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Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by danso on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @04:24PM (#14973236)
I remember me and others, on HN years ago, complaining about how Netflix was investing too much money into TV and original TV while skimping on its streaming movie catalog (this was around the time its STARZ deal was ending). Turns out their strategy was exactly right. I like watching movies, but nothing gets my return visits like serial TV, such as "Breaking Bad" and "Walking Dead". Investing so much money into "House of Cards" seemed bizarre 5 years ago but now that Netflix has so much exclusive content, it's hard as a longtime subscriber to just quit it. even as someone who now subscribes to Amazon Prime and HBO. I actually like Amazon Prime's library, which can be augmented with content I buy from Amazon separately, enough to quit Netflix. But my parents really like the Netflix shows (and I'll admit to binge watching HoC, as shallow as it is), which is something Prime or HBO will never have.

edit: besides the Netflix-conceived shows, e.g. HoC and "Narcos", there are the Netflix-bought shows, such as Arrested Development and Black Mirror, and what seems like countless comedy specials, such as Louis CK 2017. Back when I thought HoC was a poor investment, I was thinking that one really great show a year wouldn't be enough to keep me subscribing year after year. But Netflix seems to be introducing exclusive content several times a month.

Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by icebraining on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @05:05PM (#14973598)
Sorry for the OT, but in trying to find out more about the origins of Narcos, I found out it's directed by José Padilha. No wonder it's good. His Bus 174 was one of the films that most shook me.
Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by danso on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @05:18PM (#14973717)
Never watched Bus 174, but my first experience with Padilha's work was "Elite Squad" [0], which coincidentally, I watched via Netflix's DVD rental service. And less coincidentally, had the same lead (Wagner Moura) as "Narcos".

[0] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0861739/

Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by icebraining on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @05:33PM (#14973863)
Oh, I didn't remember the lead. I liked Elite Squad, but it emphasized more the "action movie" and less the "harrowing portrayal of a real social quagmire". Then again, Bus 174 is a documentary, even if it has plenty of tension, so that's to be expected.
Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by coldtea on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @07:13PM (#14974641)
>and I'll admit to binge watching HoC, as shallow as it is

Compared to Walking Dead which you mention as a favorite?

Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by danso on Thursday August 10, 2017 @12:59AM (#14976558)
I actually stopped watching The Walking Dead around the 3rd season, which is about the same time I started reading the comics and eventually got bored of the zombie genre. I've heard the show's gotten even more tedious but I still can't imagine it being as vacuous as HoC's later years (Exhibit A: Tom Yates).

Also, I had meant "Walking Dead" as a favorite of the serials currently available on Netflix and that I personally watched via Netflix. So that leaves out BSG, Star Trek (which I watched years ago), all of HBO's shows, and non-serials like Archer and Futurama. So, most TV :)

Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by coldtea on Thursday August 10, 2017 @05:28AM (#14977968)
>(Exhibit A: Tom Yates).

What about him? Can't a first lady have a little fun on the side?

I bet this kind of thing plays out all the time...

Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by CobrastanJorji on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @05:37PM (#14973907)
Yep. They are developing an amazing track record of seeing what's going to happen over the next 5-10 years and betting the company on it successfully. I would not choose to bet against Netflix's foresight anytime soon.
Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by nebabyte on Wednesday August 09, 2017 @08:18PM (#14975072)
2 for 2 = "amazing track record"? Counting the offer they made to Blockbuster as another.

Besides, foresight is not everything. You can see your impending doom and not be able to do anything about it. Have they successfully done something to anticipate the eventually-fragmented endgame the current environment is fomenting?

Even if they see it happening and anticipate the future landscape... What exactly could they do? Invest in making a roku-like platform agnostic layer?

Re:Netflix Lands the Coen Brothers’ Western TV Series by danso on Thursday August 10, 2017 @12:13AM (#14976278)
Oh come on, you're reducing the number of major decisions Netflix has had to make over the past 5 years to 2? You're right that Netflix faces a fragmented endgame, that's why they've invested so much money into original and exclusive content. Disney (as is HBO, currently) will be a formidable content rival, but by the time Disney's service rolls out, Netflix will have a strong brand when it comes to Netflix-only content, nevermind the advantage it has from having industry-leading infrastructure and experienced engineering teams.