'Lucifer' Was 2021's Biggest TV Show, Stats Reveal
The 2021 TV season gave way to plenty of big series, but it was a Fox-turned Netflix original series that proved to be the most-popular show of the year. The streamer's hit Tom Ellis-starring series Lucifer was officially named the most-streamed original series of 2021 in the U.S., according to new statistics just released this month. Lucifer claiming that top spot came as the show debuted its sixth and final season in September 2021.
The high title was revealed in new statistics shared by Nielsen, per Deadline, which showed that the 93 total episodes of the series garnered more than 18.3 billion minutes of streaming throughout 2021. That massive number cemented Lucifer's place as the No. 1 streamed original program of the year, the series even beating out Netflix's mega-popular South Korean title Squid Game. Named in October as Netflix's biggest original series of all time and already renewed for a second season, Squid Game netted 164 billion minutes of streaming during the year. Meanwhile, fellow hit series Bridgerton took the No. 5 spot with 12.3 billion minutes, with Great British Baking Show (13. 6 billion) and Virgin River (12.9 billion) taking the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Other titles to make the list were You, Cobra Kai, The Crown, and Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale also breaking into the Top 10.
Based on DC Comics character Lucifer Morningstar, Lucifer premiered back in 2014 and ran on Fox for three seasons before it was canceled. Netflix picked the series up in 2018, with all subsequent seasons debuting on the platform. The show was initially set to run for five seasons before the streamer reversed course and announced a sixth and final season, which debuted on the streamer in September. In addition to Ellis, the show also stars Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Rachael Harris, and Aimee Garcia.
The show's overall success in 2021 comes as little surprise given previously revealed viewership data. Following its Season 6 release, Lucifer ranked as the streamer's No. 1 most-popular title for weeks, and Nielsen streaming data revealed that Lucifer was watched for 1.6 billion minutes between May 24 and 30. From May 31 to June 6, the show received over 1.83 billion viewing minutes.
All episodes of Lucifer – including those that originally aired on FOX – are streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest TV and streaming news!