One hit 2025 Netflix series that surpassedStranger Thingsin viewership nearly didn’t get made after it was passed on by another major streaming platform.Stranger Thingsseason 4 became Netflix’s most-viewed English-language TV season of all time when it was released back in May 2022, only to be surpassed byWednesdayseason 1in November of that year. According toNetflix,Stranger Thingsseason 4 remains third on its list of most-viewed original English-language TV content on the global streaming charts with 140.7 million views worldwide.Wednesdayseason 1 still tops that list with an astounding 252.1 million views.
2022 was a historic year for Netflix, with three of its top four most-viewed English-language original franchise seasons of all time releasing within a span of six months (Wednesdayseason 1,Stranger Thingsseason 4,Monstersseason 1, originally titledDAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story). Only one show in 2025, or in the last three years for that matter, has entered the Top 5 most-viewed English-language TV seasons pool, andstands alone as the most-viewed limited series on Netflix of all time. The development of this show, however, was far from easy. In fact, it was officially passed on by Amazon after the scripts were already written.
Before Adolescence Became A Netflix Streaming Hit, It Was Passed On By Amazon
Adolescence Was Greenlit By Netflix At An “Emergency Meeting”
According toVulture, “Adolescence almost died in infancy. Days after another streamer rejected them, the creators got an emergency meeting with Netflix – and a green light.” That other streamer was none other than Amazon Prime Video, the home of celebrated series such asReacherandThe Wheel of Time.Adolescence, which consists of just four episodes with a total runtime of 3 hours, 50 minutes, was released by Netflix in March 2025.It has since garnered 142.6 million views worldwide, surpassingStranger Thingsseason 4and falling second only toWednesdayseason 1 in terms of viewership for English-language series.
Adolescence, created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, made for remarkable television on several levels. The technical aspects of production were impressive alone, consisting of four roughly hour-long episodes that were all captured in a single take without any editing whatsoever. For this reason, the emotional performances, which would have been ruined had one line been forgotten and one camera angle not been achieved, were even more remarkable than they already naturally were.Newcomer Owen Cooper made a professional acting debut for the ages with his chilling portrayal of Jamie, a young, troubled student accused of killing his classmate.
What Adolescence’s Streaming Success Means For Miniseries Of Its Kind
Netflix Set A Fantastic Exmaple For Studios & Streamers To Take More Creative Risks
While Amazon may be kicking itself for passing onAdolescence,Netflix should be applauded for taking a risk that paid off massivelyand ultimately became one of its most unlikely success stories. In a modern Hollywood landscape where most studios tend to play it safe in terms of content, Netflix is proving that it is still focused on giving platforms to original voices in film and television.
In a modern Hollywood landscape where most studios tend to play it safe in terms of content, Netflix is proving that it is still focused on giving platforms to original voices in film and television.
Adolescenceis thought-provoking, disturbing, and taps into a societal nerve many would consider to be taboo. Knowing thatAdolescencewas on life support and Netflix gave it life casts a fantastic outlook for the giant streaming platform moving forward.
