The list of the most-watched Netflix originals of 2024 proves that audiences around the world have been glued to the plethora of interesting series on the streaming platform. The OTT behemoth saw popular releases, including non-English shows, which received critical acclaim. From Fool Me Once and 3 Body Problem to Emily in Paris season 4 and The Asunta Case, the titles are as varied as they are engaging.
From Lilyhammer, the first original series by the company in 2012 to legacy shows like Squid Game, Stranger Things and Bridgerton, Netflix has come a long way in producing its own content and continues to do so with much flair. Released in the last month of the year, the latest original Netflix series Black Doves has garnered major attention. In the first week of its release, the thriller series, which revolves around a young woman named Helen Webb (played by Kiera Knightley), received 10.8 million and has been in the Top 10 most-watched list for two weeks straight.
The second season of The Diplomat, released on 31 October, also garnered global attention and amassed over 16.8 million views after spending four weeks in the Top 10 list. Rated 8 on IMDb, the new instalment of the thriller series revolves around career diplomat Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) whose world is tossed upside down after a deadly explosion in London. As a harrowing international crisis brews, she must juggle her work, save her house and deal with a crumbling marriage.
The third season of Sweet Tooth is another most-watched Netflix original series, with over 16 million views. Depicting the story of a young boy who is half-human and half-deer in a post-apocalyptic world, it has a 7.7 IMDb rating.
In the non-English series segment, the first season of the South Korean show Culinary Class Wars, released on 17 September, has become one of the most-viewed titles of 2024. It is the first Netflix original Korean cooking reality show. In it, 100 people from all walks of life, including restaurant chefs and amateur cooks, compete in a fierce culinary showdown.
As we look back at the year that was, here’s a round-up of some of the most-watched Netflix originals of 2024. How many have you watched?
Most-watched Netflix original series that captivated audiences in 2024
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Fool Me Once
Release date: 1 January
No. of views: 107.5 million
Directed by: David Moore
Cast: Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Armitage, Danya Griver, Daniel Burt
Episodes: 8
Synopsis: Widowed mother Maya Stern (Keegan) is coping with her husband Joe’s (Burkett) brutal murder. She faces a massive shock when she sees her supposedly late husband captured on her toddler’s nanny cam. As Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Akhtar) probes the homicide case, Maya’s niece and nephew Abby (Griver) and Daniel (Burt) investigate their mother’s death. Are the two cases related?
About the series: The series is based on Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name.
Bridgerton season 3
Release date: 16 May
No. of views: 91.9 million
Created by: Shonda Rhimes
Cast: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson, Golda Rosheuvel, Jonathan Bailey, Simon Ashley, Luke Newton, Phoebe Dynevor
Episodes: 24
Synopsis: In 18th-century London, eight siblings of the wealthy and powerful Bridgerton family, who have become eligible for marriage, look for love. Season three explores the revelation of the identity of Lady Whistledown and the romance between Penelope (Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Thompson).
About the series: Bridgerton is one of the most successful shows on Netflix of all time. As of 24 December 2024, seasons 1, 2 and 3 rank fourth, 10th and sixth respectively, on the list of most popular in English on Netflix.
Baby Reindeer
Release date: 11 April
No. of views: 87.6 million
Created by: Richard Gadd
Cast: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau
Episodes: 7
Synopsis: Struggling comedian Donny Dunn (Gadd) makes ends meet as a bartender. When he meets Martha Scott (Gunning) at the bar, he shows kindness to the vulnerable woman. However, things soon escalate out of hand as she becomes obsessed with him. With the female stalker haunting him, Donny is forced to visit the dark buried trauma of his past.
About the series: Baby Reindeer is based on Gadd’s similar real-life experiences. He wrote a play about it, which became a hit at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe leading to the series adaptation.
