'The Office' Crushes 'Friends' as Most Watched Licensed TV Show on Netflix
The Office
The Office's popularity on Netflix has helped cement the show as a constantly quotable, meme-able show that shows no sign of disappearing from the popualar conversation. The show originally ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013 and will soon be leaving Netflix. The show will leave in 2021, after the current deal with Netflix expires. It will move over to NBCUniversal's own streaming service, Peacock.
prevnextFriends
Netflix's exclusive deal to stream Friends was supposed to end at the start of this year, but Netflix extended the deal just before 2018 ended. Netflix reportedly spent an astonishing $100 million just to keep the show on the service for only one more year. After the deal expires, it will only be available on WarnerMedia's HBO Max.
prevnextGrey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy has also been a popular favorite on Netflix for years. Now in its 17th season, the show is one of the longest-running primetime dramas in history. It has been on so long that multiple generations can now have their favorite different Grey's Anatomy characters, although Ellen Pompeo has been the glue holding it together since day one. Since the show airs on ABC, it's not clear if it will move to Disney+ in the future.
prevnextNCIS
NCIS' popularity on television is mirrored by its success on Netflix. The CBS drama is regularly the most-watched scripted show on network television and is now in its 17th season. The first 15 seasons are avialable on Netflix, but you need CBS All Access to stream the most recent episodes.
prevnextCriminal Minds
The first 12 seasons of Criminal Minds are still available to stream on Netflix. The show follows a special FBI unit as they examine disturbing crimes and the criminals behind them. Criminal Minds' 15th and final season will air early next year on CBS, and will run just 10 episodes.
prevnextShameless
While all seasons of Shameless are available at any time for Showtime subscribers, the series is still incredibly popular on Netflix. Every season of the show is available on the streaming platform, so fans can revisit Fiona's (Emmy Rossum) efforts to keep the Gallagher family together before she left ahead of Season 10. The 10th season debuted on Showtime in November.
prevnextOrange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black is the highest-ranking Netflix show on the list AdWeek publishedin May. Unlike most Netflix originals, OITNB is actually produced by an outside company - Lionsgate Television, in this case. The series ran seven seasons, with the last being released in July. Although the show only runs 91 episodes, Nielsen reported Netflix users spent 18.75 billion minutes watching the show.
prevnextSupernatural
The CW's Supernatrual has been on so long that it outdates the network it airs on! The show, now in its 15th and final season, began in 2005, before the merger of The WB and UPN created the CW. Although the show is ending, Jared Padelecki fans will get to see the actor on The CW's upcoming Walker, Texas Ranger revival.
prevnextParks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation will likely meet the same fate as The Office on Netflix, once Peacock launches. The beloved sitcom ran seven seasons and stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope. Bizarrely, the show's final season, which was set in the "future" is now set in the past! Season 7 was set in 2017, but the writers did get some predictions right.
prevnextOzark
The appearance of the Jason Bteman-starring Ozark on this list is a real shocker since the show has only run two, 10-episode seasons so far. The show stars Bateman as Marty Bryde, a self-employed financial advisor who moves his family from Chicago to the Ozarks. He finds himself in more trouble after a money laundering scheme involving a Mexican drug cartel. Bateman surprisingly won an Emmy for directing the episode "Reparations."
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