Netflix (NFLX -3.92%) appears to have another hit on its hands.
Despite initially unflattering critic reviews, Hemlock Grove's viewer rating averages a solid four stars out of five among the nearly 20,000 subscribers that have submitted ratings. This may not be the same 4.5-star rating that House of Cards has amassed, but it's marginally better than Lilyhammer's 3.9-star rating.
More important, Netflix has revealed that Hemlock Grove received more viewers during its debut weekend than House of Cards did when it premiered in February. Obviously there's more to success than an opening weekend, but we also can't forget that Netflix is putting out a wide variety of content across different genres. No show will have universal appeal, and most shows will find their audience.
Amazon.com (AMZN -1.64%) was touting the success of the many pilots it recently made available, but viewers may feel cheated by the mere glimpses of shows that may never be turned into complete shows. Amazon's approach is less risky than Netflix's, but it seems as if the leading video service knows what it's doing.
In this video, longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz explores the significance of Hemlock Grove in the larger scheme of things.
