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'House of Cards' returns: How the show changed Netflix

The show is one of Netflix's most acclaimed offerings – has the streaming service been able to produce other shows that are also perennial awards season favorites since?

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Melinda Sue Gordon/Netflix/AP
'House of Cards' stars Kevin Spacey.

Political intrigue will return to Netflix with a new season of “House of Cards,” with the new episodes set to debut in 2016. 

An ad for the upcoming season aired during the Republican presidential debate on CNN on Dec. 15. 

The new season of the Netflix program will debut on March 4. In the past, all episodes of the season have been released at once.

“Cards” centers on scheming politician Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife Claire (Robin Wright) and their attempts to consolidate power.

Netflix has become a major player in the TV business in just a short time and it all started with “Cards.” The show, which debuted in 2013, was the streaming service’s first original series. 

It was well reviewed by critics and when Emmy nominations were released later that year, “House” became the first online-only show to receive nods. So far, the show has won such Emmys as Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Reg E. Cathey took the prize), though it has also been nominated regularly in such prestigious categories as best drama series and best lead actor and actress in a drama series (those nominations went to Mr. Spacey and Ms. Wright). 

Where does Netflix’s programming stand right now?

Netflix also produced another acclaimed hit later that same year with “Orange Is the New Black,” which is also now a regular presence at the Emmys. The show has switched between comedy and drama categories but has been nominated for best series in both. Actress Uzo Aduba recently won a best supporting actress in a drama series prize for her work on “Orange”. 

Has Netflix produced a series as acclaimed as “Cards” and “Black” since 2013? The show “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is a contender for that title. “Kimmy” was nominated this past year for such awards as best comedy series.

How does this compare to the performance of other streaming services and networks at the Emmys? This past year, programs like HBO’s “Game of Thrones” and FX’s “American Horror Story” snagged the most nominations, but Netflix’s “Cards” had a solid performance, getting as many nominations as AMC’s well-received “Mad Men.” 

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