TELEVISION CONTENT vs. NETFLIX CONTENT A CONTENT ANALYSIS REGARDING TO THE STORYLINES AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN HOUSE OF CARDS.

Abstract

Since Netflix started to produce their own content they have moved away from the traditional television set. Mattew Pittman and Kim Sheehan claim that because of this, Netflix has changed the way ‘television’ is written, produced and consumed, the so-called Netflix effect. However, there are rarely any studies regarding the actual differences between the content of these original Netflix series and broadcast television series. This study therefore investigates if there are differences between British BBC television series HOUSE OF CARDS 1990 and the Netflix original series HOUSE OF CARDS 2013 in relation to the affordances of the different platforms that transmitted them. The focus of this comparative content analysis lays on the character development and storylines.

The outcome of the analysis is that HOUSE OF CARDS 2013 has more storylines, more ‘stand-alone’ storylines, more intertwining storylines and more characters that experience development. Therefore, it can be stated that HOUSE OF CARDS 2013 has a more complex storytelling, for Mitttell. Those differences can be partially explained by the affordances of VOD but also national context could have influenced these differences. Affordances of Netflix as delivering a whole season of a series at once, commercial free watching, post-play and the ability of creating a personal flow makes it easier for viewers to binge-watch. It is therefore possible that the attention of the viewer can be held for a longer period and it becomes possible for the viewer to follow more complex narratives. Next to that, HOUSE OF CARDS 1990 has less episodes because of national context there is less time to expand on different storylines and character development. So after this study it can be stated that there are differences between the two series HOUSE OF CARDS and that they can be explained by the affordances and national context. However, this study has only elaborated on one series with two aspects and more research should be conducted to provide a decisive answer on the question: Is original Netflix content different from broadcast television content?