Tech Security Update

• Holiday movies continued to be popular on Netflix this week, such as "The Christmas Chronicles 2."
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular movies on Netflix every Friday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Holiday movies continued to be popular on Netflix this week, including "The Christmas Chronicles 2" and two "Grinch" movies. 

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which movies have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. On Reelgood, users can browse Netflix's entire movie library and sort by IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

The new Ron Howard-directed movie "Hillbilly Elegy," based on the bestselling memoir of the same name, also made the list.

Below are Netflix's 9 most popular movies of the week in the US:

9. "The Christmas Chronicles 2" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Unhappy over her mom's new relationship, a now-teenage Kate runs away and lands at the North Pole, where a naughty elf is plotting to cancel Christmas."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 70%

What critics said: "An unremarkable if far from unpleasant sequel arriving just in time to brighten your locked-down holiday festivities." — Los Angeles Times

 

8. "If Anything Happens I Love You" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Grieving parents journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child in the aftermath of a tragic school shooting."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: "If Anything Happens I Love You is a stunner, a true heartbreaker." — Decider

7. "Hillbilly Elegy" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown, where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 25%

What critics said: "The best thing I can say about this movie is also the most damning, given Mamaw's proud indifference to anyone's good opinion of her. It's respectable." — New York Times

6. "Hard Kill" (2020)

Description: "When a billionaire hires a team of mercenaries for protection, they soon realize world-changing technology and his daughter's life are also at stake."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 0%

What critics said: "The production notes inform us that the unimaginatively titled Hard Kill was filmed in a mere ten days, making you wonder how they spent eight of them." — Hollywood Reporter

5. "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Decades after his trusted apprentice betrayed him, a once-joyful toymaker finds new hope when his kind and curious granddaughter comes into his life."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 92%

What critics said: "A sprawling musical extravaganza whose candy-colored, dandily overstuffed revelry spills over with joy and jubilance and every other happy J-word." — Entertainment Weekly

4. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)

Description: "The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas — but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 49%

What critics said: "Director Ron Howard usually lets his comedies gestate organically, but his Grinch is frantic from start to finish." — Time Magazine

3. "The Princess Switch: Switched Again" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "When Margaret's Christmas coronation complicates her love life, her double Stacy steps in to save the day. But will a third look-alike ruin their plan?"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 67%

What critics said: "Though inevitably the formula wears a little thinner in spots this time, it's a frothy fantasy that should satisfy viewers' itch for confectionary-looking Christmas fluff." — Variety

2. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" (2013)

Description: "Inventor Flint Lockwood battles mutant food beasts created by his notorious machine, including shrimpanzees, tacodiles and jellyfish sandwiches."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 70%

What critics said: "Here is another happy, psychedelic digimation for kids, its two-dimensional characters delirium'd into 3D." — Financial Times

1. "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" (2018)

Description: "A grump with a mean streak plots to bring Christmas to a halt in the cheerful town of Whoville. But a generous little girl could change his heart."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 60%

What critics said: "'The Grinch' is a respectable, if safe, retelling of Dr. Seuss' holiday classic." — Detroit News

• "The Crown" season four peaked at 83 times more "in demand" than the average series in the US, according to Parrot Analytics.
• The first three seasons were never more than 50 times more in demand than the average series.
• The series has surged in popularity, likely thanks in large part to the introduction of Diana, Princess of Wales.
• "As the series approaches contemporary times, the demand for season four could bode well for future seasons as more viewers have personal memories of the events depicted," Parrot Analytics said.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix's "The Crown" has surged in popularity in its fourth season.

New data from Parrot Analytics shows that the new season, which debuted November 15, is far ahead of its predecessors in "audience demand." The research company measures "demand expressions," which account for the engagement, desire, and viewership of a series weighted by importance.

Demand for "The Crown" season four peaked at 83 times that of the average TV series in the US. The first three seasons never reached 50. The chart below illustrates the huge difference between season four and the rest of the series.

Parrot Analytics said that demand for "The Crown" in the week after season four's release was 85% higher than the same time period after season three, "incredible year-on-year growth for an already very popular series."

