Netflix's Big Budget New Show Soars to No. 1

The new Netflix original series The Sandman premiered at number 1 on the streamer's Top 10 list, to the delight of fans everywhere. The show premiered on Friday, Aug. 5 and soared instantly to the number 1 spot on the TV shows list. This is a much-needed victory for Netflix, and vindication for fans who have wanted to see this story adapted to the screen for decades.

The Sandman is an adaptation of a comic book series by the same name which was published by DC Comics from 1989 to 1996, and was created by writer Neil Gaiman, artist Mike Dringenberg and artist Sam Keith. It is about the personification of Dream (Tom Sturridge) who goes by many names, but most often Morpheus in the series itself. Set in the 20th century, it starts with a story about Morpheus being imprisoned in the physical world by an ambitious magus and the fallout that impacts "The Dreaming" while he is away.

Gaiman developed the TV adaptation along with David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg. The show has 10 episodes which premiered all at once this weekend, and its stars include Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, Patton Oswalt, Donna Preston, Stephen Fry, Razane Jammal, Sandra James Young, Gwendoline Christie and Mark Hamill. The show has been in development for many years, and at times some have argued that it is simply unfilmable due to its surreal art style and abstract subject matter. So far, most critics seem to agree that it was adapted very well.

At the time of this writing, The Sandman Season 1 has an 85 percent positive score among 59 critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 88 percent positive score among 442 audience user ratings. On social media, long-time fans of the franchise are marveling at how well it has been depicted on screen, while new fans are excitedly diving into this brand new world.

Needless to say, this critical and commercial success is welcome for Netflix, as the streamer has had a bumpy road in 2022. After a poor earnings report in the spring, the company's stock prices plummeted and it announced a handful of new measures to try and maximize its profits beyond acquiring new subscribers. The Sandman stands as proof that simply producing a high-quality product is a great way to go about that.

The Sandman is streaming now on Netflix. There is no official word yet about a second season, though one report by Forbes speculates that the announcement may come soon. In the meantime, The Sandman comics are available in print and digital format, while a radio play adaptation of the series is available on Audible.