the name of the show is just perfect. Spacey is ****ing incredible in this role. The only thing that really bugs me is I'm able to predict certain things that are going to happen. But there have been some compelling twists and turns throughout it. I'll probably have it finished by tomorrow night.

I like to marathon the shit out of series, which is one reason I like Netflix so much. I only have time to do it in the Winter so the release of this was perfect, and I love that they dropped all the episodes at once. They spent a ****ton of money on this series, so I hope it's well received and continues.

I'm usually not a big fan of that, but he is killing it. The subtle looks at the camera just crack me up. He is perfect for the narrative.

Netflix also had an Original series last year called "Lilihammer" but it didnt get near the amount of praise or pub. Ive never watched it.

3 episodes in and I am hooked. Was not expecting this Netflix original content to be this good of quality.

Cool stuff.

Will start watching tomorrow. Cannot wait.

So I'm 6 episodes in and I'm already sure its one of my favorite shows and that its one of the best shows on TV. I honestly feel like I'm watching HBO or AMC.

That's what I keep saying...:thumb:

If I didn't care about having a somewhat social life, I would marathon the 2nd half of the season tonight. Instead I'll watch 2 or 3 episodes.

The one thing I don't like about this format is that it takes away from the focussed/structured discussion that normally happens for a TV show on internet message boards.

Yea, i was going to mention that earlier. Good point.

Part of the fun of stuff like Lost, Walking Dead, Justified is the discussion and anticipation of the weeks episode and whats to come.

Buck start a thread for each episode after you watch it and want to discuss it. It won't be the same but it's the best I've got. :shrug:

I guess I am weird I don't really see discussions of shows with people on the internet that big of a deal at all. There are times where I look into that if I feel confused by the unfolding of a show to see an angle I missed or didn't fully understand but other than that it is pretty rare I tap into that.

Dropping a whole season at one time? Bring it on.

Netflix spent huge money on this. If they didn't buy it, it'd be on one of the other big, traditional players.

I've watched a few, and the quality is there. It'll be interesting to see if amazon and Google (YouTube) follow them. I'd love to see production move away from TV towards modern distribution. This is a big deal, assuming it pays off for them

Aren't services like this just crying out for a joss whedon like involvement? Even ad is a bit different, because the rights are still held by traditional media. If they can ever make the money to do 4 or 5 of these a year.... cable will be in trouble.

Agree with you in being very interested to see where this is headed. Here is some more reading on the matter...

http://www.vulture.com/2013/01/netfl...-it-a-hit.html

How Will We Know If Netflix’s House of Cards Was a Hit or a Failure?

All thirteen episodes of House of Cards’ first season debut on Netflix Friday, but the folks who run the video service insist they don't give a damn if America rushes to watch the David Fincher–Kevin Spacey series this weekend. Or next weekend, or next month, for that matter. Executives have said they may never reveal any information about how many people watch the $3 million-plus-per-episode political thriller — or the number of viewings of any of the other four original series they'll be unveiling this year, including the highly anticipated return of Arrested Development. This has caused no small amount of head-scratching and even some ire in a TV industry where next-day ratings are a grand tradition: Numbers are how you declare yourself a success or reveal yourself a failure. FX chief John Landgraf earlier this month slammed the lack of transparency, telling a conference of TV reporters that Netflix suits "like the fact that they don't have to have a report card." What's more, Landgraf mused, if Netflix doesn't tell anyone who's watching its shows, "How will you determine if something's a hit?" Indeed, and with apologies to the late Whitney Houston, how will we know?

First, it's worth noting just how unusual Netflix's screw-the-numbers policy is in our society. We live in the age of Big Data, an era in which everything everybody does (and even thinks) is instantly measured, quantified, dissected, and analyzed. Obviously, we saw it in politics, where most of the narratives of the 2012 presidential election were born from polling data. And it is all over entertainment: The response to Taylor Swift’s latest single is tracked via constantly updated iTunes and Amazon sales charts; whereas only a handful of papers used to report box-office numbers, now weekend grosses are forecasted after Friday’s early screenings; and entire websites reduce TV shows to commodities, with each week's ratings treated like NASDAQ quotes, and a show's fate rises and falls based upon each Nielsen fluctuation. Numbers have always been a guidepost for our capitalist system: Casey Kasem made a career out of counting down the Billboard Top 40, and for decades the folks at McDonald's reminded consumers that they were among the "billions and billions served." The difference today is that numbers are released with unrelenting speed and each one is treated with equal significance.