Netflix has canceled many original titles after three or fewer seasons. But "The Crown" is already set for two more seasons (up to season 6), as was the original plan for the show.

The biggest factor aiding this season of "The Crown" is likely the introduction of the late Diana, Princess of Wales (played by Emma Corrin). She captured headlines throughout the 1980s and 1990s and her story will continue in the next season, when she'll be played by Elizabeth Debicki.

"As the series approaches contemporary times, the demand for season four could bode well for future seasons as more viewers have personal memories of the events depicted," Parrot Analytics said.

Season four is also the show's most critically acclaimed, with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes critic score. 

"'The Crown' observes that the royals' failures can more often than not be self-inflicted — and in doing so, the show produces its most thrilling and biting season yet," Shirley Li wrote for The Atlantic.

• Netflix announced on Monday that "The Queen's Gambit" is its biggest limited series yet.
• The series was watched by 62 million households in its first 28 days, Netflix said.
• It debuted on Nielsen's latest list of top streaming titles at No. 10 with 551 million minutes watched over its premiere weekend.
• It's a hit with critics, too, and has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic score.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix announced on Monday that "The Queen's Gambit" is its biggest limited series yet.

The show, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, was watched by 62 million households in its first 28 days of release, Netflix said. The streaming giant said that the show cracked its daily top 10 lists of popular titles in 92 counties and ranked No. 1 in 63 countries.

"The Queen's Gambit" spent weeks at the top of Netflix's top 10 in the US after debuting in late October and was the No. 3 title on Monday. Netflix counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a movie or TV show.

For comparison, Netflix said last year that "Stranger Things" season three was watched by 64 million households.

"The Queen's Gambit" also cracked Nielsen's most recent list of top streaming titles at No. 10, which accounted for its debut weekend. Nielsen measures total minutes watched and said viewers watched 551 million minutes of the series over that weekend.

It's been a critical favorite, too, and has a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

"Anchored by a magnetic lead performance and bolstered by world-class acting, marvelous visual language, a teleplay that's never less than gripping, and an admirable willingness to embrace contradiction and ambiguity, it's one of the year's best series," Allison Shoemaker wrote for RogerEbert.com.

• Netflix announced on Monday that "The Queen's Gambit" is its biggest limited series yet.
• The series was watched by 62 million households in its first 28 days, Netflix said.
• It debuted on Nielsen's latest list of top streaming titles at No. 10 with 551 million minutes watched over its premiere weekend.
• It's a hit with critics, too, and has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic score.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix announced on Monday that "The Queen's Gambit" is its biggest limited series yet.

The show, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, was watched by 62 million households in its first 28 days of release, Netflix said. The streaming giant said that the show cracked its daily top 10 lists of popular titles in 92 counties and ranked No. 1 in 63 countries.

"The Queen's Gambit" spent weeks at the top of Netflix's top 10 in the US after debuting in late October and was the No. 3 title on Monday. Netflix counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a movie or TV show.

For comparison, Netflix said last year that "Stranger Things" season three was watched by 64 million households.

"The Queen's Gambit" also cracked Nielsen's most recent list of top streaming titles at No. 10, which accounted for its debut weekend. Nielsen measures total minutes watched and said viewers watched 551 million minutes of the series over that weekend.

It's been a critical favorite, too, and has a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

"Anchored by a magnetic lead performance and bolstered by world-class acting, marvelous visual language, a teleplay that's never less than gripping, and an admirable willingness to embrace contradiction and ambiguity, it's one of the year's best series," Allison Shoemaker wrote for RogerEbert.com.

• "The Crown" returned this week, but couldn't topple "The Queen's Gambit."
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular TV shows on Netflix.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In a match between the Queen and "The Queen's Gambit," the latter came out on top.

"The Crown" returned on Sunday with its fourth season, but it couldn't dethrone "The Queen's Gambit," which has been Netflix's most popular series for a month.

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week.

