Hulu launched its first original scripted series Battleground Monday night, just one week after Netflix started its foray into original programming with Lilyhammer.
New episodes of Battleground, a comedy about a Senate campaign in Wisconsin, will be released on Hulu every Tuesday. The show will be available both to users of the free Hulu.com site as well as subscribers to Hulu Plus.
Check out a trailer for Battleground below:
That kind of schedule is something that Hulu users are used to, but it’s very different from how Netflix is approaching original content. Netflix posted all eight episodes of its new show Lilyhammer at once to encourage binge viewing.
Speaking of Netflix: The subscription service has long dismissed the idea that Hulu is a major competitor, likening itself to HBO and Showtime instead. However, with Battleground, Hulu clearly aims into Netflix territory, as both are for the first time trying to find and sustain an audience for a scripted show outside of the traditional TV distribution chain. Producer JD Walsh jokingly acknowledged the competition during an interview with TV Guide this week with the following exchange:
“TV Guide Magazine: What’s an alternate title for your show?
Walsh: Lilyhammer.”
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