Netflix’s 10 Most-Binged Shows of 2018

Netflix published its top ten most binge-watched shows of 2018 on Tuesday, and the results are not exactly shocking.

Netflix serves a lot of different audiences in a lot of different places, yet some things are just ubiquitous. For a global service like Netflix, a few outliers are bound to emerge, as people across the world tune in for a sensation.

Most of the titles on Netflix’s year-in-review lists fit this description, though not all of them. There are titles within in the most-binged shows, for instance, that you could have missed entirely.

Nevertheless, the numbers do not lie. Netflix monitors data on which people watch what, and when and where they watch it. Taking all of this information at once, there is a clear picture of what succeeds for the streaming service and what does not.

That is not to say that viewership is the only consideration. Some shows become memes, cultural touchstones and viral phenomena, and that is not without its value. Netflix gave an honorable mention to Queer Eye, Big Mouth and The Chillling Adventures of Sabrina, but ultimately they did not make the list.

Here are the ten shows that Netflix users binged the most in 2018.

‘Orange Is the New Black’ Season 6

Orange Is the New Black launched its sixth season this year, and fans turned out in full force. Undoubtedly, a lot of this binge-watching can be attributed to new fans jumping on board, or old fans re-watching earlier seasons in preparation.

‘Insatiable’

Netflix’s new series Insatiable was one of the most controversial debuts of the year, but that did not stop it from garnering a massive audience. The show follows a teenage girl who was bullied for being overweight. However, a broken jaw puts her on a liquid diet for a whole summer, and she returns to school newly thin. The show chronicles her exploits in her new body and new social standing.

Despite accusations of body-shaming, Insatiable has been renewed for a second season.

‘Anne with an E’ Season 2

Anne with an E is a collaboration between Netflix and CBC in Canada. The second season debuted back in July, and some fans apparently could not get enough of the dramatic novel adaptation.

‘The Haunting of Hill House’

The horror sensation The Haunting of Hill House managed to claw its way onto this list despite being released towards the end of the year. The show has proven that it transcends the niche of horror, and the boundaries of weekly broadcast as well.

‘Fastest Car’

Fastest Car pits souped-up versions of everyday vehicles against the most coveted sports cars in the world to see what it would take to make them superior. The show held its audiences attention, as the 8-episode first season was watched in quick — fast — succession.

‘Bodyguard’

Netflix distributes Bodyguard for The BBC and ITV Studios Global entertainment. The show seems to have struck a chord with audiences, who binge-watched the short six-episode season a whole lot after its release back in August.

‘Last Chance U: INDY’

Naturally, viewers in the U.S. watched the football documentary Last Chance U: INDY in just a few sittings this year. For its third season, the series turned from a Mississippi Community College to Independence Community College in Kansas. Fans were not thrown by the move, eating up the drama and the competition.

’13 Reasons Why’ Season 2

Despite the dubious reception for the first season, Netflix did quite well with 13 Reasons Why on its second attempt. The show deals with mental health and suicide in teenage characters, and while this has become an issue for many critics and mental health experts, the audiences seem to be enthralled.

‘Making A Murderer’ Part 2

No surprise here. Making A Murderer was one of Netflix’s biggest hits of all time. People dropped everything to watch the docu-series when it first came out, so it should shock absolutely no one that the second part made it nearly to the top of this list. Fans waited for three years for another installment, and by all appearances they were not disappointed.

‘On My Block’

Finally, the most-binged show on Netflix in 2018 was On My Block. The new take on a classic come-of-age style story follows four teenagers through life in an inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood, where high school puts a strain on their lifelong friendship. The first season dropped back in March, and less than a month later it was renewed for a Season 2.