9. "Chappelle's Show" (Comedy Central, 2003-2006)

Description: "The brilliant Dave Chappelle performs blistering stand-up, impressions and sketches that skewer topics like racism, politics, celebrities and sex."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 96%

What critics said: "Part of [Dave] Chappelle's charm is that he makes all this dangerous material look effortless." — Slate (season three)

8. "The Great British Baking Show" (Netflix original, 2010-present)

Description: "A talented batch of amateur bakers face off in a 10-week competition, whipping up their best dishes in the hopes of being named the U.K.'s best."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 90%

What critics said: "There is a greater joy to be found in an emotional landscape where the greatest disappointment is some unrisen dough, the purest thrill some beautifully neat piping. Yes, it's the same old Bake Off — but it's a slightly different world." — New Statesmen (season 11)

7. "The Boss Baby: Back in Business" (Netflix original, 2018-present)

Description: "The Boss Baby brings his big brother Tim to the office to teach him the art of business in this animated series sprung from the hit film."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

6. "Dash and Lily" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Opposites attract at Christmas as cynical Dash and sunny Lily trade messages and dares in a red notebook they pass back and forth around New York City."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "These eight episodes, each around 25 minutes, never drag; they fly by with tinsel fluttering behind them." — NPR (season one)

5. "Trial 4" (Netflix original, 2020)

Description: "Charged as a teen in the 1993 killing of a Boston cop, Sean K. Ellis fights to prove his innocence while exposing police corruption and systemic racism."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "With policing under the microscope, Trial 4 possesses a greater sense of timeliness and considerable weight. Eight hours, however, is a lot of time to keep rehashing the specifics of Ellis' story." — CNN

4. "Cocomelon" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Learn letters, numbers, animal sounds and more with J.J. in this musical series that brings fun times with nursery rhymes for the whole family!"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

3. "American Horror Story" (FX, 2011-present)

Description: "This twisted Emmy-winning drama plays upon the power of supernatural fears and everyday horrors, exploring humankind's unsettling capacity for evil."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 76%

What critics said: "American Horror Story: 1984 still managed to throw a few surprises in." — Inverse (season nine)

2. "The Crown" (Netflix original, 2016-present)

Description: "This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 90%

What critics said: "The Crown observes that the royals' failures can more often than not be self-inflicted — and in doing so, the show produces its most thrilling and biting season yet." — The Atlantic (season four)

1. "The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix original, 2020)

Description: "In a 1950s orphanage, a young girl reveals an astonishing talent for chess and begins an unlikely journey to stardom while grappling with addiction."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "Anchored by a magnetic lead performance and bolstered by world-class acting, marvelous visual language, a teleplay that's never less than gripping, and an admirable willingness to embrace contradiction and ambiguity, it's one of the year's best series." — RogerEbert.com

• Christmas movies like "Jingle Jangle" were popular on Netflix this week. 
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular movies on Netflix every Friday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix users aren't waiting until next month to get into the Christmas spirit. Several Christmas-themed movies were popular on Netflix this week, from its new original "Jingle Jangle" to two "Grinch" movies.

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which movies have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. On Reelgood, users can browse Netflix's entire movie library and sort by IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Below are Netflix's 9 most popular movies of the week in the US:

9. "Holidate" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 46%

What critics said: "Like so much of Netflix's quantity over quality output, Holidate is broad, unsubtle, and seemingly designed to be half-watched, phone in hand. Yet within that framework, it finds a unique comedic spark that keeps it zipping along." — AV Club

8. "The Life Ahead" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "A Holocaust survivor running a daycare business forms an unlikely friendship with a bitter street kid when she takes him in after he robs her."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 94%

What critics said: "This picture earns its tear-jerking without becoming treacly. OK, without becoming too treacly. And it has other charming, enlightened components." — New York Times

7. "Hometown Holiday" (2018)

Description: "An ambitious entertainment lawyer tries to sign a singing sensation in his sister's small town, but a local soon captures his attention — and heart."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

6. "Mile 22" (2018)

Description: "An officer in a top-secret CIA unit leads his team in escorting a prized intelligence asset to safety, with enemy forces hot on their trail."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 23%

What critics said: "For a movie so excited to tell a story about the CIA's most highly-prized and least understood unit, it sure doesn't do much to ensure you leave any more informed than you were when you sat down." —Associated Press

5. "The Impossible" (2012)

Description: "Tracking one family's harrowing experiences, this gripping drama depicts the chaos generated by the massive 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