But for now, at least, Netflix is refusing to play the all-American numbers game. In a letter to investors a few weeks ago, company CEO Reed Hastings dropped a pretty big hint about why, and it boils down to this: At least in the near-term, data on how many people stream House of Cards right after it goes up is meaningless. "Linear channels must aggregate a large audience at a given time of day and hope the show programmed will actually attract enough viewers despite this constraint," Hastings wrote. "With Netflix, members can enjoy a show anytime, and over time, we can effectively put the right show in front of members based on their viewing habits … For linear TV, the fixed number of prime-time slots mean that only shows that hit it big and fast survive ... In contrast, Internet TV is an environment where smaller or quirkier shows can prosper because they can find a big enough audience over time. In baseball terms, linear TV only scores with home runs. We score with home runs, too, but also with singles, doubles, and triples." It's not that Netflix doesn't care about how many people watch its original shows; it does, very much so. It just can happen over a much longer period of time. “If they like [a show] they watch more,” Netflix programming chief Ted Sarandos told the The Hollywood Reporter last year. “If they watch more, they will value the service more.” What separates Netflix from ABC or even AMC is that it truly doesn't care if that engagement takes place tomorrow night at ten or six months from now when you come down with a cold and decide to spend the day watching Kevin Spacey sneer at people.

Netflix's indifference to when you watch its programming is rooted in the fact that, unlike traditional TV networks, it's a subscription-based service. Ratings, and the ad revenue that results from increased ratings, aren't part of its equation for success. As long as a home viewer keeps paying his or her $8 per month, Reed Hastings is a happy man. Netfix's business model isn't unique in TV, of course: HBO has become a billion-dollar business by taking a similar watch-when-you-want approach to its content. It regularly brings back shows such as Treme, Enlightened, and, yes, even Girls, despite the fact that all three have failed to attract massive audiences the first time their episodes have aired on HBO. Ditto Showtime, where Californication pulls in barely 1 million viewers on Sunday nights — and was just renewed for a seventh season. What the HBO and Showtime series have in common is that they slowly add viewers weeks and months after they first air, as viewers catch multiple replays or watch via video On Demand. Even these cumulative ratings aren't the be-all at a premium network. The Wire never did well for HBO any way you sliced the ratings, but the network kept it on for five seasons anyway because it kept a certain segment of its subscriber base and contributed to building the network's "we're not TV" brand. When you don't have to worry about advertisers, and subscribers keep shelling out for your service, a show doesn't have to be declared a "hit" by the entertainment press to be considered a success. What matters for HBO, Showtime, and Netflix is that consumers like you think there's a reason to keep (or start) paying that monthly subscriber fee.

It would be easy to dismiss Netflix's no-data-for-you strategy as fear-based, that the company is worried a poor "rating" would prove embarrassing and perhaps even spook investors who've already survived those months in 2011 when Netflix lost nearly half its value in just a few months (remember Qwikster?). And who knows? Maybe that is part of the reason for the lack of hard data. But give the company credit: It agreed to fund 26 episodes (two seasons’ worth) of House of Cards for a widely reported price tag of $100 million, before seeing a single frame of footage, not to mention ratings. That in and of itself seems to show Hastings means it when he says that long-term viewing is what counts. By ordering two seasons at once, Netflix will have plenty of time to see how House plays with Netflix subscribers and how it impacts the company's subscriber base (now at around 30 million globally). While Hastings may say House of Cards’ value won’t be known for a long time, it would seem that May's launch of Arrested Development will be a more immediate test of the original-programming plan: It's a known brand that fans have been clamoring for more of for years, so if its return doesn't result in an instant surge of binge viewing (and an uptick in subscribers), then it's hard to imagine any original series moving the needle for Netflix.

