Everyone Tuned In
Netflix has released its fair share of original series, but only a handful have made this most-watched list. These series attracted the most views in the first 28 days of a season's release.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
Hours Watched: 503 million
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a limited series set in Shonda Rhimes' popular Bridgerton universe. This successful prequel explores the character of Queen Charlotte, inspired by the real 18th-century historical figure, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
The series' six episodes follow the complicated romance between Queen Charlotte and King George—and will most likely have you reaching for a box of tissues.
Shondaland, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
Ginny & Georgia (2023)
Hours Watched: 504.78 million
Netflix first released this drama in 2021, but it was the second season that had everyone watching. Ginny & Georgia follows the lives of a mother and daughter: 30-year-old Georgia Miller and her 15-year-old daughter Ginny, who often feels like the adult in the family.
This duo has never stayed in one place for very long, but that all changes when Georgia settles down in New England—and begins a new chapter.
Blue Ice Pictures, Ginny & Georgia 2021 -
Inventing Anna (2022)
Hours Watched: 511.92 million
Shonda Rhimes really knows how to strike gold. In 2022's Inventing Anna, starring Julia Garner, con artist Anna Sorokin assumes the identity of a wealthy heiress named Anna Delvey, scamming those entrenched in the upper echelons of New York society.
The fact that this gripping drama was based on a true story undoubtedly adds a layer of intrigue.
Shondaland, Inventing Anna (2022)
The Night Agent (2023)
Hours Watched: 515.57 million
Netflix's action thriller The Night Agent immediately captivated audiences upon release. Based on the novel Matthew Quirk, the story follows an FBI Agent named Peter Sutherland. As the hero, he has to identify the traitorous mole operating within the American government.
Exhibit A PicturesThe Night Agent 2023 -
The Witcher (2019)
Hours Watched: 541.01 million
The Witcher was a highly-anticipated adaptation of the fantasy series by Andrzej Sapkowski, starring Henry Cavill as the white-haired monster hunter—or "witcher"—Geralt of Rivia. His ultimate destiny is intrinsically enmeshed with the fate of the Crown Princess Cirilla of Cintra—his adventures eventually leading him to her.
The success of the first season had much to do with the careful weaving of different storylines and the strong character development throughout.
All Of Us Are Dead (2022)
Hours Watched: 560.78 million
This South Korean series on Netflix will definitely scratch an itch if you're in the mood for a zombie horror. Set in the fictional city of Hyosan, All of Us Are Dead follows a group of teenagers as they fight for their lives against the most terrifying zombies. Their predicament stems from one science teacher's experiment gone wrong.
It has since been renewed for a second season—and should be coming to the streaming platform in 2025.
Film Monster Co., All of Us Are Dead 2022 -
Lucifer (2020)
Hours Watched: 569.48 million
The fifth season of Lucifer performed shockingly well after hitting Netflix in 2020. Though the show began in 2016, over the years, it built up quite the following. The show follows the fallen angel Lucifer Morningstar, who makes a drastic decision after growing tired of ruling Hell.
He turns his back on everything he knows and decides to move to Los Angeles, where he becomes embroiled in the many dramas and adventures of the human world.
Warner Bros., Lucifer (2016-2021)
Stranger Things (2019)
Hours Watched: 582.10 million
Stranger Things is an enduring Netflix darling, but its third season certainly packed a punch. Still set in Hawkins, this season takes place in 1985 and sees our troupe of main characters getting older.
Main characters Mike Wheeler and Eleven are dating, and some new characters are introduced, including Max Mayfield, Billy Hargrove, and Robin Buckley. But the real conflict of the season? The terrifying Upside Down hasn't been completely vanquished. It's back.
21 Laps Entertainment, Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Money Heist (2020)
Hours Watched: 619.01 million
Money Heist is a Spanish heist drama that follows two heists planned by the Professor, played by Álvaro Morte—one targets the Banks of Spain, while the other centers on the Royal Mint of Spain. In Part 4 (or the second half of season 2), drama is at an all-time high, opening with the near-death experience of the character Nairobi.
Atresmedia, Money Heist (2017-2021)
Bridgerton (2020)
Hours Watched: 625.49 million
Bridgerton truly took Netflix by storm. The historical romance series captivated the hearts of millions, all eager to see how each sibling in the Bridgerton family finds their "happily ever after". Set in the early 19th century, viewers are sucked into the scandalous goings-on of London's social season.
In the first season, the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton fake a courtship only to end up falling for one another. However, the second season drew even more attention.
Bridgerton (2022)
Hours Watched: 656.26 million
Bridgerton showed no signs of slowing down with its second season, which focused on the eldest Bridgerton sibling's love story. Anthony Bridgerton is an eligible bachelor on the hunt for a suitable wife. Though he initially sets his sights on Edwina Sharma, he ends up falling for her headstrong sister, Kate.
The third season, however, has been the most successful installation yet.
Bridgerton (2024)
Hours Watched: 786.100 million
Over the course of the first two seasons, audiences have watched the blossoming friendship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington—but in the third season, they finally become something more to one another. This friends-to-lover plotline is jam-packed with romantic tension and the satisfaction of seeing two soulmates finally come together.
With the fourth season in production, we have yet to see if it will manage to top its predecessors.
Money Heist (2021)
Hours Watched: 792.53 million
Part 5 of Money Heist managed to top Part 4 in the number of hours watched. In this final season, the stakes are higher than ever before. The Professor finds himself in Sierra's clutches and doesn't know how to free himself. There's also a brand new enemy to face—the biggest one yet—the army.
Atresmedia, Money Heist (2017-2021)
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
Hours Watched: 856.22 million
Ryan Murphy's Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is based on the horrifying real-life story of one of America's most notorious slayers. Evan Peters plays Jeffrey Dahmer in this deeply disturbing biographical drama.
Netflix, Monsters: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story 2022 -
Wednesday (2022)
Hours Watched: 1,237.15 million
Season 1 of Wednesday, which centers on the character Wednesday Addams, brought director Tim Burton's talents to Netflix. With rising star Jenna Ortega playing the morose protagonist, this show sucks viewers into a captivating murder mystery that unravels at Nevermore Academy. The second season will hit the streaming platform in 2025.
Stranger Things (2022)
Hours Watched: 1,352.09 million
The second most-watched Netflix show of all time was season 4 of Stranger Things. The fourth, and most recent season, expertly weaves three separate plotlines together. From brutal slayings in Hawkins to a new villain named Vecna, there's no shortage of monstrous nightmares.
Netflix, Stranger Things (2016-2025)
Squid Game (2021)
Hours Watched: 1,650.45 million
The first season of the Korean show Squid Game might be the most unique—and most brutal—show on Netflix. As of September 2024, it is the most-watched Netflix series of all time. It's about a secret contest that promises a ₩45.6 billion prize. However, in order to win, 456 desperate players must compete in children's games.
The last one standing not only gets to live, but also takes home the jackpot.
Firstman Studio, Squid Game (2021)
