“Amazon has, essentially, turned the pilot season into a truly democratic process, with customer feedback determining which pilots get a full season order.” — Warren Zhang
Not long after Netflix launched its attempt at original programming, Amazon followed suit. But unlike most competitors, Amazon went into original series with a wholly different mindset, resulting in a fascinating clash of opposing ideologies and series of wildly differing quality.
Netflix has taken a more traditional approach. It looked at customer history and interests to assemble a catalog of original shows made by immensely popular creators — political thriller House of Cards with Kevin Spacey and a pilot directed by David Fincher and written by The Ides of March’s Beau Willimon; horror series Hemlock Grove by infamous schlockteur Eli Roth; prison dramedy Orange is the New Black from Weeds creator Jenji Kohan; and the revival season of cult hit Arrested Development.
It’s been an incredibly successful business model so far. Orange is the New Black has received excellent ratings across the board, while House of Cards racked up multiple Emmy wins for Netflix.
However, this strategy is not quite perfect. Though the all-at-once release of an entire season is novel and fits well with modern TV viewing habits, it also means there’s no room for course correction mid-season. That means some absolute garbage, such as Hemlock Grove, can sneak through to a second season while other, flawed shows, such as House of Cards, don’t improve much until the next season.
Netflix’s new shows are also expensive to make, with the first two seasons of House of Cards rumored to have cost more than $78 million, well into HBO territory. It’s difficult to tell how sustainable Netflix’s business model is, especially if it keeps on seeking such prestigious fare without increasing subscription fees — an increase it is rumored to be considering.
In contrast, Amazon has taken a more groundbreaking route with its Amazon Prime original programming. Amazon has, essentially, turned the pilot season into a truly democratic process, with customer feedback determining which pilots get a full season order.
The early results haven’t been as successful as Netflix’s slate. For all their scrappy charms, Alpha House and Betas feel unmistakably cheaper than House of Cards or Orange is the New Black. Squint and it’s easy to mistake these shows for extended YouTube skits John Goodman and Bill Murray might have wandered into.
On the other hand, Amazon’s lo-fi approach encourages a certain edginess that Netflix’s relatively traditional shows lack. There’s a genuine sense of energy and verve with Amazon’s pilots — most, if not all, are terribly flawed (like the almost irredeemable adaptation of Zombieland) but all have a certain spontaneous charm — perhaps because there is much less weight on their shoulders than on the $78 million House of Cards.
It also helps that Amazon’s budgets feel more sustainable. After all, the whole Amazon Prime video service was conceived as a way to encourage more users to buy Amazon Prime, which often — as their internal reports indicate — leads to more spending on Amazon.
While Netflix’s current success feels untenable and uncertain, Amazon’s original series feel like a genuine vision of the digital, post-cable future.
