Credit: Inside the Magic Netflix has experienced tremendous growth as it has continued to evolve in the streaming industry, but thanks to a few shows, the platform has also continued to be recognized for its incredible storytelling ability. Now, a new story is coming in, and looking to top the leaderboard when it comes to the most popular show on Netflix.
Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. The initial idea for Netflix was sparked when Hastings incurred a hefty late fee for returning a movie rental. The concept of a subscription-based model for renting DVDs by mail emerged as a solution to avoid late fees. The company officially launched in April 1998, offering DVD rental-by-mail services, where customers could select DVDs online, and the company would mail them to the customer’s doorstep.
In the early 2000s, Netflix disrupted the traditional video rental industry by introducing a flat-rate monthly subscription, eliminating late fees and allowing customers to keep DVDs for as long as they wanted. As technology advanced, Netflix adapted by introducing its streaming service in 2007. This marked a significant shift, allowing subscribers to instantly watch a vast library of movies and TV shows on their devices.
Over the years, Netflix has become a global streaming giant, producing original content that has garnered widespread acclaim and popularity. Some of the most notable and popular Netflix original series include Stranger Things, The Crown, Money Heist, Orange is the New Black, Narcos, Ozark, and more.
Of those shows, Stranger Things has proven to be the most popular by a landslide.
Stranger Things is a critically acclaimed American science fiction horror television series created by the Duffer Brothers, Matt and Ross. The show made its debut on Netflix on July 15, 2016, and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, captivating audiences with its nostalgic references to 1980s pop culture, supernatural elements, and compelling characters.
The series is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s. It begins with the mysterious disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers. As his friends and family search for him, they uncover a series of supernatural mysteries involving secret government experiments, a parallel dimension called the Upside Down, and a girl with psychokinetic abilities known only as Eleven.
The ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson and Brett Gelman.
The show’s success is attributed to its blend of horror, mystery, and heartwarming coming-of-age elements. Stranger Things pays homage to 1980s films, TV shows, and literature, drawing inspiration from the works of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg.
At the moment, there are four seasons of the show available to Netflix subscribers. When season four came out, the show set a record of the time with 335 million hours of watch time in a single week. While Squid Game holds the number one spot for most watched hours of any Netflix series, Stranger Things was first when it came to an english speaking show.
Now, as we know, Stranger Things will be coming to and end with season five. While many are sad to see the show conclude, Netflix has been strategizing on what they can do to fill this upcoming void.
Another show, Tim Burton’s Wednesday, which is a spin-off of The Addams Family, then came up, and broke barriers. The show has a supernatural undertone and follows a young cast, much like Stranger Things, making it the perfect replacement.
The storyline centers around Wednesday Addams as she embarks on her journey at Nevermore Academy, where her parents, Gomez Addams and Morticia Addams, had attended in their younger years. However, Wednesday’s attempts to escape the academy are thwarted when she is attacked by a fellow student. To her surprise, she is rescued by a mysterious monster responsible for a series of murders in Jericho.
As the plot unfolds, Wednesday discovers that she is entangled in a prophecy that foretells her role in the destruction of Nevermore, the very place she seeks to escape.
The series features a star-studded cast, with Jenna Ortega in the titular role of Wednesday Addams. Not only did Wednesday captivate audiences with its supernatural elements and dark humor, but it also became a cultural phenomenon, generating widespread discussion and buzz on social media platforms like TikTok after the episode four viral dance was discovered.
Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday, combined with the show’s unique narrative and engaging characters, contributed to its rapid rise to popularity and solidified its status as a must-watch series on Netflix.
Of course, the show was quickly green-lit for a second season, and is one that Netflix is prioritizing at the moment following the conclusion of the strike.
Considering its first season numbers surpassed Stranger Things, Wednesday seemed like a shoo-in for the next big IP that Netflix would boast.
Now, however, it seems there is more competition on hand with a show called One Piece. Screen Rant wrote, “One Piece is based on the long-running anime of the same name and focuses on Monkey D. Luffy’s pirate crew who, while exploring endless oceans and exotic islands, attempt to find the ultimate treasure and crown the next Pirate King.
Both series were heavily promoted to build anticipation, and both were renewed quickly after their numbers showed undeniable interest. One Piece beat Wednesday and Stranger Things’ records thanks to an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, positive reviews, and logged streaming hours.”
One Piece logged 145.7 million hours in its first week of airing, which is less than Wednesday by a landslide, however, the number is nothing to scoff at as it certainly shows a large fandom.
Both Wednesday and One Piece are quite different yet similar in nature. Both are based on books and have cult-like followings within their fandoms that exist in a world of fantasy and adventure, and likely share a similar audience. It does not seem that One Piece will be able to top Wednesday’s current audience, but it may share the spotlight as its popularity continues to flourish.
Do you think that anything can replace Stranger Things?