The Netflix 2024 Review (Part 2): Series, animated series et reality-TV shows.
We’re reviewing Netflix Originals from 2024, calmly but in two parts because it’s just too long.
📈 Methodology
Metric Used: For this review, as with all my other articles, I’ve used the measure of Complete Viewings Equivalent (or CVEs), calculated by dividing the viewing hours announced weekly by Netflix by the runtime of the respective films and series. I’ve also chosen to analyze these programs based on their first 14 full days of availability, unless otherwise specified. These two methodological precautions allow for an equal comparison of programs with different runtimes released on different days of the week.
Countries and Services Covered: All 192 countries and territories where Netflix is available, across all devices (TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, consoles, etc.).
New English-speaking series
It's been a pretty good year for Netflix's English-speaking series, with many strong successes, though no new series have truly blown up. It's solid, not extraordinary, with one number 1 series that absolutely no one would have bet on this year, namely the adaptation of Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben. This isn't the first series adapted from Harlan Coben's work, but this one really hit it big, though we don't quite know why. It was released on January 1, 2024, and has dominated all year long without any other new series managing to dislodge it.
In the Top 10, 5 series were renewed for additional seasons, while the other 5 were mini-series. The trend toward mini-series is also on the rise this year, with now more than one out of every three U.S. series being a mini-series, a record since Netflix's early days with original programming.
You might ask, "But where is Baby Reindeer in this Top 10?" and that's a valid question given the hype around the series when it was released in March. However, this series is quite unique in that it only really took off around its third week. This means that in my ranking based on the first 14 days, it’s only 11th (which is still good), but if I had used a ranking based on the first 28 days, it would be 2nd, behind Fool Me Once and ahead of The Perfect Couple.
Some series from the Top 10 also appear in the list of the most liked series, such as The Gentlemen by Guy Ritchie, Nobody Wants This, Monsters, or 3 Body Problem. We also see some series that didn’t perform well at all, such as Ripley or Boy Swallows Universe, and even a canceled series, namely The Brothers Sun. But overall, it’s still a pretty solid crop.
Precisely, on the side of disappointments, let’s mention the three official cancellations of the year: The Brothers Sun, KAOS, and Dead Boy Detectives, which rank 22nd, 23rd, and 24th respectively in the list of Netflix’s 32 new English-language series of the year. No surprises here regarding their cancellation, which can be attributed solely to their low viewership.
💵 Paid DLC : The almost complete Netflix review of 2024
The Top 10 is all well and good, but how about knowing the Top 15, Top 20, or even the Top 80 in each category? Well, you're in luck! The new paid DLC of Netflix & Chiffres is none other than the full ranking of nearly all new Netflix Originals programs from 2024. It’s about twenty pages in English, detailing the audiences of approximately 80% of new programs from 2024, for both the first 14 and 28 days when available data permits. Here's an example of what to expect with the complete ranking of all English-language Netflix Original films released in 2024.
On the agenda, I review English-language films, international films, documentaries, English-language series, international series, docuseries, and animated series released in 2024. To purchase this DLC, it’s available on Patreon for the price of €3 and if you click on this big red button, that will get you straight there.
Returning English-speaking series.
Among the English-speaking series returning last year, there was Bridgerton and everything else, since the second returning series, Emily in Paris, only achieved half the score of Shonda Rhimes' series.
The third season of Bridgerton also achieved a small feat by outperforming its previous season, a distinction only matched by The Lincoln Lawyer in the Top 10 (and we’re still waiting to find out whether it will be renewed for a fourth season). Outer Banks experienced a slight decline, which led to its renewal for a final season, just like The Diplomat, whose upcoming third season is also expected to be its last.
International series.
On the international series side, the trend also clearly leaned toward mini-series, with 7 mini-series in the Top 10, including the main success of 2024, the Norwegian series La Palma, which garnered nearly double the views of the second most-watched new international series. "Exotic destination" + monsters/natural disaster is generally a winning combo on Netflix.
Among the 3 series that are not mini-series, a little French pride is in order, as The Cage and Furies are the two most-watched of the year, and both have been renewed, along with the Spanish series Breathless, which completes this Top 10.
However, none of these ten series are in the Top 10 of the most liked new series of 2024, as One Hundred Years of Solitude (Colombia) and Senna take the top spots. Of these 10 series, 3 are among the least-watched of the year, namely Born for the Spotlight, The Queen of Villains, and The Believers.
Returning international series
It’s impossible not to mention the tidal wave that is season 2 of Squid Game, which stands as a giant among other international series, with nearly ten times more viewership than the second season in the ranking.
I can already see Netflix touting this global success to talk about international hits, but caution is needed, as the numbers behind it are relatively low and, notably, showing a sharp decline. For example, season 2 of Hellbound lost nearly 70% of its audience compared to its first season. Squid Game is thus the tree that hides the forest of international series that struggle to reignite the spark and are losing viewership season after season. Last year, this was very noticeable with Lupin, and it’s even more evident this year. Apart from Squid Game, the reigning series on Netflix, there are many uncertainties around the titles in this Top 10. Apart from Squid Game, which will return for a final season, and Wrong Side of the Tracks, which has been renewed (but is a co-production), as of the time I’m writing, we have no news about the fate of series like The Empress or Another Self.
Animated series.
In the realm of animated series, it's a decline this year, with 33% fewer new series on the board.
The scores are also rather low overall, with mainly series from already familiar universes, such as Jurassic World, CoComelon, Hot Wheels, Sonic, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Exploding Kittens, and The Fairly OddParents.
The only exception is Bad Dinosaurs, whose creators have stated that Netflix chose not to order new episodes after the initial season order, despite the relatively good numbers for the animated series. One can understand why they are questioning this decision…
However, a well-known license doesn’t guarantee success, as seen with the flops, which also include familiar names like Tomb Raider: Legend of Lara Croft, The Dragon Prince, Good Times (a reboot of an American live-action series), or even Barbie Mysteries and Zack Snyder’s Twilight of the Gods.
Reality-TV shows.
Finally, on the shows side, there are fewer new shows this year compared to previous years, but more new seasons of established shows, leading to an overall increase in the number of seasons compared to last year.
2024 was the year of confirmation that for its reality TV shows, Netflix is increasingly opting for a weekly release schedule spread over 3 or 4 weeks, although it still releases some in a binge format. I’ve therefore created a separate ranking. In the weekly shows category, the unstoppable Love is Blind occupies 3 of the top 5 spots.
It’s worth noting that South Korea has a new reality TV hit with the culinary show Culinary Class Wars, which has achieved excellent ratings. However, there’s a likely drop in store for season 2, as was the case with the other South Korean show Physical: 100, which lost nearly 50% of its audience between its first and second seasons.
Finally, moving on to the binge releases, there were almost no major hits to speak of. Selling Sunset still did the job with its 8th season, but it’s losing viewers with each new season, so the end is likely in sight.
Finally, it’s worth noting the cancellation of Buying Beverly Hills after its second season, despite its presence in the Top 10, which proves that this Top 10 isn’t necessarily an indicator of ratings high enough to boast a success.
That wraps up the overview of Netflix Originals in 2024! We’ll meet again in a few days for a new issue of Netflix & Chiffres.