Netflix Beefs Up Original Programming with Comedy Series

The Los Gatos, Calif.-based streaming service has ordered 13 episodes of and first rights to a new comedy series from Jenji Kohan, creator of Showtime's "Weeds," according to Bloomberg. "Orange Is The New Black" is based on the memoir of a white-collar woman who served time in a minimum-security women's prison for drug-related crimes.

Netflix has pegged much of its strategy on original programming in a move to differentiate itself from mounting competition, and has plans to have five original series up and running by the middle of 2013. Bloomberg reports a horror series called "Hemlock Grove" may also be announced soon.

Last week, the site debuted its first original series -- "Lilyhammer," a mobster drama set in Norway and starring Steven Van Zandt from HBO's "The Sopranos."

Another original drama series starring Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards," has been in the works since last year and is to air later this year.

Netflix has also signed on as the exclusive site for new episodes of "Arrested Development" scheduled to start airing next year.

The move toward original content comes at a time of growing competition with Time Warner's HBO, as the cable giant's shows are now available free online to subscribers through its HBO Go service.

In addition, Netflix faces growing streaming competition from video lending service Redbox, which has partnered with Verizon to make its offerings available for streaming on mobile devices; and Blockbuster, which Dish is reviving as another streaming service.

HBO recorded 93 million subscribers worldwide in 2011, while Netflix announced earlier this month that it has more than 23 million streaming customers worldwide.

Amidst growing competition, as well as the rising expense of acquiring films for its streaming business, Netflix hopes to draw viewers in with top-quality original programming, taking a page out of HBO's book, which started as a second-run cable channel before becoming a studio in its own right. The hope is that original shows will keep it ahead in the game, especially as the race grows tighter.