So, back to Landgraf's question: How will we know if House of Cards is a hit? Well, it's possible Netflix will change its mind and release data after all. HBO never really made much of a fuss about its Nielsen numbers until The Sopranos became a huge hit. If House of Cards smashes a slew of previous Netflix benchmarks, the company's PR department could persuade Hastings to change his mind. Barring that, the best and only way to judge the success or failure of Netflix's original programming push is by waiting and watching to see what the company does next, not in the next few months but over the course of a couple of years. Does it keep Spacey's show going beyond the first two cycles, or does it issue a press release one day claiming that producer David Fincher has decided the story reached its “natural conclusion” after 26 episodes? Does it keep investing hundreds of millions of dollars each year in original programming, commissioning new series or resurrecting others that’s old episodes have been perennial favorites on Netflix? Or does it decide to shift more money into locking up exclusive deals with studios for their movie content (like its recent blockbuster agreement to become the exclusive pay TV home for Disney content beginning in 2015)? And, perhaps most important, does Netflix's subscriber count keep going up? Remember, with a subscription costing about $100 a year, adding 10 million subscribers over the next few years would bring in an addition $1 billion to Netflix's coffers. That would buy quite a few more episodes of Arrested Development. If Netflix is writing eight-figure checks for original content five years from now, it'll probably be safe to declare House of Cards a success.

If its a huge hit, I'll bet Netflix will be glad to toot their own horn. Otherwise , they probably remain quiet.

I dunno. There really isn't that much to gain. If it is working then that is helping their bottom line.

They would only have public perception to lose and nothing to gain.

LOL yeah the value of the show coming out all at once >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Internet Talk about it, but it's a fun little thing for those of us who enjoy it.

Reading everyone's theories is always fun.

I hope it's a huge hit, I dumped cable, and I would love more shows to follow this route.

I also wonder if a TV channel will ever buy the syndication rights for a show like this and might we see House of Cards replays on TNT in 10 years?

I just really want some new Jericho or Firefly, but I'll gladly take more high-quality new shows too.

That is a great idea.

Just out of curiosity, what's it rated? I'm assuming its geared towards adults with language, violence and sex similar to a cable show?

It has a similar feel in edginess to SOA.

Yeah, it's tv-ma. Although it's actually pretty mild as far as sex goes when you compare it to other shows. Not a family show by any means though

If I have one complaint about the show, and I'm only five episodes in, it's the kind of weird disconnect between the modern setting and the old boss style politics. I keep forgetting I'm watching something set today.

I don't think any station would pay enough or interest Netflix. They want people to sign up and watch this whenever, whether now or a year from now. Syndicating contradicts what Netflix is trying to do.

Plus, most stations that do miniseries type stuff like this are, or soon will be, competitors.

Edit: plus, in a few years how many TVs won't have built in access to Netflix, either native or through Microsoft, apple, or Google? Syndication isn't their plan

Have they explained how the Underwoods made their money? Not that you couldn't live well off of his $174k/year salary (and presumably she takes a draw from the charity), but their lifestyle seems to imply more than just that income.

I think the wife comes from money.

Just finished episode 9. It was incredible. Best episode of the series so far. I'm going to finish this series tomorrow night.

Watched the first episode, it intrigued me enough to watch another one tonight. The wife's review "There were some things I liked, some things I didn't." Well, gee, thanks Mrs. Obviously Obtuse!

Done with the entire season. Just couldn't stop watching. Helluva ride so far!

Same here. I just marathoned it in 3 days. Really enjoyed the show and loved all the episodes dropping at once.

I thought Spacey was fantastic

Fell asleep during the season 1 finale last night so I'll watch that tonight and I gotta say that Francis Underwood is more evil than Walter White. I hate him so much. Spacey is great.

Just finished the last episode.

WOW. Great season.

Best 1st season of anything in a while...better than Homeland, IMO.

Pretty high praise. I've only watched the first 3, but plan to dive back in this weekend. I've loved it so far.

I'm about 6 episodes in. Fantastic.

I watched the first 2 or 3 eps of Lillyhammer, couldn't get into it even though I'm a big fan of Stevie. May go back and give it another shot at some point, it usually takes me a few eps to warm up to things unless they're just stellar.

I'll probably start watching Cards this weekend. I put it in my queue as soon as I saw it (I'm a sucker for anything that's based here) but this thread has got me excited to watch it now.

Hopefully they do a decent job with making it not too obvious that a lot of it's not filmed in town (I know some of the opening credits stuff is here, but like most other shows they don't want the hassle of filming in town. We also don't give good incentives so I've heard they're doing most of their filming in B-more and Havre de Grace.). It's gotten decent local reception, so it sounds like they did. I liked a lot about the first season of Homeland but they were god-awful with most of their supposed-to-be DC stuff. It was like they weren't even trying.

