Netflix Is Finally Opening Up With Lists Of Its Most Popular Shows

Netflix is notorious for not giving a single damn about ratings. It does not report viewership numbers to investors, entertainment reporters, Hollywood or fans — a fact that can be especially frustrating when popular shows seemingly get cancelled out of the blue.

But in a step toward transparency, today Netflix published a series of top 10 lists for the most-watched content in the United Kingdom, according to a Variety report.

Topping the overall list for April is the David Attenborough-narrated nature series Our Planet, followed by romcom flick The Perfect Date starring teen heartthrob Noah Centineo, and crime film The Highwaymen. There are also lists for series, documentaries, films, English-language shows, reality shows and non-English language shows.

The Variety report says that some customers may begin seeing these lists as early as next week, though the format as to how that information will appear is still unclear. Netflix also remains tight-lipped as to what criteria were used to determine what content was “most watched”.

The only details Netflix provided was that “watched” meant 70 per cent of one episode was completed. As for hard numbers? Forget it. Though Netflix occasionally teases out viewership information, those instances aren’t consistent and hardly verifiable. You just have to trust Netflix is telling the truth.

Took off my blindfold this morning to discover that 45,037,125 Netflix accounts have already watched Bird Box — best first 7 days ever for a Netflix film! pic.twitter.com/uorU3cSzHR

— Netflix Film (@NetflixFilm) December 28, 2018

Joe isn’t the only one watching: @YouNetflix is on track to be viewed by more than 40 million members in its first four weeks on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/W4jZ3nYTdQ

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) January 17, 2019

Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.

That said, the decision to release the top 10 lists isn’t exactly out of the blue. In a letter to investors for Q2 2019, CEO Reed Hastings explained, “For those who want to watch what others are watching, this may make choosing titles even easier. After a few months, we’ll decide whether to end or expand the test.”

To get a look at the Netflix viewing habits of the Brits, you can check out the full top 10 rankings below.

Overall

1. Our Planet
2. The Perfect Date
3. The Highwaymen
4. The Silence
5. Black Summer
6. After Life
7. The Spy Who Dumped Me
8. Riverdale
9. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
10. You vs. Wild

Series

1. Black Summer
2. After Life
3. Riverdale
4. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
5. Star Trek: Discovery
6. Lunatics
7. Bodyguard
8. Santa Clarita Diet
9. Bonding
10. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Documentaries

1. Our Planet
2. The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
3. Homecoming: A film by Beyoncé
4. The Legend of Cocaine Island
5. Street Food
6. The Investigator: A British Crime Story
7. Formula 1: Drive to Survive
8. Roman Empire
9. One Strange Rock
10. Top 10 Secrets and Mysteries

Films

1. The Perfect Date
2. The Highwaymen
3. The Silence
4. The Spy Who Dumped Me
5. Someone Great
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
7. Baywatch
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
9. Sniper: Ultimate Kill
10. Sicario: Day of the Soldado

English-language shows

1. Quicksand
2. The Ruthless
3. Osmosis
4. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
5. Delhi Crime
6. Mirage
7. Bitter Daisies
8. A Fortunate Man
9. Burn Out
10. The Protector

Reality shows

1. You vs. Wild
2. RuPaul’s Drag Race
3. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked!
4. Queer Eye
5. Selling Sunset
6. Impractical Jokers
7. Sugar Rush
8. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo
9. Love Island
10. American Idol

Non-English language shows

1. Quicksand
2. The Ruthless
3. Osmosis
4. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
5. Delhi Crime
6. Mirage
7. Bitter Daisies
8. A Fortunate Man
9. Burn Out
10. The Protector

[Variety]