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It's January 31st, 2013.

The head of content at Netflix, Ted Cerandos, walks into the office of David Fincher and acclaimed filmmaker.

They smile and Cerandos slides into a chair.

From their demeanor, you wouldn't guess both men's reputations are riding on an enormously expensive experiment that launches at midnight.

How's it going, David? You ready?

Yeah, I think we've really got something big here.

But the first time, viewers will get the entire season of a new show from the first episode to the very last, all at once.

Fincher's adaptation of a British political thriller represents Netflix's first big investment in original programming.

Launching all the episodes at one time, that's a bold move that Cerandos believes Netflix must make if it wants to dominate internet television.

There's no choice, really, at C-season. If Netflix is going to compete with HBO, it has to stream its own original quality content.

Fincher's adaptation is compelling, obsessively so, in fact.

And Netflix's data shows overlapping audiences for the show's top stars, and for Fincher himself, a two-time Oscar winner.

Three years earlier, when Hollywood found out Fincher wanted to make a TV series, well Studio Head started getting in line.

After all, Fincher was the name behind some real winners like the Social Network, Seven, and the Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

In fact, Fincher was so much in demand that he set up a Saturday pitch marathon on Sony's lot to hear all offers.

Cerandos skipped the scrum and instead scheduled a meeting at Fincher's office.

First, he shared his data.

And then he cut to the chase.

Cerandos knew what he was doing, speaking to the heart of a creative.

David, I know there are a million reasons not to make house of cards with Netflix, but I'm going to give you a couple of reasons why it makes sense for you.

First, here's a guarantee. Two seasons with no pilot.

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