Netflix's Expensive New Show Booted From No. 1 Spot by New Entry
Neil Gaiman's The Sandman's Netflix dominance has finally faltered. Following a two-week run at the top of the streaming charts, the hit Netflix original series has officially been dethroned, with the recently debuted Michelle Monaghan-starring miniseries Echoes taking the No. 1 spot on the overall streaming chart.
Premiering on Netflix on Friday, Aug. 19, Echoes centers around identical twins Leni and Gina, who have a dangerous secret they have kept from their family – they live a double life. When they were children, they swapped lives, and they now share two homes, two husbands, and a child, but things are thrown for a loop when one of the twins goes missing. Along with Monaghan, the series stars Matt Bomer, Daniel Sunjata, Ali Stroker, Karen Robinson, Rosanny Zayas, Michael O'Neill, Celia Weston, Gable Swanlund and Jonathan Tucker.
The psychological thriller has been taking Netflix by storm, so much so that Echoes broke into the Top 10 just a day after its debut, taking the No. 8 spot among all series on the platform as of Aug. 20. Its success has only grown in the days since, with Echoes officially overthrowing The Sandman, the critically acclaimed series based on Gaiman's comic book of the same name, as the most popular title among both series and films on Netflix U.S. as of Tuesday. The miniseries' success is being reflected globally. While The Sandman still sits at No. 1 worldwide, Echoes takes the No. 2 spot globally among TV series as of the most recent Flixpatrol data report.
The Sandman's dethroning from the top spot comes as a major surprise. The series debuted at No. 1 following its Aug. 5 release, and it has racked up some impressive streaming figures. From Aug. 1 through Aug. 7, The Sandman was streamed for a total of 69.5 million hours. That number nearly doubled in its second week, which revealed that the series was watched for 127.5 million hours within its first full week of availability on Netflix. The series also holds a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it has an 86% critics score and 83% audience score.
Unfortunately for Echoes, its success on the Netflix platform hasn't been reflected in its overall reception. The miniseries currently only holds a 25% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 41% audience score, making the series certified rotten in both ratings. In its review, Decider gave the series a "Skip it" consensus, writing, "Echoes is without question one of the most messy and confusing shows we've seen in awhile, and there really seems to be nothing for a viewer to grab onto that would tempt them to move to the second episode after the first is over." Both Echoes and The Sandman are available for streaming on Netflix.