New Netflix Documentary Goes Viral Around the World With 14 Million Views in Seven Days
The streaming landscape saw a major shift recently as the revealing docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model stomped its way to the top of the charts. During the week of February 16 to 22, the three-part investigation into the legacy of the famous runway competition pulled in a staggering 14.2 million views.
This massive debut secured its position as the most-watched program on the platform for the seven-day period. The series offers a raw and often unsettling examination of the 2000s television phenomenon, dissecting the controversies that have bubbled beneath the surface for decades.
It brings back a wide range of familiar faces, featuring new conversations with past winners, high-profile judges, and various contestants who shared the catwalk. Perhaps most notably, the production includes the participation of the show’s original mastermind and host, Tyra Banks, providing her own reflections on the cultural impact and criticisms of the brand.
While the modeling exposé dominated the headlines, other major franchises continued to pull in significant numbers for the streamer. The third season of the high-stakes thriller The Night Agent made a strong entry with 8.4 million views during its opening week.
Meanwhile, the fourth season of the Regency-era romance Bridgerton proved its enduring popularity by capturing 6.3 million views, despite being in its fourth week of release. International content also showed remarkable strength on the global leaderboard during this late February window.
The South Korean mystery drama The Art of Sarah continued to captivate audiences, reaching 10 million views in its second week of availability. European titles like the German spy series Unfamiliar and the Polish epic Lead Children followed closely behind, proving that subtitles are no barrier to achieving millions of streams.
On the film side of the platform, Tyler Perry’s latest comedy Joe’s College Road Trip maintained its lead with 10.4 million views in its second week. A resurgence of interest in Ridley Scott’s science fiction catalog saw the 2012 film Prometheus climb to the second spot with 6.6 million views.
Additionally, the animated sensation KPop Demon Hunters showed incredible longevity, marking its 36th week on the charts with another 6 million views. The massive success of Reality Check comes as Tyra Banks has been experiencing a significant professional revival. Aside from addressing the past in this docuseries, Banks has recently been focused on her global ice cream brand, SMiZE & DREAM,
With Reality Check sparking intense conversations on social media about the ethics of early reality television, it seems likely that more “deep-dive” retrospectives are on the horizon. The streamer has already teased an upcoming project centered on the rise and fall of mid-2000s teen tabloids, expected to feature several former Disney Channel stars.
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