Netflix unveils original (gory) ‘Hemlock Grove,’ while Amazon previews 14 potential shows

Some of you may be bleary-eyed this morning after a weekend of intense Netflix viewing. The company rolled out its latest batch of original content, the supernatural thriller “Hemlock Grove.” All 13 episodes of the show were made available at once on Saturday, a la “Lilyhammer” and “House of Cards,” guaranteeing at least some Netflix fans had a sleepless night or two.

The series features attacks from werewolves and monsters and other things that go bump in the night, and almost certainly kept some college dorm rooms packed into the wee hours as students deep into finals weeks feasted or the latest gorefest available.

Next up for the company is the return of “Arrested Development,” which premieres over the Memorial Day weekend. Netflix, which is expected to invest some $2 billion in content this year, also plans to roll out “Orange is the New Black” later this year and has already announced a sci-fi series called “Sense8,” for 2014.

Not to be outdone, Amazon is also attempting to fill its own original content pipeline, and has taken the unusual step of posting pilot episodes of 14 original shows online for its Prime Instant Video customers to watch, review and rate. Amazon said it would decide which of the eight comedies and six children’s shows to move forward with after reviewing viewer feedback, surveys, focus groups and viewer behavior—a metric that perhaps is unique to streaming video because of the interactive nature of the online experience.

Amazon Studios head Roy Price indicated the company was unlikely to follow the Netflix “all-at-once” model for the new shows, because, “Part of the enjoyment of a show, for me, is the delayed gratification that I can sort of savor with my friends.”

While Amazon is saying it will use the crowdsourced feedback to help it select the new lineup, don’t expect that to be the only factor. Shows like “Zombieland,” “Dark Minions,” and “Alpha House” have already cost the company significant development dollars and it’s unlikely they’ll disappear before they have a chance to develop audiences. Add to that the need for Amazon to continue to develop the depth of its offering. While it lists a library of more than 30,000 titles, it still trails Netflix and Hulu in the original content department, something that will be come increasingly important for streaming entities looking to grow audiences. That original content can make a service stickier. And, just ask cable providers, subscriber churn is not a good thing.