1 Year Ago, Netflix Released a Terrifying Masterpiece That’s Now it’s Second Highest Watched Show Ever

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Exactly one year ago, Netflix released the science fiction film The Electric State, which seemed designed to see how far they could push big-budget movies on their streaming service. With a reported cost of $320 million and directed by the team behind Avengers: Endgame, the film featured Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, and was heavily promoted like a traditional Hollywood blockbuster. Despite all this, The Electric State received very poor reviews – only 13% approval on Rotten Tomatoes – and quickly became a laughingstock, though few people even knew it had come out.

A year ago today, on March 13, 2025, Netflix quietly released the thriller series Adolescence. While it didn’t generate much initial buzz – typical for the platform – the show quickly resonated with viewers. Despite being released alongside the big-budget movie The Electric State, Adolescence proved that compelling storytelling can triumph over sheer spending. It rapidly became one of Netflix’s most popular shows, surpassing the performance of the company’s most expensive film and captivating audiences with its fast-paced and insightful narrative.

Adolescence Broke Netflix Records and Stunned Audiences

Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, Adolescence follows the difficult story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who is arrested after a classmate, Katie Leonard, is found murdered. The series is unique because each episode is filmed as one continuous shot. It explores important contemporary issues, including the impact of far-right influencers on young people, how communities react to serious accusations, and the problem of online bullying.

During its opening weekend, Adolescence garnered 24.3 million views, slightly less than the 25.2 million views for The Electric State. However, things changed the following week: Adolescence jumped to 42 million views, while The Electric State dipped to 22.5 million. By its third week, Adolescence remained strong with 30.4 million views, but The Electric State continued to decline, falling to 7.6 million. Ultimately, Adolescence stayed in the Netflix Top 10 for an impressive 10 weeks, reaching a total of 142.6 million views in its first 90 days. This made it the second most popular Netflix series ever, surpassed only by Season 1 of Wednesday.

The hit series Adolescence was a surprising success for Netflix, similar to last summer’s KPop Demon Hunters. It was critically acclaimed, earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and numerous awards, including four Golden Globes (with the show winning Best Limited Series) and nine Primetime Emmys (recognized for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Outstanding Cinematography).

Beyond the widespread acclaim and awards, Adolescence uniquely sparked real conversations about the difficult issues it portrayed. In the UK, the show was even discussed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leading to its free availability in secondary schools to encourage discussions between students, teachers, and parents about the topics it explored.

After the huge popularity of Adolescence, there’s been talk of continuing the show beyond its initial limited run – something very few series get to do. Stephen Graham recently shared that he and Jack Thorne, who co-created the show, are still exploring the possibility of more episodes. However, it’s uncertain whether a second season will actually happen. If it does, they’re considering two options: either continuing the existing storyline or creating a new, standalone story with different characters and themes, similar to the first season.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/list/7-best-netflix-shows-that-were-cancelled-after-one-season-and-are-still-worth-watching/embed/#

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2026-03-13 20:41