House of Cards (Netflix)

[Bob The Skutter]

It's just a few days until Netflix release their Americanized update to House of Cards with the launch of the series coming on the 1st of February. Seems like a really good move to produce the episodes in advance and release them all on the same day, it'll be interesting to see how this move works out.

Knowing it was coming soon I watched the original version and it's made me very interested to see what they make of it.

 

[bigdaddy]

Looks good. Can't wait to see it.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I suppose I should have put this trailer in the Opening post but here it is anyway...

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULwUzF1q5w4[/yt]

 

[Relayer1]

The UK original was great - I may watch this !

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Not really the topic that ordinarily interests me, but Kevin Spacey looks great in it. Also, I want to support Netflix's original series efforts. Having never had Nielsens box, it's cool to finally feel like my viewing choices are being counted.

But Netflix needs to create some way that subscribers can save streaming series to their queue before they release, like with DVDs, so that nobody needs to remember when anything is releasing - when there are a lot of series like this, who's going to bother to remember what's coming out when?

And where's the advertising? They could just do the obvious thing can give subscribers a splash screen when they log on, but I've seen no advance promotion for this series on Netflix's site via Mac or Roku. Odd.

 

[J.T.B.]

I really liked the original (and sequels), 20-plus years ago. I don't really expect this version to exceed that one, but it might be good. I haven't read anything about it, but it will be interesting to see how they handle the US separation of the legislative and executive, which is so different from the parliamentary system but was so integral to the original.

Is this a limited-length series, or do they plan on keeping it open-ended? If the latter, it knocks my expectations down a notch.

Justin

 

[Roger Wilco]

This is the first I hear about this. Great that Spacey is in it, but I'm extremely fond of the British original, so I don't know if I'll be able to get over that.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

You'd think the number of episodes would be on Netflix's promo page for the series, but it's not. The only clue is that there are only a handful of trailers for episodes there.

But streaming upends the notions of miniseries vs regular series because the old rules no longer apply. They could release one chunk of episodes and then another chunk later on, with the same characters and premise, or altered significantly, like a spinoff series. One of the neat things about streaming is that it creates an opportunity to change all the rules about TV (and movie) formats. They will have a much freer hand to do whatever makes sense for the story.

 

[Jax]

Looks great and so glad its available to all Netflix users no matter the country.

 

[MacLeod]

The Original BBC was very good, and it's timing when it aired was rather fortutious given real world events that happend around the same time.

 

[Gaith]

I assume there'll be discs available also?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Now I've gotten curious how they're marketing this, because I'm getting all my info on this series here, and not a peep from Netflix itself.

But they're doing a billboard! Whee! For the LA industry crowd:

"We’re also generating a lot of attention in certain cities doing a highly concentrated, large scale promotion to be able to see what the effects of ours to stimulate the creative community awareness and generally build a lot of buzz around those shows," said Hastings.

Translation: Netflix's push into original programming has to be on Hollywood's radar in order to spur more interest from producers and talent that it is a new home for their wares. No doubt big cities where Netflix usage over-indexes will get their share of promotion as well, targeting the "influencer" crowd.

The article also talks about Netflix using its vaunted algorithms to do targeted marketing, so maybe I'm not seeing anything because I don't watch enough political thrillers? Is anyone seeing Netflix promos for this show?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I really liked the original (and sequels), 20-plus years ago. I don't really expect this version to exceed that one, but it might be good. I haven't read anything about it, but it will be interesting to see how they handle the US separation of the legislative and executive, which is so different from the parliamentary system but was so integral to the original.

Is this a limited-length series, or do they plan on keeping it open-ended? If the latter, it knocks my expectations down a notch.

Justin

There's apparently 12 episodes in this first season but was picked up for 24 episodes. Or so I've read anyway.

 

[Marc]

I really liked the original (and sequels), 20-plus years ago. I don't really expect this version to exceed that one, but it might be good. I haven't read anything about it, but it will be interesting to see how they handle the US separation of the legislative and executive, which is so different from the parliamentary system but was so integral to the original.

Is this a limited-length series, or do they plan on keeping it open-ended? If the latter, it knocks my expectations down a notch.

Justin

Looking at IMDB it's going be 13 episodes.

The original was 4 episodes x 55 minus each so there could be a good deal of padding in then new.

Do people think Kevin Spacey can match the late Sir Ian Richardardson (and thought it was always a shame news of his death was overshadowed because some blonde bimbo OD'ed)

 

[bigdaddy]

I assume there'll be discs available also?

You know what they say about when you assume things.

But it does beg the question of disc released for shows like this and Arrested Development. Is season four never going to get a dvd release?

The show will have two seasons (with the possibility of more), both are supposed to be released in season chunks.

From wiki (which seems to be from the article I read months ago...

The project was first announced in March 2011, with Kevin Spacey attached to star and serve as an executive producer.[3] Fincher was announced to be directing the first two episodes, with Willimon writing. Netflix ordered 26 episodes to air over two seasons.[13] Spacey called Netflix’s model of dropping all episodes at once a "new perspective".[9] He added that Netflix's commitment to two-full seasons gave the series greater continuity. "We know exactly where we are going," he said.[9]

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I really liked the original (and sequels), 20-plus years ago. I don't really expect this version to exceed that one, but it might be good. I haven't read anything about it, but it will be interesting to see how they handle the US separation of the legislative and executive, which is so different from the parliamentary system but was so integral to the original.

Is this a limited-length series, or do they plan on keeping it open-ended? If the latter, it knocks my expectations down a notch.

Justin

Looking at IMDB it's going be 13 episodes.

The original was 4 episodes x 55 minus each so there could be a good deal of padding in then new.

Do people think Kevin Spacey can match the late Sir Ian Richardardson (and thought it was always a shame news of his death was overshadowed because some blonde bimbo OD'ed)

Oh, I guess it was 13 and 26 episodes.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Are they going to follow the plotline of the original (which I never saw so it makes no difference to me)? Or just start with the characters and premise and then do their own thing?

As for releasing the original series on DVD, my hunch is they won't. Producing and malling DVDs costs Netflix more than streaming them, so they have a motive to discourage DVD-only subscriptions. And yes I know it's their own fault if people still get DVDs, like I do, because their streaming library continues in its general suckitude.

 

[J.T.B.]

Do people think Kevin Spacey can match the late Sir Ian Richardardson (and thought it was always a shame news of his death was overshadowed because some blonde bimbo OD'ed)

Spacey is good, but... no. Colin Firth didn't match him in the movie of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy either.

Justin

 

[Roger Wilco]

Are they going to follow the plotline of the original (which I never saw so it makes no difference to me)? Or just start with the characters and premise and then do their own thing?

From the trailer it looks like they are at least paying homage to the original. It starts in a similar scenario, and there seems to be something with a young, attractive female journalist as well.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Out of curosity I checked on Lillyhammer - not available on DVD - if they were going to do it, it would make sense to do it at the same time as streaming. Nobody with streaming is going to opt for DVDs instead, so there's no risk of cannibalization (if that even matters).

Lillyhammer wasn't a big hit apparently so they lack of DVD might not have registered with netflix customers but if House of Cardsis a bigger hit, and my hunch is that it will be, I wonder if there's going to be another shitstorm if DVD only customers feel shortchanged/forced to add streaming.