‘Cocomelon’ Dethroned as Netflix’s Biggest Kids Show

Netflix is constantly adding new programs for children, making it an indispensable tool in the parenting arsenal. For a long time, their most popular children’s show was Cocomelon, which focuses on the adventures of a group og babies and retells classic nursery rhymes. The show has absolutely massive streaming numbers, breaking a record in 2020 for being in Netflix’s top 10 most-watched shows for 62 days. This streak was longer than other top Netflix shows, including Ozark, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Tiger King.

Cocomelon has been a mainstay in Netflix’s top 10 children’s chart, but a new challenger has knocked it out of the No. 1 spot. Maya and the Three, a new animated series from Mexican filmmaker Jorge Gutiérrez (The Book of Life) and starring Zoe Saldana. Maya and the Three weaves a spellbinding tale of a Mesoamerican teenage princess and her three protectors who battle a host of gods from the underworld. The beautiful animation and compelling story has made It a bonafide hit for Netflix, with the 9-episode first season moving up to No. 1 on the list of kids titles and No. 7 on the television chart.

“We’ve been in the industry for 21 years just trying to make stuff,” Gutiérrez told Indiewire about his new partnership with Netflix. “I finally feel like we’re being trusted to make [what we want] in a way that reflects who we are. […] We’re the same people from 20 years ago. It’s not like we’re different in any way. It’s just that now we’re given more opportunities.”

Gutiérrez also credited Netflix with giving creators a global platform that they never would have had access to otherwise. “What Netflix has done with people like us is that they’re saying, ‘You can now make something authentic from your culture, and it’s for the whole world. And we will support that vision,’” the filmmaker explained. “Earlier in our career, it was always, ‘Whatever you guys make has to work for the U.S. And if it works outside of the U.S. — bonus.’” That mindset Is clearly paying off, so here’s hoping a second season of Maya and the Three will be announced soon.