The Gentlemen
Release date: 7 March
No. of views: 75.9 million
Created by: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Ray Winstone
Episodes: 8
Synopsis: Eddie Horniman (James) inherits his father’s colossal estate only to discover that it is the centre of a massive weed empire owned by the underworld mafia Bobby Glass (Winstone). As he gets entangled in the dark underbelly, will Eddie be able to take control of the operation?
About the series: The series is a spin-off of Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, starring Matthew McConaughey and Colin Farrell, and set in the same universe. When it was released in March 2024, The Gentlemen soared to the top position on that week’s list of Top 10 most-watched shows on Netflix with 12.2 million views in just three days.
Emily in Paris season 4
Release date: 15 August
No. of views: 72.6 million
Created by: Darren Star
Cast: Lily Collins, Lucas Bravo, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Eugenio Franceschini
Episodes: 40
Synopsis: Emily Cooper (Collins), the American marketing professional in Paris, breaks up with Gabriel and visits Rome on a break from work. Her rendezvous and adventures with Marcello Muratori (Franceschini), a scion of a luxury apparel brand, in Italy, heading Agence Grateu’s Italian office and a budding romance make her life tres amazing. But is Gabriel’s chapter done for good or are the ambers of the past relationship still burning low?
About the series: Emily in Paris season 4 was released in two parts – part 1 arrived on 15 August while part 2 came on 12 September. According to data released by Netflix as part of the Top 10 Most-Watched English shows, part 1 garnered over 45 million views across four weeks and after the release of part 2, season 4 received over 72 million views across four weeks.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Release date: 22 February
No. of views: 71.1 million
Created by: Albert Kim
Cast: Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, Dallas Liu
Episodes: 10
Synopsis: In an Asiatic war-ridden world where people can “bend” one of the four elemental powers — Fire, Water, Earth and Air — Ang (Cormier) is the Avatar, one who can bend all four. As the Fire Nation wages war, Ang is destined to bring peace. With his new companions Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ousley), he goes on a mission to master the elements while the exiled Fire Nation prince Zuko (Liu) is bent on capturing the Avatar to regain his glory.
About the series: The live-action adaptation by Netflix debuted at No.1 on Netflix’s list of Top 10 Most-watched series in its first week with over 21.2 million views. It continued to remain on the list for six weeks.
Griselda
Release date: 25 January
No. of views: 69.2 million
Created by: Eric Newman, Andrés Baiz
Cast: Sofía Vergara, Alberto Guerra, Juliana Aidén Martinez
Episodes: 6
Synopsis: Smart and ambitious Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco (Vergara) escapes from an abusive relationship and goes on to create one of the most powerful drug cartels of all time. A doting mother and a strong-headed manager, she juggles home and work with lethal charm and unsuspecting savagery.
About the series: The series is based on the true story of drug cartel owner Griselda Blanco who killed all her husbands and made tons of cash from the underworld dealings. The series hit the No. 1 spot with over 20 million views in the first week.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Release date: 19 September
No. of views: 64.4 million
Created by: Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan
Cast: Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez
Episodes: 9
Synopsis: Brothers Lyle (Chavez) and Erik Menendez (Koch) shoot their wealthy parents dead in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. While the siblings claim they were tortured and abused which led them to such a drastic step, prosecutors argue their motive was to usurp the family fortune.
About the series: This instalment is part of the acclaimed Netflix original Monster anthology series. The previous season told the story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and ranks No. 3 on Netflix’s most-watched shows of all time list, garnering over 115.6 million views.
Read more: 9 shows and documentaries about the Menendez brothers for true crime enthusiasts
American Nightmare
Release date: 16 January
No. of views: 55 million
Created by: Bernadette Higgins, Felicity Morris
Cast: Denise Huskins, Aaron Quinn, Henry Lee
Episodes: 3
Synopsis: On 23 March 2015, a harrowing home invasion woke up Denise Huskins (self) and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn (self) in the dead of night. Huskins was kidnapped that night only to reappear just 48 hours later, 400 miles away, near her father’s house. She appeared unharmed, though she later revealed that she had been raped twice by her kidnapper. Her mysterious disappearance raised alarm and as the couple recalled the night’s events, it all seemed too far-fetched.