I didn't have much interest in this until this thread. Political dramas aren't usually my thing. Watched the first two episodes last night and really liked it.

Stay with it, gets better as it goes.

I have 2 episodes left now. I couldn't stop watching last night. This show is fantastic.

Haven't read anything in this thread because I'm only three episodes in, but just such a well written show. I'm a Spacey fan anyhow, but I'm loving it so far. Netflix did well.

We had crappy weather here Saturday, so I managed to get through the whole thing this weekend. I thought it was pretty solid as a whole. Some interesting stuff going on (Especially that one development at The Citadel...hopefully that will come back in a big way rather than just fading out. To me that was maybe the most interesting twist of the entire season.) that I'm interested to see what they'll do with in the future.

I agree with cookster's spoiler, and there were several other things that I was just like "come on, someone who's supposedly that savvy would NEVER do THAT," but hey, it's TV.

I was surprised that the narration thing didn't bug me after a while but overall I thought it was ok (I was afraid it was going to end up being a crutch for sloppy writing/plot development, but for the most part they avoided that.). The only time it started to annoy me was when the writers couldn't get out of their own way with beating you over the head about how bad Frank is. Sort of like the end of the pivotal scene with Russo at his house. It's strange, most of the time the show is pretty well written and subtle like they know their target audience is sharp and they give them credit. Then you get these odd instances where they wield the script like a blunt weapon. I'm sure they're trying to add that extra little punch of gravitas, but they end up being melodramatic eye-rollers for me.

I was pretty impressed with the production values, and it was miles ahead of Homeland regarding certain things being believably in/near the District. There were a few things script wise that were off, but they were fairly minor (though easily avoidable) and you'd probably have to know the city pretty well to catch them. They did a good enough job with depth of field and framing the shots that even the DC scenes that weren't DC were close enough visually.

I'll definitely keep watching.

I've just got the finale left. It has definitely turned in ways I could not predict since my last post. I didn't really like the Citadel episode, I thought it was weird as a whole but the twist that was put in there will probably be used in a huge way at some point down the line. Honestly, 12 episodes in I'm excited to see the season finale. This could go so many different ways.

Definitely the best new show I've seen in years. And I'm a HUGE fan of Person of Interest which previously held that distinction.

This show is great! It's awesome having all episodes available.

I'm through nine episodes so far. This is great. What a wonderful collection of morally bankrupt sociopaths. Popcorn for my cynical soul. :thumb:

Show is awesome. My one gripe is that the President seems very obtuse compared with the rest of the characters. You don't get to be President without being incredibly astute. I hope they fix that in the second season.

Has anyone seen the original british series? I think I am going to start watching it this weekend.

I will admit I was a bit pissed to find out HOC isn't original, but excited that there is a british version.

I don't normally like political shows but, after watching the first two episodes of this, I'm really liking it.

Every time I try to watch it or a movie on Netflix the picture lags and speeds up. It doesn't do it on hulu or amazon. Any suggestions?

Heh. I guess you never heard of George W. Bush or Joe Biden. LMAO

Who?

WTF? Season 1 of Homeland was top quality. I thought the story line dragged in the middle. Excellent start and finish. Definitely top quality TV but the best evah. no.

Just finished the first season.

Wow. Underwood is the coldest, most deviant prick I may have ever watched on a show. Delightful character. Netflix hit their target. There's no ****ing way I'm cancelling my subscription with season two on the way.

This model kicks ass. I didn't necessarily plow through a ton of episodes until today since it was a snow day; but I could see myself watching a couple of episodes a night for a couple of nights a week and making it a three week process for season two.

It really is a great show. The fact they had the cash to pull in an actor like Spacey, and just the production value in general... is really impressive.

Can't wait for the new Arrested Development.

House of Cards is better than Homeland.

I agree.

I haven't seen Homeland but HOC is in Breaking Bad, Mad Men territory for me. Hard to believe it gets much better than that.

I really enjoyed the first season. I've recommended the show lots of people and am looking forward to the second season, but frankly,

It's really going to suck having to wait a year for the next season. I'm hooked.

RE: Russo

Interesting take. Makes sense.

Agreed.

The show hasn't been out that long, it's really good and spreading largely by word of mouth. I figure for the first couple of months it's good form to use spoilers.