Marvel’s The Defenders was the most eagerly binged show on UK Netflix, according to a ranking released by the notorious secretive company.
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, a highly-anticipated four-part revival of the early 2000s comedy drama, came in second in the list of 20 Netflix Originals which had the highest number of viewers who polished off the entire series within 24 hours of release.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
One figure the company did share reveals the extent to which “binge racing” has become normalised. A “staggering” 8.4 million Netflix viewers have consumed an entire series within 24 hours, The Independent reports.
So what else is on the list? The UK’s favourites overlap significantly with the US, with viewers on both sides of the Atlantic gripped by critically acclaimed originals like Stranger Things, Santa Clarita Diet and The Seven Deadly Sins.
However, a few cultural differences are evident in the lists. While Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Trailer Park Boys and Bojack Horseman were instant hits with British and American viewers alike, other comedies - such as Aziz Ansari’s Master of None - seemed to appeal mostly to a US audience.
Most notably, Fuller House, a revival of 1987-1995 sitcom Full House, was the second-most eagerly binged show on US Netflix. However, the show - best known for launching the Olsen twins’ careers as child stars - never developed a following in the UK, and the reboot does not make the UK Netflix top 20.
Gritty London-set crime drama Luther comes in at number six on the UK list, but does not appear at all on the US favourites, despite having developed an American fanbase thanks to the transatlantic appeal of star Idris Elba. Charlie Brooker’s dark sci-fi anthology Black Mirror met a similar fate.
Here are the Netflix Originals that UK viewers devoured fastest:
1. Marvel’s The Defenders
2. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
3. The Seven Deadly Sins
4. Santa Clarita Diet
5. Orange is the New Black
6. Luther
7. F is for Family
8. Trailer Park Boys
9. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
10. The Ranch
11. Atypical
12. Stranger Things
13. Love
14. BoJack Horseman
15. Black Mirror
16. Wet Hot American Summer
17. House of Cards
18. GLOW
19. Grace and Frankie
20. Marvel’s Daredevil
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
'The Office' spinoff, a 'Mare of Easttown' follow-up and the Guinness family royalty in September TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include 'The Paper,' 'Task' and 'House of Guinness'
-
The best limited series of all timethe week recommends Trading cliffhangers and endless renewals for narrative closure
-
The return of 'Wednesday,' an 'Alien' prequel and a dramatic retelling of the Amanda Knox trial all happening in August TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include 'Alien: Earth,' 'The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox' and a new season of 'Wednesday'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all timeThe Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July moviesthe week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
An American girl takes on London, 'Bosch' gets another spinoff and Washington Black leaps from page to screen in July TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include 'Too Much,' 'Ballard' and 'Washington Black'
-
Netflix and the second screen phenomenonIn The Spotlight Programme makers claim they're being asked to cater for distracted viewers
-
Sirens: entertaining satire on the lives of the ultra-wealthy stars Julianne MooreThe Week Recommends This 'blackly comic affair' unfurls at a 'breakneck speed'
