Well before these even. HBO has been pioneering the edgy, interesting, original content model for television shows since the 80's. 1st and 10, Larry Sanders Show, Oz, Real Sex, America Undercover, Not Necessarily the News, and on and on...

Netflix has obviously run with the idea though. I'd love to see Netflix and HBO merge actually.

Netflix makes it's content choices based on demographic data, and HBO makes it's choices because they have artists who are excited about the project and think it would make a wicked show. The old fashioned way gives better results IMO.

That doesn't sound correct. HBO wouldn't make a show just because their artists are excited, but because the artists are excited and they think their demographic will watch it. Netflix makes the same, just for a different demographic and with more accurate data. It looks like these data points don't help them, which is interesting. Or those (on HN) who say they don't like the Netflix originals are not part of Netflix core demographic.