Not many people know that Netflix has proved to be the saviour for numerous shows. The streaming giant gave these shows a new lease of life and catapulted them to the top of the streaming charts. Most of the shows that Netflix acquired were on their way to dying a painful death due to getting cancelled; or were lolling in the doldrums of obscurity; or worse, were in danger of being out of sight and out of minds once their TV run ended.
However, Netflix saw opportunity in adversity, and snapped up these shows for streaming on its platform to its millions of viewers across the world. And as soon as they arrived on Netflix, kaboom! They not only got a new lease of life, they became blockbuster hits!
Here we list several such shows that topped or are topping the charts, and all because of the “Netflix effect”!
This Spanish heist thriller was originally planned as a limited series for consumption on late night Spanish TV. It was to end after 15 episodes and one season on its original Antena 3 TV network, after viewership plummeted to half in the second half of the original show. But then Netflix stepped in, dubbed the Spanish original “La Casa De Papel” into the English “Money Heist” and streamed it to a global audience. To the surprise of the creators, viewers, cutting across geographies, cultures and demographics, lapped up the show. Interestingly, even viewers in Spain, the home country of the show, discovered it only on Netflix, unaware of its original Antena 3 broadcast. Money Heist became Netflix’s most-watched non-English show, was renewed for season after season at Netflix, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Schitt’s Creek originally aired on CBC in Canada in 2015. It was a well-received show, with limited popularity. But then Netflix picked up the show for worldwide streaming on its platform. That’s when the popularity of the show literally exploded, bringing with it millions of viewers, critical and commercial acclaim, and a clutch of prestigious awards. Schitt’s Creek is about a rich family of four that is forced into bankruptcy and has to move to the only place owned by them: a tiny town called Schitt’s Creek. Schitt’s Creek is a loveable show with amazing character arcs. The show has now achieved cult status by virtue of its appearance on Netflix.
Kim’s Convenience is another Canadian show that began life on the CBC network. The show depicts a quirky Korean family that owns a convenience store in Toronto. The hilarious show highlights some very Asian eccentricities that instantly hit home. Though the show was well-received on its original network, it was only when Netflix picked up the show for global streaming that its popularity hit the roof, allowing it to top the global charts. The show has just ended with its final sixth season.
This K-Drama regularly tops all the lists of “Best Korean Drama to watch on Netflix”. Its streaming on Netflix has ensured that Crash Landing On You has become a global phenomenon instead of being popular just in South Korea, and Asian countries at the most. The romantic drama about a South Korean heiress who lands in North Korean territory because of a misdirected air-gliding adventure and falls in love with a North Korean soldier has won hearts everywhere, from Toronto to Timbuktu and New York to Nagpur. And all because of its presence on a certain streamer called ‘Netflix’!
Lucifer –
Almost every entertainment buff is aware of the cheeky Netflix show, Lucifer, and its devilishly sexy titular character, played by Tom Ellis. However, Lucifer was not always this high in the popularity charts. The show originally aired on the Fox Network for three seasons, but consistently received poor ratings. So much so that Fox cancelled the show after three seasons, with no room for a revival whatsoever. Enter Netflix, with its Midas touch. The streaming giant adopted the show and began streaming it worldwide on its platform. No sooner than it did, the show became a cult hit and a legit blockbuster, and Tom Ellis acquired an insane fan following. A pleased Netflix renewed Lucifer it for a new season, then another, and then yet another. Suffice to say, the devil lived to tell his tale, courtesy Netflix.
StartUp –
StartUp was a hardly-known show, even among the most dedicated of entertainment buffs. It first launched in 2016 on the platform ‘Crackle’, which is owned by the Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company. But soon, it was acquired by Netflix, and from the time it began streaming on Netflix worldwide, it has been dominating the charts. The intelligently crafted show revolves around the world of crypto-currencies, thus making it even more relevant in today’s times. The show enjoyed top billing for consecutive weeks on Nielsen’s Top Ten list of streaming shows, which was only possible due to its entry into the Netflix library.
Cobra Kai –
The hugely popular Martial Arts show started off as a YouTube original. But YouTube soon decided to cut back on its slate of scripted shows, and Cobra Kai was one of the first to face the axe. Recognising the huge potential presented by Cobra Kai, Netflix swooped in for the kill, picked up the two older seasons of the series that had already streamed on YouTube earlier, and even renewed the show for further seasons. The show is now a smash hit on Netflix, with legions of viewers and high anticipation for newer seasons.
You –
The edgy drama about a psychopath stalker cum serial killer who’s charismatic, amiable, and a cold-blooded murderer is compelling and gripping. It is also one of become Netflix’s marquee properties, counting as one of the most successful shows on the streaming platform. It wasn’t always this way, however. ‘You‘ was an obscure show on an obscure platform called Lifetime, and about to be cancelled after just one season. But, Netflix! The streamer did its magic with the show by streaming it worldwide, and catapulting it to the top of the charts. And now, Season 3 is on its way, with more seasons on the agenda hopefully.
Manifest –
The sci-fi fantasy drama about a lost plane, whose passengers mysteriously turn up one fine day after several years of disappearance, received average ratings on its original run on NBC. But then it began streaming on Netflix. It found a whole new audience at Netflix, and its viewing numbers and popularity sky-rocketed. Manifest soon hit Number One on the Nielsen Top Ten List of Streaming Shows, all because of its streaming on Netflix. Unfortunately, despite it being a legit hit, the show has been cancelled after three seasons. A #SaveManifest campaign has been raging on social media ever since, with fans of the show exhorting Netflix to adopt the show for newer seasons. There’s no concrete decision on the fate of the show taken by Netflix as yet.
Friends –
You may be surprised to see the cult classic ‘Friends’ on this list. Friends was considered a trailblazing hit long before it began streaming on Netflix. But the fact remains that its addition to the Netflix library has added a new legion of audiences and fans for the show, massively increasing its following the world over. Newer generations of viewers were able to enjoy the antics of the lovable bunch of friends, and all because a discerning streaming platform called Netflix began streaming the show to its millions of subscribers across the world.
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