HBO: it changed the way we talk about television with The Sopranos, has arguably the biggest show (that has nothing to do with zombies) on TV right now with Game of Thrones, and won 14 Emmys last year, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series. But, despite all the “Internet loses its damn mind when anything Game of Thrones-related happens” evidence to the contrary, not everything’s coming up HBO.
It’s Not TV-Land hasn’t launched a genuine hit since Thrones in 2011 — True Detective came the closest during season one, but that show squandered much of its goodwill in a disastrous, if unintentionally hilarious second season. The Newsroom never took off the way Aaron Sorkin so desperately wanted it to, Luck died with its horses, and although Veep and Silicon Valley are beloved and two of TV’s best comedies, they don’t bring in big numbers.
Sensing blood in the water, here comes Netflix…
More American consumers picked Netflix as having the “best” original content than any other premium TV and Internet-video subscription service, well ahead of perennial leader HBO, according to a new survey by Morgan Stanley.
It’s the first time Netflix has led the field in the six years the Wall Street firm has conducted the survey. About 29% of survey respondents said Netflix was best in original programming, up from 23% last year, while HBO came in second place at 18% (compared with about 31% last year), per the Morgan Stanley study.
It’s a hard choice, HBO or Netflix, assuming you could only pick one. The former has Thrones, Veep, Silicon Valley, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, as well as The Leftovers and Girls, which are coming off or still in the middle of excellent seasons. But the latter gives you Orange Is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Master of None, Bloodline, BoJack Horseman, Grace and Frankie, and Narcos. That’s a strong lineup. Then again, if you go with Netflix, you also get Fuller House.
#TeamHBO.
(Via Variety)
