If you're wondering how Netflix plans to follow up the success of its original programming like the fourth season of Arrested Development, the answer appears to be "more of the same" – including a tease for a possible fifth season of the Bluth family comedy. But the news isn't as positive for fans of Firefly and other long-lost cult favorite shows looking for resurrection.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings appeared on CNBC yesterday to talk about this weekend's launch of new Arrested Development episodes on the streaming service, and he revealed that the company was open to the idea of another season.

Saying that the response to the new season was "huge, just as we had hoped," Hastings added that "if the talent were willing to do more [episodes], and interested in that, I'm sure we would be willing." That's a significant about-face for Hastings, who was saying as recently as three months ago that the fourth season of the show was "a fantastic one-off" and that the company didn't "anticipate being able to do seasons five, six [and] seven."

On an investor call today, Netflix's Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos discussed Netflix's growing emphasis on original content production, with plans to significantly increase its investment in original content from "less than 5 percent" of its total revenue to "10 percent, to 12 percent, to 15 percent, over the next couple of years."

Sarandos specifically talked about Arrested Development on the call, saying that while the viewership for most cult shows tends to shrink in size but grow in intensity after cancellation, the Mitch Hurwitz comedy was the exception to the rule and "the audience actually grew dramatically from the time it went off the air." He added that fans shouldn't expect to see any new episodes of other beloved-but-cancelled shows like Joss Whedon's fan-favorite space western Firefly, since its current audience would be "fewer than the 6 million who watched it [on Fox in 2002]."

If Arrested Development does get a new season, it will be the first official renewal for Netflix's original programming; House of Cards, which is already in production for its second season, was slated for two 13-episode seasons as part of its initial order.