What was the first Netflix original series?
The first Netflix original series was Lilyhammer, released in February 2012. House of Cards, released in 2013, is often remembered as Netflix's first big original hit.
Lilyhammer was a Norwegian-American crime comedy starring Steven Van Zandt, a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and an actor in The Sopranos. He played a New York gangster who enters witness protection in Lillehammer, Norway. Netflix released all episodes of the first season at once, a new idea at the time.
House of Cards, a political drama starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, premiered in February 2013. It was the first streaming series to win major Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for David Fincher. Its success showed that streaming services could compete with traditional TV networks.
The originals boom
After House of Cards, Netflix released Orange Is the New Black, Narcos, The Crown and Stranger Things. Other streaming services followed with their own original content. Netflix now spends billions of dollars a year on new films and series.
Did You Know?
Lilyhammer ran for three seasons and was co-produced with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, where it aired first.