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Streaming is the New Cable: Why TV Networks Should Be Afraid of Netflix

Nine nominations is not a fluke, it’s something to brag about. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored House of Cards with nine nominations including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Kevin Spacey) and Outstanding Drama Series. Not too bad for a series that a majority of television viewers have never heard of.

How could this be? How could a show with such amazing talent, near perfect writing, and incredible pacing be overlooked? Surely this show is on a major network during a competing time slot; going against programs like Breaking Bad. The truth is, this show has no competition and doesn’t need a time slot. All one needs is a Netflix account and a device to stream it through. This allows them to have access to every episode of the first season of House of Cards and another fantastic show called Orange is the New Black.

The dangerous part of having access to full seasons of a program is a new addiction that comes with owning an account to Netflix or Hulu, most commonly known as “binge-watching”. Binge-watching occurs when you have total access to a program and you sit around all day and night until suddenly you realize hours have passed and you’ve watched 13 episodes of a show. Here in lies a problem that major networks like Fox and NBC are facing. There is no doubt the instant streaming has infiltrated every house hold and has changed they way people catch up on programming. There is no doubt that networks are using DVR and on-demand to their advantage, but what programs are left to record?

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Weekly TV Update: July 1, 2013

Every week I try to bring you stories from around the Internet that you might have missed.

Time reports that Fred Armison left Saturday Night Live at the end of last season.

Roseanne Barr may get a new sitcom.

Shark Week is back. Discovery Channel’s annual shark-themed marathon starts on August 4 at 8pm.

On July 11 at 3:01 am EST (12:01 am PST), Orange Is the New Black will debut on Netflix.

Mark Burnett will produce a follow up to his miniseries The Bible. The new series is tentatively called A.D.: Beyond the Bible.

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