This week will be the beginning installment of Wednesday Watch. At first, the Dude was going to focus exclusively on what he’s currently watching, namely: (1) Lilyhammer (Netflix streaming); and (2) Boardwalk Empire (HBO via DVD from the local public library). And while the focus will be (yes, I did in fact start this sentence with And, and I did read Richard Miller’s Friday Reads post last week about the
Grammar Lady—sorry, Richard, this is a low-brow column) on Lilyhammer, I decided to take a look at Nebraska public library holdings (at least those cataloged on WorldCat) of the top original series DVD’s from Netflix, HBO, and Showtime. The reason for this is that while streaming services are becoming more and more affordable, many (including the Dude) still simply cannot afford to buy subscriptions to premium content, including the newly available HBO Now. The chart includes the four Netflix original dramas (Hemlock Grove, Lilyhammer, Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards), and two of the most viewed drama series offerings from both HBO (Sopranos and Game of Thrones) and Showtime (Dexter and Homeland). But let’s first turn our attention to some filler material.
Lilyhammer, billed as a Netflix original drama series, is actually part drama part comedy (just like some of the others in the chart). The main character, underboss Frank “the Fixer” Tagliano (played by Steven Van Zandt –Silvio Dante from the Sopranos), flips on his mob boss and enters the witness protection program. As a part of the deal, he requests to relocate to Lillehammer, Norway. The show originally aired on Norwegian TV, even though it is generally known as the first Netflix original series. It’s probably more appropriate to label this as a joint venture between Norwegian TV and Netflix. Anyway, Frank adopts his new identity as Giovanni “Johnny” Henriksen (born to Italian and Norwegian parents). The show is as much about his integration into the Norwegian town and culture as it is about Johnny’s criminal ways. As Jimmy Darmody said in Boardwalk Empire: “You can’t be half a gangster.” The Dude would venture to say that in Lilyhammer (at least at the point where he is at in the series) Johnny has more relatable than detestable qualities, if that is possible for a gangster. The show is a mix of Norwegian and English languages, so expect many subtitles. While the typical comedic mafia elements exist, it doesn’t come across as completely recycled, and the Norwegian elements add a freshness that is, well, refreshing. The Dude finds himself nodding at times during Boardwalk Empire; he hasn’t had that problem with Lilyhammer. One thing to note, though, is that the budget for Lilyhammer (16 million per season) is obviously much less than say House of Cards (60 million per season), and that is apparent.
OK, so I extracted the holdings figures from Worldcat for the chart to at the top right. HBO’s Game of Thrones tops the list. Surprisingly, (at least to the Dude) House of Cards (tied with Homeland – another great offering from Showtime) beats HBO’s the Sopranos and Showtime’s Dexter for the number of holdings by Nebraska libraries. I also extracted the holdings information for the corresponding books (see the chart to the right of this paragraph). House of Cards is the only one where the DVD holdings exceed book holdings, with DVD holdings
3 times more than the book.
The Dude should mention that sans Hemlock Grove (he gets a little skittish with Horror) he’s seen and recommends all the series titles mentioned in the charts. He’s only read some of the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) books (got bored about midway through A Feast for Crows), and frankly, does not have the desire to read on, or any of the other titles mentioned. And that’s OK. All in all, any of these DVD series titles would be a welcome addition to your library collection. Shaka.
This week will be the beginning installment of Wednesday Watch. At first, the Dude was going to focus exclusively on what he’s currently watching, namely: (1) Lilyhammer (Netflix streaming); and (2) Boardwalk Empire (HBO via DVD from the local public library). And while the focus will be (yes, I did in fact start this sentence with And, and I did read Richard Miller’s Friday Reads post last week about the Grammar Lady—sorry, Richard, this is a low-brow column) on Lilyhammer, I decided to take a look at Nebraska public library holdings (at least those cataloged on WorldCat) of the top original series DVD’s from Netflix, HBO, and Showtime. The reason for this is that while streaming services are becoming more and more affordable, many (including the Dude) still simply cannot afford to buy subscriptions to premium content, including the newly available HBO Now. The chart includes the four Netflix original dramas (Hemlock Grove, Lilyhammer, Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards), and two of the most viewed drama series offerings from both HBO (Sopranos and Game of Thrones) and Showtime (Dexter and Homeland). But let’s first turn our attention to some filler material.
Lilyhammer, billed as a Netflix original drama series, is actually part drama part comedy (just like some of the others in the chart). The main character, underboss Frank “the Fixer” Tagliano (played by Steven Van Zandt –Silvio Dante from the Sopranos), flips on his mob boss and enters the witness protection program. As a part of the deal, he requests to relocate to Lillehammer, Norway. The show originally aired on Norwegian TV, even though it is generally known as the first Netflix original series. It’s probably more appropriate to label this as a joint venture between Norwegian TV and Netflix. Anyway, Frank adopts his new identity as Giovanni “Johnny” Henriksen (born to Italian and Norwegian parents). The show is as much about his integration into the Norwegian town and culture as it is about Johnny’s criminal ways. As Jimmy Darmody said in Boardwalk Empire: “You can’t be half a gangster.” The Dude would venture to say that in Lilyhammer (at least at the point where he is at in the series) Johnny has more relatable than detestable qualities, if that is possible for a gangster. The show is a mix of Norwegian and English languages, so expect many subtitles. While the typical comedic mafia elements exist, it doesn’t come across as completely recycled, and the Norwegian elements add a freshness that is, well, refreshing. The Dude finds himself nodding at times during Boardwalk Empire; he hasn’t had that problem with Lilyhammer. One thing to note, though, is that the budget for Lilyhammer (16 million per season) is obviously much less than say House of Cards (60 million per season), and that is apparent.
OK, so I extracted the holdings figures from Worldcat for the chart to at the top right. HBO’s Game of Thrones tops the list. Surprisingly, (at least to the Dude) House of Cards (tied with Homeland – another great offering from Showtime) beats HBO’s the Sopranos and Showtime’s Dexter for the number of holdings by Nebraska libraries. I also extracted the holdings information for the corresponding books (see the chart to the right of this paragraph). House of Cards is the only one where the DVD holdings exceed book holdings, with DVD holdings 3 times more than the book.
The Dude should mention that sans Hemlock Grove (he gets a little skittish with Horror) he’s seen and recommends all the series titles mentioned in the charts. He’s only read some of the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) books (got bored about midway through A Feast for Crows), and frankly, does not have the desire to read on, or any of the other titles mentioned. And that’s OK. All in all, any of these DVD series titles would be a welcome addition to your library collection. Shaka. 
