Netflix at TCA: The numbers are a secret, but a lot of second seasons are coming

The summer session of the Television Critics Association press tour has kicked off, which means plenty of new TV news is coming your way. Netflix had its day yesterday, meaning journalists got a chance to grill Netflix execs and stars about the company’s slate of programming. One thing that remains a mystery, as ever, is the popularity of Netflix shows, as Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at the streaming giant, refused to impart any exact figures. It’s standard operating procedure for the company, which prefers to keep the viewership numbers of all its shows a mystery. Is “Orange Is the New Black” the most popular, or “House of Cards”? They’re not saying.

But not everything is a secret with Netflix: Sarandos readily admitted that they’re going to be ambitious with their slate of Marvel programming, saying “I think ideally there will be a rhythm of, about every six months, you’ll get a new season or a new series from the ‘Defender’group. And then they will cross over — do a combined season once we’ve launched the first season of each of the four characters.” So basically, Netflix is making a mini “Avengers” with Daredevil, Jessica Jones and others. “The cadence of it, though, we believe, will probably be about two launches a year,” Sarandos said.

He also confirmed that a new season of “Arrested Development” is in the works at the company, but not quite ready to go yet: “We have to make a deal with FOX, and all the talent makes their deals with FOX, and FOX has to get into the production schedule. But it is our intent to have a new season of ‘Arrested Development,’and all the negotiations are underway.”