Two Popular Netflix Shows Battle for Top Spot on Streaming Charts
Two of Netflix's TV shows are battling it out for the top spot on the latest streaming charts – but which one will take the crown? (Pun!) Manifest has been ruling Netflix all throughout Fall 2022, but now The Crown is back, and it has its eyes on the throne. The latest streaming ratings are in, and they show that The Crown Season 5 came dangerously close to taking the top spot. The Crown Season 5 premiered on Netflix on November 9th, a little under a week after Manifest Season 4 – Part 1 premiered on the streaming service, and quickly shot to the stop.
Manifest's final season has managed to stack massive viewing numbers – big validation for the series after NBC canceled it after Season 3. Manifest Season 4 had its viewership numbers only shot up in week 2, from 1.37B minutes viewed to 2.28B minutes viewed – an increase of 67%. Meanwhile, The Crown Season 5 debuted with 2.13B minutes viewed in its first week – the only series to even come close to taking Manifest's spot. The newest season of Love Is Blind came in at no. 3 with 1.27B minutes of viewing, while Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill's Enola Holmes 2 sequel earned 942M minutes.
Why The Crown Is More Popular Than Ever In Season 5
The Crown Season 5 sees the biopic series of Britain's Royal Family finally arrive in the modern era that most people alive today are familiar with. That would be the story of Princess Dinah, who will now be played in the show by actress Elizabeth Debicki (Tenet), who is taking over the role from Emma Corrin in Season 4.
The Crown Season 5 also features Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter) taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth from Olivia Colman (and Claire Foy before that); Dominic West (The Wire, The Affair) takes over the role of Prince Charles from Josh O'Connor; Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) will take over the role of Prince Phillip from Tobias Menzies (and Matt Smith before that); Lesley Manville (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) takes over Princess Margaret from Helena Bonham Carter (and Vanessa Kirby before that). An additional ensemble of actors has also joined the series playing various historical figures.
Why Manifest Is So Popular
Manifest ran on NBC from 2018 through 2021 on NBC. The show was a mystery-drama-thriller in the vein of LOST, though its viewership ratings decreased with each new season. Manifest started off big in Season 1, averaging over 10 million viewers an episode; Season 2 averaged about 6-7 million, and Season 3 was down to about 5 million. That was too low for prime-time network TV but just fine for Netflix, which rescued the series from an unfinished cliffhanger and committed to giving it a two-part final season. It was another savvy bet for Netflix (see also: You, Arrested Development) as Manifest has soared (another pun) in the binge-watch format.
Here's the synopsis for Manifest, below:
A commercial airliner suddenly reappears after being missing for five years. As those aboard reintegrate into society, they experience guiding voices and visions of events yet to occur, and soon a deeper mystery unfolds.
Source: Deadline