Few IPs come close to the global popularity of Harry Potter, a franchise that includes an international best-selling book series, a blockbuster film saga, a Broadway production, The Cursed Child, a major theme park presence, and an upcoming television adaptation. While this level of popularity is difficult for any single IP to match, Netflix does have a critically acclaimed, award-winning show that captures a similar school setting and the sense of supernatural whimsy that has made Harry Potter so iconic.
The Netflix Original that comes closest to the school-setting and whimsy of Harry Potter is Wednesday, which blends supernatural intrigue with teen drama in a way that has proven immensely popular with viewers. If Netflix is smart, it will continue leaning into the success of this record-breaking series, which now holds the impressive distinction of being the most popular English-language show on the platform.
HBO’s Harry Potter series is bringing the magic to the streets of London, as new set photos have been unveiled including a new look at the Weasleys.
According to Tudum, Netflix’s official entertainment news site that also shares viewership data, Wednesday: Season 1 ranks as the platform’s most popular English-language show. The first season accumulated roughly 252,100,000 views and 1,718,800,000 hours watched, placing it comfortably ahead of every other English-language series on the service. The limited series Adolescence ranks second with 142,600,000 views, leaving Wednesday far in the lead and solidifying its place as one of Netflix’s biggest successes.
Perhaps even more impressive is that Wednesday: Season 2 has also entered Netflix’s top ten list, claiming the number five spot with 119,300,000 views and 928,500,000 minutes watched. The series reimagines the classic Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family for a modern audience, giving the deadpan gothic icon a contemporary twist. Blending teen drama, detective storytelling, and supernatural mystery, the series creates a tone that appeals to a broad audience, including many fans who appreciate the same school-based fantasy atmosphere that made Harry Potter so beloved.
Wednesday Is the Golden Goose That Is Helping Restore Netflix’s Declining Reputation
Wednesday Is Accomplishing What Few Netflix Originals Can
While Wednesday may not have reached the legendary cultural status of Harry Potter, it can easily be viewed as Netflix’s golden goose. The series represents the kind of breakout hit that streaming platforms rarely achieve, and one that Netflix would be wise to continue investing in. Many Netflix subscribers are aware that the company’s reputation has suffered in recent years due to its tendency to cancel shows quickly, prioritize quantity over quality, and raise subscription prices frequently.
These criticisms are largely valid and are issues Netflix should keep in mind as it builds on Wednesday’s success. With the show already renewed for a third season, it is clear the company recognizes the value of the series. The real challenge moving forward will be ensuring that Netflix continues to invest at the same level of quality that helped Wednesday stand out among the platform’s many original productions.
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🌹BridgertonDearest readers
01
Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number?
✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries.
02
The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character?
✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022.
03
In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it?
✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.
04
Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4?
✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win.
05
The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set?
✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder.
06
Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner?
✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal.
07
La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure?
✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits.
08
Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth?
✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller.
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Netflix’s enormous output of original content has often led to shows and films that feel rushed or formulaic. Because of this, the platform could benefit from a slight shift in strategy. Instead of focusing purely on volume, Netflix could allocate more resources toward proven hits like Wednesday, allowing those projects to develop with the care and production value that audiences clearly respond to.
Focusing on higher-quality flagship shows could also make viewers more willing to accept Netflix’s increasing subscription prices. Many subscribers maintain their memberships primarily for a handful of major titles, sometimes even a single show when a new season releases. Wednesday is exactly the kind of cultural draw that can motivate audiences to return to the platform, making the subscription feel worthwhile whenever a new season premieres.
So, while Wednesday may never rival the cultural dominance of Harry Potter, it represents the closest thing Netflix has to a flagship fantastical franchise. If the platform wants to maintain subscriber loyalty and strengthen its reputation for quality programming, continuing to invest in Wednesday and treating it as a long-term cornerstone series may be one of the smartest decisions Netflix can make.
