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60% of Netflix’s Most Popular Shows Are Based on Comics or Books

The most popular Netflix shows have spooky families, historical romance, stalkers, thrilling mysteries, and more.

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Jun 13, 2024

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This week, a list of the most popular Netflix shows was released. The rankings of each of the English-language shows — which include 335,200,000 hours of views for spot #10, and 1,718,800,000 hours of views for #1 — were determined based on the views each show got within its first 91 days on the streaming platform.

What’s interesting about this list, apart from the glimpse it gives into the customer viewing patterns of one of the biggest streaming companies, is that it shows how often our current show depends on literature.

The Most Popular Netflix Shows

#10: Baby Reindeer

This isn’t from a book, but a one-man show written and performed by Richard Gadd, who also stars in Baby Reindeer.

#9: Bridgerton, Season 2

This series, of course, comes from a book series of the same name by Julia Quinn, starting with 2000’s The Duke and I.

#8: Stranger Things, Season 3

Stranger Things, perhaps surprisingly, is not based on a book or comic.

#7: Fool Me Once

This thriller was based on a book by the same name: Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben.

#6: The Night Agent, Season 1

This is conspiracy thriller is based on The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk.

#5: The Queen’s Gambit

It felt like this show had such a big moment, but I haven’t heard much of it since. It clearly made its mark, though, and is based on The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis.

#4: Bridgerton, Season 1

Bridgerton is everywhere, so it’s no surprise that it appears twice on this list.

#3: DAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

While there is a book titled Monster: The True Story of the Jeffrey Dahmer Murders by Anne E. Schwartz, it seems as though the show was not based on it.

#2: Stranger Things, Season 4

#1: Wednesday, Season 1

The delightfully macabre Addams Family has been in visual media for decades now, but the kooky bunch got their start in single panel comics that were drawn by Charles Addams, and appeared in The New Yorker starting in 1938.

To read more about the construction of the list, visit Netflix.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.