Once upon a time, Emmys meant a whole lot of love for HBO, shout-outs to incredible renditions of political scandals, and The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons winning yet again. Not much has really changed, except there is a new (and super notable) kid on the block: Netflix. The recently announced Emmy nominations prove that the streaming service is no longer just a streaming service, but a tried-and-true content producer garnering a whopping 14 nominations — with five in the tentpole categories like acting or directing — for Arrested Development, House of Cards, and Hemlock Grove. While this is no HBO or Showtime — who both have many, many times that amount of noms — the service's risky gamble on original content has paid off.
This is important for two reasons: First, people don't mind binge watching. Heck, it's how many of us got hooked on Buffy after it went off the air, and it's how a lot of us deal with the tension of the weeks in between Game of Thrones' episodes. Basically, it's fair to say that, in the digital age, people want their content and they want it now. As to the second point, who (and what) is allowed to make content is totally changing. YouTube, Hulu, and even video game systems are aiming for original content. The point, however, is that a cool idea does not a hit make: Star power, a great director, and an inventive idea — all which cost major capital — are necessary for a blockbuster show.