Netflix Series Hits No. 1 on Charts Despite Controversy

Netflix's historical drama The Crown may have faced its share of controversies since its debut in 2016, but that hasn't prevented the series from becoming one of the streamer's most popular titles — not just in the United Kingdom and the United States, but across the globe. Following the Wednesday, Nov. 9 debut of The Crown Season 5, the Peter Morgan-created series, which documents the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, jumped straight to the top of the streaming charts, pulling in some stunning viewership numbers.

The hit Netflix original series documents a decade of Her Majesty's reign each season, and after documenting the '80s in Season 4, Season 5 jumped to the '90s, a decade that was a notably controversial and very tumultuous time for the British royal family. Season 5 saw everything from the Queen's self-proclaimed "annus horribilis" in 1992, the year during which three of her four children separated from or divorced their partners and was marked by Prince Charles' and Princess Diana's divorce, to the Windsor Castle fire to "Tampongate." Due to the nature of the series, Season 5 also introduced a fresh cast, with Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce playing Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, respectively. Dominic West plays Prince Charles while Elizabeth Debicki stars as Princess Diana. Lesley Manville plays Princess Margaret and Olivia Williams stars as Camilla Parker Bowles.

Season 5 proved to be an instant hit, with The Crown debuting on the streaming charts in the U.S. Just a day after its debut, the series ranked as the No. 2 most popular series on the streamer in the region, and it has since risen to claim the No. 1 spot, beating out Ancient Apocalypse, Love is Blind, Manifest, and Warrior Nun, which make up the Top 5. The Crown has also secured a No. 1 spot worldwide, according to the most recent data published by Flix Patrol. The most recent season helped push The Crown back into the No. 1 spot in countries across the globe, including Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, India, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

That No. 1 spot ranking has pulled some pretty impressive numbers, too. For the week of Nov. 7 through Nov. 13, The Crown ranked No. 1 on the streamer's global Top 10 for English TV series. It drew in a total of 107.93 million viewers during this period as compared to 74.78 million viewers during that same period for the No. 2 title, Manifest. Viewership data for the week of Nov. 14 through Nov. 20, which will mark Season 5's first full week of streaming, has not yet been released.

The Crown, of course, isn't without controversy. Throughout its five-season run, the series has often faced criticism for its inaccuracies and fabrication of the truth. There have even been calls for Netflix to add a warning alerting viewers to the series being fictionalized, though the streamer hasn't heeded those calls. All five seasons of The Crown are streaming on Netflix. The series has been renewed for a sixth and final season.