About the series: The three-part Netflix original series is based on the real-life case of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn. The true crime docuseries hit the No. 1 spot on that week’s most-watched list with 21.4 million views.
3 Body Problem
Release date: 21 March
No. of views: 52.4 million
Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Alexander Woo
Cast: Jovan Adepo, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Rosalind Chao
Episodes: 8
Synopsis: During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a young astrophysicist named Ye Wenjie (Chao), a political nonconformist, was hired at a secret military radio station. She makes a fateful decision that impacts space and time. Forty years later, when scientists across the world start committing suicide, it traces back to a mystery related to Ye. A group of brilliant scientists called The Oxford Five, a detective and a mysterious intelligence agency must come together to save humanity.
About the series: 3 Body Problem is based on Cixin Liu’s bestselling novel trilogy of the same name. The show spent three weeks at No. 1 on Netflix, seven weeks in the Top 10, and reached the Top 10 in 93 countries.
Nobody Wants This
Release date: 26 September
No. of views: 48.7 million
Created by: Erin Foster
Cast: Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe
Episodes: 10
Synopsis: Love is all about the perfect timing. When agnostic sex podcaster Joanne (Bell) and newly single rabbi Noah Roklov (Brody) fall in love, they know they embark on an adventure. Their whirlwind romance has to face all the obstacles of modern love and also the interference of their well-meaning families.
About the series: The Netflix original series garnered 10.3 million views in its opening week and debuted at No. 2. It went on to spend a total of six weeks on Netflix’s most-watched list.
One Day
Release date: 8 February
No. of views: 39.4 million
Created by: Nicole Taylor
Cast: Leo Woodall, Ambika Mod, Amber Grappy
Episodes: 14
Synopsis: It’s graduation night for Emma Morley (Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Woodall). They speak to each other for the first time before going their separate ways the next morning. Each episode opens on this same date in the following years, as they change, grow, come close, drift apart and experience joys and heartbreaks.
About the series: This Netflix original series is based on David Nicholls’ bestselling novel of the same name, which has also been turned into a 2011 movie starring Anne Hathaway. Between 5 and 11 February 2024, One Day debuted at No. 1 on the Netflix Top 10 most-watched shows.
The Asunta Case
Release date: 26 April
No. of views: 30.7 million
Created by: Carlos Sedes and Jacobo Martínez
Cast: Candela Peña, Tristán Ulloa, Javier Gutiérrez
Episodes: 6
Synopsis: In 2001, Rosario Porto (Peña) and Alfonso Basterra (Ulloa) adopted Asunta Fong Yang, a baby from China. In 2013, it was reported that Asunta was brutally murdered. She mysteriously disappeared and later her body was found on a forest track near the family’s country house. While her parents reported her disappearance, the investigations turned horrifyingly against them.
About the series: The Spanish true crime thriller is based on the 2013 murder of Asunta Basterra, a 12-year-old girl whose body was subsequently found on the side of a road in Teo, Spain. It soared to No. 1 on the most-watched non-English series on Netflix of that week, garnering 54 million views. It even reached the Top 10 in 85 countries.
(Hero and featured image credits: IMDb)
Frequently Asked Questions
Among the most-viewed Netflix originals of 2024 are ‘Fool Me Once’, ‘Bridgerton’ season 3, ‘Baby Reindeer’ and ‘The Gentleman’.
As of 3 January 2025, ‘Red Notice’ is the most-viewed Netflix original movie with 230.9 million views.
Netflix originals like 'Squid Game', 'Wednesday', 'Stranger Things', 'Bridgerton' and 'The Crown' are some of the best shows on the OTT platform.
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Trinetra is an ardent foodie and bibliophile who writes about films, travel, food and lifestyle. As a writer and literature student, slam poetry and storytelling are her go to jam. When not working, Trinetra is busy looking for her next place to visit or binge-watching Instagram videos for travel inspiration.
