'House of Cards' Netflix New Original Series: Could the Streaming Service Become the Next HBO?

Netflix is presenting an original series called 'House of Cards' on Feb. 1.

The new programming is an adaptation of a British political thriller starring Kevin Spacey.

"It's sort of like we're the new television series that isn't on television," Spacey said.

The digital streaming company is aiming to produce original hits that channels like Showtime and HBO have prided themselves upon.

But Netflix is doing something different by releasing the entire season in an instant and all at once. 

The 13 hours of the show that will premiere next month could mark the closing of television programming that requires a pricey subscription for viewers and the opening of a new realm of Internet-based entertainment.  

"When we got into original programming, I wanted it to be loud and deliberate," Netflix's head of content Ted Sarandos said. "I wanted consumers to know that we were doing it and I wanted the industry to know what we were going it so we could attract more interesting projects. Doing it in some half way, some small thing, it wasn't going to get us there."

And don't expect a low quality show from the Internet streaming company. Netflix paid around $100 million for two seasons, CBS News reports.

The inspiration for the show ran for three seasons from 1990 to 1996 in England and was adapted from books by Michael Dobbs.

Netflix has an advantage over cable TV channels in that they do not have to worry about ratings and getting certain people to watch at a certain time.

"We want to have a situation where these shows have time to find their audience," Sarandos said. "We're not under any time constraints that we have to get all of America to watch this show Monday night at 8 o'clock. There's no differential value in people watching it this year, let alone Monday night."

Netflix said that they don't plan on releasing viewership numbers, but hopes to retain and add to their 27.1 million-subscriber list-according to CBS News.

(Source: CBS News)