The return of Netflix’s stunning success, ‘Orange Is the New Black’
by Andy Greenwald
Article Reprint
If we’re being honest, Orange was never meant to be the new black. In early 2013, as Netflix prepared its big push into original programming, its priority was House of Cards, and with good reason: That series had the glittery Hollywood pedigree of director David Fincher, the dishy locale of Washington, D.C., and, in star Kevin Spacey, ample servings of both ham and cheese. Whatever funds remained in the PR budget after Cards’ February debut fell to Arrested Development, a heavily hyped resurrection project that had the majority of the Internet blueing itself in anticipation. That both shows ultimately disappointed — the former with its hot air, the latter with its lumpy sprawl1 — was almost irrelevant. Netflix was much more interested in your attention than your acclaim. Unlike the broadcasters it seeks to usurp, Netflix needs only to spark interest in its projects, not maintain it.2 A curious customer is a consistent customer. Under Netflix’s subscription plan, you’re paying if you watch every episode or none at all.