‘Bridgerton’ is Officially One of the Biggest Netflix Shows of All Time
Bridgerton has been having one heck of a run at or near the top of Netflix’s Most Watched charts since it dropped on Christmas. Produced by Shonda Rhimes and based on the best-selling romance novels by Julia Quinn, the period drama has delighted viewers with its stellar production and saucy storytelling.
There’s no doubt that the first season has been popular, but now Netflix has given the public a sense of just how huge it’s been. A recently released ranking of the streamer’s most popular shows of all time shows Bridgerton already placing remarkably high.
‘Bridgerton’ is among Netflix’s biggest originals
As reported by outlets like Decider, Netflix has revealed its top five most watched original shows off all time. Not even two weeks after its premiere, Bridgerton season 1 is already in fifth place with 63 million views so far. Needless to say, fans shouldn’t fret about the chances of a second season.
Ahead of the series (for now) is a pack of shows that ought to be familiar to the Netflix faithful. They are, in ascending order and with viewership totals from their first four weeks: Tiger King with 64 million, Stranger Things with 64 million, Money Heist with 65 million, and The Witcher with a whopping 76 million. Expect Bridgerton to climb this ranking as the views roll in over the next two weeks.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Netflix’s bar for viewership is notoriously low. A subscriber need only watch two minutes of something for it to count as a view. So, some of the shows might place higher despite fewer people actually finishing a season, or even an episode.
‘Bridgerton’ fever is holding strong
Since its release, Bridgerton has found success not only with viewers, but also with critics. As of Jan. 6, the first season sports an enviable 92% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Sumptuous design, soapy drama, and a sterling cast make Bridgerton a delightful treat,” the aggregator’s consensus summary read.
As of the same date, the show is still dominating the Netflix charts, sitting at number two in the “Top 10 in the US” ranking. It has slipped behind only Cobra Kai season 3, which premiered a week later on Jan. 1.
While unconfirmed for now, Season 2 is almost inevitable. Details are slim, but series creator Chris Van Dusen has teased that a further season could explore in greater detail a character whose true identity was a major reveal in Season 1.
“I think there is a deep well of story for us to explore on Bridgerton,” Van Dusen explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “We have an amazing sprawling cast of characters and amazing cast and that provides us opportunities to explore all kinds of stories for all these characters. And I think for Lady Whistledown specifically, it’s going to be really interesting for us to be able to play in that world now that we know who Lady Whistledown is.”
