Netflix's Most-Streamed Title is a Tense Crime Thriller Watched 6.5 Billion Minutes

Summary

• On January 1, Fool Me Once, based on the novel by Harlan Coben, debuted on Netflix.
• According to Nielsen data, the series was the most-watched show of January, and Netflix data shows that it was among the top 10 most-watched shows on the service ever.
• Despite this, the series has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers.

The year 2024 began with the release of the British thriller Fool Me Once, based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name and adapted by Danny Brocklehurst of Brassic fame. The series immediately skyrocketed in popularity, topping the top 10 most-watched English-language television series for the week of January 1-7. The following week, however, its popularity began to decline, the top 10 being topped by the documentary series American Nightmare, and many thought that the British thriller would fall into oblivion.

But that didn't happen and Fool Me Once held its position week after week. Now it turns out that it has become one of the most watched shows both on Netflix and and on American television itself.

One of the Most Watched Shows on TV

According to Nielsen, January 2024 was literally a TV month, as the percentage of TV viewing increased by 3.7% compared to December. What's the reason? Apparently, the NFL playoffs, as well as the cold weather, which forced those involved in Nielsen's research to go outside less often. January 13 was the biggest streaming day ever thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins game.

Total views on Netflix skyrocketed, and the January 1 premiere of 'Fool Me Once' came in handy. As a result, according to Nielsen, the series was streamed for an incredible 6.5 billion minutes, making it the most popular show in January not only on Netflix, but on television in general. It was second only to the animated series Bluey on Disney+ with 5.5 billion minutes. Reacher on Prime Video came in third with 4.3 billion minutes streamed.

Across Netflix's entire repertoire, Fool Me Once ranked as the ninth most popular English-language TV series with a total of 90,600,000 views, beating out the first season of Netflix's other flagship series, The Witcher, with 83,000,000 views.

Otherwise, Fool Me Once continues to hold steady on the charts. As mentioned, it spent 7 weeks in the top 10 most watched English language TV series. As for what's on Netflix, as of February 21st, the series continues to hold a strong position worldwide, reaching #16 in the global top 25, and also making the top 10 in Australia, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

A New Harlan Coben Adaptation

The plot follows Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), a recently bereaved woman still mourning the loss of her sister (Natalie Anderson) and husband (Richard Armitage). After she installs a nanny cam, Maya realizes that her own allegedly deceased husband is pretending to be an intruder. Meanwhile, a concurrent story develops regarding her nephew and niece, Abby (Dänya Griver) and Daniel (Daniel Burt), who suspect the mystery is related to their mother's death.

Despite the title, viewers are fooled more than once, as the story is loaded with totally unexpected twists and turns, which are delivered at just the right moment thanks to some excellent pacing.

Unfortunately, in spite of such high ratings, the show has managed to impress few people in reality. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics gave it a 67% rating and viewers an even lower 45%. Many called it sloppy, and also noted how quickly one is overwhelmed by the vast amount of details, the many twists, and the inconsistencies. Also, Coben's novels are known for their realism, and that was an element many felt was lacking.

Otherwise, few denied the incredible contribution of the talented cast, and apparently that was what drew audiences in the first place. After all, no matter how low the show's ratings were, it did not stop it from becoming one of the most popular shows in the history of streaming services.