Hulu was never intended to be the "Netflix killer" certain people might've set it up to be. The streaming service officially launched in 2008, just after DVD-by-mail Netflix began offering parts of its library available to stream, but aside from a throwaway original here or there (a la Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"), it was mostly viewed as a repository for TV networks' shows, akin to the networks' own websites, but with a far sleeker user experience.
