by JASMINE ELSHAMY Photo & Video Editor
Netflix has invested a big chunk of cash into original series that will only be available to Netflix subscribers. One of the highly anticipated series to be released is a continuation of the canceled show, “Arrested Development,” which is premiering on May 26 with 15 new episodes.
Back in February, the political drama “House of Cards” also premiered as an original series on the site. Netflix invested a whopping $100 million on the production of two seasons of the show in the hopes that the investment will pay itself off by bringing in new subscribers.
The show ended up being the website’s most-watched piece of content after its release. Nearly everyone who watched the first episode ended up watching the second, creating a big buzz about the series among viewers. Many viewers’ reviews praised the fact that, like everything else on Netflix, you were able to watch the entire season at once.
“I have been subscribed to Netflix for a few years now, actually, and the addition of these shows to their already insanely huge library is awesome!” says sophomore Ellie Aerts. “Personally, I’m really excited to continue watching ‘Hemlock Grove’, it was a big hit for me, considering I’m a big of fan of supernatural stuff. I know my dad is really pumped to see ‘Arrested Development’ be continued.”
From director Eli Roth comes a supernatural series based on Brian McGreevy’s novel, “Hemlock Grove” is another Netflix original series to be brought to the site. Taking place in an old, rustic Pennsylvania town, the disheveled body of a teenage girl is discovered. The show follows the journey of the townspeople hunting for the murderer, a monster among them.
“Lilyhammer,” a riveting crime drama created by Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skdovin, is the third original series currently on Netflix. With one season on the site, the show has been a hit.
The main character, ex-gangster Frank Tagliano, is forced into entering the witness protection program and moving to Norway to avoid the wrath of what was his mafia boss for testifying against him. Once in Norway, Frank cannot seem to keep himself out of trouble.
Another great appeal about having these original Netflix series is how easily one can just scroll down and read a few reviews before watching a pilot episode. When a new series premieres on television, nobody knows what to expect other than the short teaser commercials that are played weeks before the show begins.
On Netflix, you can begin to watch the show whenever you would like and not have any anxiety about wondering, “What’s going to happen next?” because the next episode is already on the site.
Other shows that are due to premiere on Netflix within the next year are “Narcos”, “Orange is the New Black”, “Sense8”, and “Turbo: F.A.S.T. (Fast Action Stunt Team).”
“Netflix is doing a great job bringing these new shoes into their repetoir. I love being able to watch entire seasons of shows in one weekend and not having to wait for the next week or the show’s channel to go on a three-week hiatus of some sort,” says sophomore Yazmyne Abbot.