Netflix will be rolling out under-the-radar original third-party serialized television programs in a bid to boost its streaming portfolio and avoid pricey bidding wars for license rights with resistant pay-TV channels.
The popular streaming service hope to capture member attention by unleashing offbeat serialized dramas ignored by pay-TV competitors such as HBO, Showtime and Stars.
This strategy will see them offer:
episodes of “Lilyhammer,” about a former New York mobster who goes to Lillehammer, Norway, as part of a federal witness protection program. The Norwegian production stars Steven Van Zandt (“The Sopranos”). Another exclusive is “Borgia: Faith and Fear,” a French/German serialized drama that recounts the Borgia family’s rise to power and domination of the Vatican during the Renaissance.
With Netflix expanding its streaming service internationally, its search for stellar seriable programming causes its subscription-based video on demand platform to bump heads with content holders despite a decline of the TV DVD and syndication markets.
Netflix CCO Ted Serandos said the typical audience for one-hour serialized TV programming is pay-TV channels such as HBO, Showtime and Starz — who he says are least likely to license content to Netflix due to competing business models.
Sarandos believes programs such as Lilyhammer, Borgia: Faith and Fear, and forthcoming House of Cards allows Netflix to get in the game and compete for pay-TV channel viewers with original programming:
“The ability to zero in on people’s tastes [allows you to] overcome a lot of the preconceived prejudice around content that [is subtitled and not in English]. Hollywood to the world is a big business,” he said. “The world to the world is a bigger business.”
Netflix have the ability to direct members to the serials they are interested in, as Serandos explains:
“People don’t sit around the dinner table discussing how a movie was distributed. They talk about whether they loved it or not. We think we can use the same [user] algorithms to launch a [TV] show very rapidly and put it into the hands of the people who will love it most. It is kind of the opposite of launching a [theatrical] movie.”
Source: Home Media Magazine
Very interesting stuff. I’m curious to see the caliber of serials they roll out and whether people take to them. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on in the ever-evolving seriable landscape.
Would you be interested in watching ‘offbeat’ serialized drama on Netflix?
Well, first off I’m not interested in either of these offerings. They sound like direct-to video knock-off copy-cat blahness. Except for House of Cards which I do not know a thing about.
Now, if they found a way to bring old seriables or not-picked up seriables then I’d be intrigued!
WHAT IF WE SAW:
1) firefly
2) Legend of the Seeker
3) Krod Mandoon & The Flaming Sword of Fire
4) Locke & Key
5) The Event
6) V
7) Flash Forward
8) Dark Skies
9) The Others (the TV series, not the Nicole Kidman movie)
10) Bionic Woman
What if independent or independent-minded people saw Netflix as a nice alternative to have some fun to create shows.
PEOPLE LIKE:
1) Tim Burton
2) Chris Carter (The X Files, Millennium, The Lone Gunmen, Harsh Realm)
3) Richard Kelly (The Writer/Director of Donnie Darko)
4) Darren Aronofsky (The director of Pi, A Scanner Darkly, etc.)
5) Jamin Winans (director of INK)
6) The creators of VR.5
7) The team that brought us The Usual Suspects.
8) The creator behind Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow
9) James Cameron (I know, I know …)
10) last but not least … Josh Whedon!
***
The problems would be getting viewers (I am sure this could be figured out)
and getting revenue. If they are streaming, then where are the ads? It would have to be like Cable TV and a paid “season pass” or some thing, but would that be enough? How do the Premium Cable Channels like HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX get their revenue when they are 100% commercial free? They still continue to produce original TV series. If you can do it like they do then you might have a chance.
Seriously, who wants to see The Sopranos On Ice(land) and
The Tudors Only Not
BOOring!
GBOGH, right?
If agreements were made to bring do firefly, Netflix would win just with that! That would create a ginormous buzz and those rabid fans would send sales thru the roof!
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There is also a large eager fan base for Legend of the Seeker, so bring just those 2 series to Netflix and you’ve got a gigantic buzz and guaranteed fan base!
Netflix wins! It opens up the door for other shows and wins Netflix turnign it’s business model around big time!
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I loved watching the Borgias faith and fear!!! Can’t wait for season 2 !
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Do you know when season 2 will be coming out?
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My wife and I LOVED Borgias H & F and can’t wait for Season 2. We watched Season 1 in a single sitting because my wife was home sick. Incidentally, my M
Netflicks has both Firefly and Legend of the Seeker.
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I adore Jerremy IRONS but the Cesare , Viggo Mortensen on Borgias F andF is such a hotty as is Juan I can’t stop watching it on Netflix. Must have seen it 2 dozen times. Much more Italian than and authentic than showtimes. Showtime is nore the English version but F and F is the real Italian, Don ,Godfather version. I love it ..would love to see the directors cut/must have cut the exorcism out. When is season 2 comming? I can’t wait! Walmart is taking preorders now.
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My mistake ,,Ceasare is Mark Ryder and a terrific actor. he acts as well as he looks terrific
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