Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2020

Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2020(LOS ANGELES) — Bridgerton, the latest series from TV juggernaut Shonda Rhimes, continues her hot streak. Netflix says the show from the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder was seen by 63 million households since its Christmas Day launch — making it the fifth largest original series debut for the streaming service. 

It should be said that Netflix has a unique method for determining its audience — its viewing audience is calculated by analyzing the number of subscribers who have watched at least two minutes of a given show. That being said, Bridgerton, based on Julia Quinn’s beloved book series, hit the #1 spot on the streaming giant’s Top 10 rankings…in 76 countries. 

Bridgerton‘s success contributed to a boom for Netflix in the final month of 2020, and the final week in particular: they were the best-ever recorded for the company in terms of view hours per subscriber.

The Shondaland-produced show is set in London in the 1800s, and centers on Phoebe Dynevor’s character, Daphne Bridgerton, and her arranged marriage to the Duke of Hastings. While she initially agrees to the union to appease her family, she soon finds herself falling for the Duke.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.