After four weeks of reigning supreme on the Netflix TV charts, Stranger Things has finally been dethroned by another one of the streamer's heavy hitters.
The hit Netflix show, whose fourth season originally launched on May 27, has spent the past month dominating the streaming giant's internal TV charts. And, given its popularity, Stranger Things' dominance of Netflix's Top 10 TV Shows list (opens in a new tab) won't surprise anyone.
Now, though, there's a new kid on the block, and he's taken the Stranger Things crown, if only for a brief time. The Umbrella Academy, another great Netflix original series, returned for its third season on June 22, and it didn't take long for the superhero-esque show to topple Stranger Things 4 in Netflix's TV series rankings.
According to the latest data compiled by Netflix's internal analytics team, The Umbrella Academy season 3 totaled 124,53 million hours of viewing during the week of June 20-26. That number was enough to earn it the top spot on Netflix's top 10 English-language TV shows list and relegated Stranger Things 4 to second place.
The latest Stranger Things entry has still kept up with the new season of The Umbrella Academy, the Duffer Brothers-developed show racking up 76,9 million hours watched over the same seven-day period. However, for the first time since the release of Volume 4 Season 1, said ratings were not enough to continue to rule other TV shows, such as The Lincoln Lawyer and Peaky Blinders season 6.
Don't expect The Umbrella Academy to dominate the Netflix charts for several weeks. Stranger Things Season 2 Volume 4 hits the streamer on Friday, July 1. Volume 2 only contains the last two episodes of the show's final season, but it's sure to be another big hit with Netflix subscribers.
Volume 1 has proven to be extremely popular - its viewing figures are proof of that. And, with the final two entries heralded as the darkest, most thrilling, action-packed and emotional episodes of the entire series, Volume 4 Season 2 should catapult Stranger Things to the top of Netflix's TV charts.
Of course, The Umbrella Academy season 3 will go all out in the never-ending battle for the top spot. But, with July 2022 looking like a lean month for new Netflix TV show releases, Stranger Things should dominate the charts for a few more weeks once Season 4 Volume 2 arrives.
If you missed them already, check out our spoiler-free reviews of The Umbrella Academy season 3 and Stranger Things 4. You can also read our Netflix commercial explainer to find out what to expect when they hit the platform.
Analysis: Where will Netflix's next big hit come from?
As we mentioned, July isn't exactly busy with new shows or the return of fan-favorite TV series. Granted, Stranger Things Season 2 Volume 4 officially arrives on the first day of July but, after that date, there's not much to get excited about.
While several compelling new Netflix movies are on the way, like The Gray Man and The Sea Beast, its TV offerings are particularly slim in comparison. A few intriguing documentary series aside, Netflix's best bets for a big TV hit in July are Boo, Bitch, starring Lana Condor, as well as its live-action version of Capcom's iconic Resident Evil video game series. Not exactly a captivating formation, is it?
So what's Netflix's next big TV hit? Right now, it looks like Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Sandman, Neil Gaiman's legendary graphic novel series, is the top contender. Anticipation levels are high for the TV show's arrival, though it won't land on the streaming service until Friday, August 5.
Unless Resident Evil or Boo, Bitch become sleeper overnight hits for Netflix, or one of the streamer's next documentaries takes off, it looks like Stranger Things 4's stranglehold on the company's TV charts. will continue for a while longer.
That's not necessarily a bad thing: Netflix won't be too concerned about its other content struggling to do well if Stranger Things continues to deliver big viewing numbers. But, given the troubles Netflix faced in 2022, it still has to keep churning out exciting new movies and shows to maintain its 222 million subscriber base worldwide. If the likes of Resident Evil and The Sandman fail to capture audiences, it could be a rocky summer for the streamer.
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