Netflix Original Show ‘House of Cards’ Gets Release Date

First when people thought of television they looked at ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Then cable television started getting into the game with channels such as FX, AMC and subscription-based channels like HBO and Showtime. Now Netflix is trying to make their mark on the television landscape.

Netflix’s original series “House Of Cards” officially has a release date. The show will premiere on Netflix Feb. 1, 2012. In a change of pace, unlike other shows where viewers have to wait a full week between episodes, all 13 episodes of the entire first season will be released on the same day. Let the marathons begin.

“House of Cards” is adapted from the BBC drama of the same name. From executive producer David Fincher (“Fight Club”), the show stars Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (“American Beauty”) and Robin Wright (“Forrest Gump”). In the show, Spacey will play ruthless politician Francis Underwood who, along with his wife Claire (Wright), will stop at nothing to get to the top. The show will also star Kate Mara (“American Horror Story”).

Over the last year, the streaming service has been building an impressive collection of television shows including current hits and past favorites to their watch instantly catalogue. However, Cards marks the first time a high profile show will debut off television. Instead of going to a premium channel such as an HBO, Cards will go online to Netflix. If the show succeeds, it could change how people view television going forward.

Along with “House of Cards,” the streaming service made headlines last year when they brought back fan favorite “Arrested Development.” The critically acclaimed show ran on FOX from 2003 to 2006 before being cancelled by the network. Netflix picked up a fourth season of the show. The ten-episode season should premiere sometime early next year. The whole cast is expected to return.

It has also been announced that Netflix has picked up a series from horror director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) titled “Hemlock Grove.” Based on the book, Hemlock stars Famke Janssen (“X-Men”), and is about the gruesome murder of a girl in a Pennsylvania steel town. The project is being described as smart, dark, complex, and at times, terrifying. Like “Arrested Development,” Grove is set to premiere sometime in the New Year.

Netflix is an interesting place to create shows, because, unlike standard television, the show can be as dark as it needs to be without network interference and standards. The move also guarantees at least a full season, which is not always the case on standard television.

No one knows how well these new shows will do when they debut on Netflix in the coming months, but the idea certainly opens up new possibilities moving forward. At the very least Netflix is another medium for original content from some creative people that may not have found a home on standard television, which is never a bad thing. The only thing left to do now is wait for February to see how it all unfolds.