What Was The First Ever Original TV Show On Netflix? (Photo Credit – Netflix)
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Netflix, now, is home to award-winning dramas, global blockbusters, and cultural phenomena. However, it was once just a streaming platform trying to prove it could compete with traditional television. In the early 2010s, the entertainment landscape was shifting. Cable networks were still dominating with hits like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, while Netflix was primarily a distributor for licensed shows and films.
The company recognized that if it wanted to retain subscribers and stand out from competitors, it needed something more powerful than reruns of popular sitcoms. This marked the beginning of an ambitious strategy to enter the world of original programming, a move that would eventually reshape television forever. The first steps weren’t about global recognition but about testing the waters. It wanted to find out if a streaming service could deliver content that audiences would genuinely seek out.
The experiment worked, and from there, Netflix built an empire of originals that continues to define modern entertainment. But it all began with these two pioneering series that set the tone for everything that followed.
The first official Netflix original series is Lilyhammer, which premiered on February 6, 2012. Starring Steven Van Zandt as mobster Frank Tagliano hiding out in Lillehammer, Norway, it was a quirky blend of crime drama and culture-clash comedy. Importantly, it was a Norwegian-American co-production as Netflix didn’t entirely create it, but it was distributed globally as its first exclusive show. This made Lilyhammer the earliest Netflix “Original,” proving audiences would binge an entire season online.
House of Cards Is Also Considered The First Netflix Original At Times
Although Netflix Tudum credits Lilyhammer as their first original show, when people talk about Netflix’s first true original, they point to House of Cards, released on February 1, 2013, per History.com. Unlike Lilyhammer, this was fully commissioned, produced, and marketed by Netflix as a prestige drama. Headlined by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, directed in part by David Fincher, and backed by a $100 million budget, it was Netflix’s declaration of intent. It wasn’t just a show but a statement that streaming could rival, even surpass, premium cable.
Together, these two series represent the birth of Netflix Originals: Lilyhammer as the first step, and House of Cards as the true breakthrough. Without them, the streaming revolution might never have gained momentum.
![Lilyhammer - Season 2 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/W4B3gAkb1fg/hqdefault.jpg)
![House of Cards | Series Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8QnMmpfKWvo/hqdefault.jpg)