The 25 best Netflix series ever made, ranked worst to first

House of Cards / Photo Credit: Netflix

9. House of Cards

House of Cards was the first Netflix original series, the first season released in February 2013. The series was an adaptation of a BBC series of the same name released in 1990.

It was a calculated risk but one that paid off immensely. The first season of the series received nine Emmy nominations, the first web-only series to ever pick up any at the Primetime Emmy Awards. This opened the door for the success that has come to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and more.

The success was partially thanks to the great cast — especially Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Spacey played a Congressman that was passed over for the Secretary of State position and chose to hatch a scheme to attain power with the help of his wife.

It also helped that the series brought in some big-time names to direct episodes, the best of which is clearly executive producer David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club).

However, while Spacey was a key in the show’s immediate success thanks to his fantastic performances, he also is a key cause for the struggles of the final season — which is coming in November — due to his sexual misconduct allegations that resulted in Netflix terminating his contract.

Regardless of any behind-the-scenes problems, House of Cards remains a captivating and fascinating series whose take on politics is only overshadowed by the current political climate in Washington.