Despite the company’scontroversial price hikes, password-sharing bans, and having to contend with more streaming services than ever, Netflix has proven that it’s still a leader when it comes to producing original TV series.
After crunching some end-of-year numbers, the platform released a list of the top ten most-watched Netflix series from throughout 2022. The list, which was based on 28-day hours viewed between January 1 and December 18 2022, was a mixed bag: it was dominated by not only established IPs like Virgin River season 4 and Stranger Things season 4, but also recently-released hits such as Wednesday.
Unsurprisingly, sci-fi series Stranger Things topped the list, spending 19 weeks in Netflix’s top 10 between May and October and, at present, remains the global number one series of all time with 1.35 billion hours in 28 days.
But despite only being released at the end of November, teen drama series Wednesday, which is based on the Addams Family character, has already broken several Netflix records an soared to second place on the list. As well as spending five weeks in the streamer’s global top ten, clocking up over 1.314 billion watching hours between November 20 and December 25, it is now Netflix’s second most-watched series of all time globally. In just 28 days, the series amassed 1.237 billion hours.
Here’s Netflix’s full list of the ten most popular 2022 TV series in order of popularity:
- Stranger Things season 4
- Wednesday season 1
- Bridgerton season 2
- Inventing Anna
- Ozark season 4
- The Watcher
- The Sandman
- The Umbrella Academy season 3
- Virgin River season 4
If you’re wondering when some of your Netflix faves will be returning, we’ve got you covered: check out our guides to Virgin River season 5, Bridgerton season 3, The Umbrella Academy season 4, and Stranger Things season 5.