Netflix Original Productions: Big Data, Nonlinearity, and Unprecedented Creative Flexibility

Through a focused study of Netflix original dramas, this dissertation examines how developments in internet-distributed television, such as nonlinearity and an unprecedented access to big data, are altering the logics of television production. Despite constituting a significant shift in the television industry, there is a scholarly lag time which has resulted in a lack of theory around content produced by and for internet distribution portals. To try and bridge this gap, I have investigated the impact of big data and nonlinearity on format, commissions, resources, production protocols, and marketing. Through an analysis of industry press primarily, combined with relevant television theory (e.g. quality TV and genre studies) and a detailed case study, I argue that the specificities of Netflix as a portal have directly impacted its production norms. I found that the technological advances in question promote author-driven creative productions which operate outside of the constraints of traditional television