What critics said: "Although it's ostensibly based on true events, The Impossible is not so much an inspiring tale of survival as it is an action flick." — Vulture

4. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)

Description: "The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas — but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 49%

What critics said: "Director Ron Howard aims for the beautifully stylized mayhem of Frank Tashlin and Tim Burton, but he comes closer to the clamorous, headache-inducing visual overkill of Joel Schumacher's Batman movies." — AV Club

3. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" (2013)

Description: "Inventor Flint Lockwood battles mutant food beasts created by his notorious machine, including shrimpanzees, tacodiles and jellyfish sandwiches."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 70%

What critics said: "Obligation rivals inspiration in this passable sequel to 2009's zappy, gastro-themed digimation." — Guardian

 

2. "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" (2018)

Description: "A grump with a mean streak plots to bring Christmas to a halt in the cheerful town of Whoville. But a generous little girl could change his heart."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 60%

What critics said: "You're a Mediocre One, Mr. Grinch. Those expecting Cumberbatch to add a little Dr. Strange to his take on Dr. Seuss will be sorely disappointed as this animated take on the Grinch buries its kid audience under a blanket of bland." — Rolling Stone

1. "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Decades after his trusted apprentice betrayed him, a once-joyful toymaker finds new hope when his kind and curious granddaughter comes into his life."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 95%

What critics said: "It's the filmic equivalent of the high that comes from eating way too many candy canes and drinking way too much hot chocolate." — Slate

• When the first season of CBS' "Evil" arrived on Netflix last month a year after it first aired, it made it onto the streaming giant's daily top 10 lists of popular titles.
• The show's creators, Robert and Michelle King, said the show's "genre hook," or its spin on the traditional procedural TV series, may have attracted Netflix users.
• The duo is filming season two now after being delayed by the pandemic and told Business Insider their original plan for the first episode.
• They think the changes they've had to make will result in a better, more character-focused season.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A year after the first season of CBS' "Evil" debuted, it found a new audience on Netflix.

The series, from the "Good Wife" and "The Good Fight" creators Robert and Michelle King, appeared on the streaming giant's daily top 10 lists of popular titles after it started streaming October 1.

It stars Katja Herbers as Kristen Bouchard, a forensic psychologist, who is recruited by priest-in-training David Acosta, played by Mike Colter, to investigate supposed demonic possessions.

The "Netflix bump" in viewership that "Evil" got is not a new phenomenon.

Netflix has helped boost engagement for many TV shows that didn't originate on the service but have otherwise benefited from it, from AMC's "Breaking Bad" to this year's Emmys champion, Pop TV's "Schitt's Creek." In both cases, the creators have credited Netflix for introducing the shows to a wider audience.

Some TV critics also seem to have discovered the show from Netflix, only recently reviewing it. (It has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.)

In a review for The Verge, Joshua Rivera wrote last month: "It arrived after what had felt for me like a listless few months; very little pop culture could hold my attention. And then out of nowhere I was transfixed."

So was I. I was among the viewers who discovered "Evil" late and binge-watched it on Netflix, and immediately set up a call with the Kings as they film season two.

The duo is aware of the show's "Netflix bump," but praised CBS for striking the deal in the first place. They renewed their CBS Studios deal in 2018 for three more years, with "Evil" one of the new titles from their extension.

"CBS was clever in how to amplify the show," Michelle said. It's also currently streaming on CBS All Access, which is being rebranded as Paramount Plus next year.

Robert noted that "Evil" is broader than their other shows like "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight," which he said cater to a more niche audience. "Evil" at its core is a network procedural, but he said they wanted to infuse that traditional idea with a "genre hook" that interested them; in this case, the theme of science versus religion.

"I think the Netflix audience found it because of that genre hook," he said.

But for those who recently discovered the series and are wondering where season two is, they'll have to wait a bit longer.

Season 2 plans dramatically changed

As with most television and movie productions this year, "Evil" was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. But season two is now underway. The Kings said that the first episode is in the can and filming on episode two has started.

The pandemic has limited the production, which shoots in New York City. But the Kings think it will result in a better, more character-focused season.

They even changed their entire plan for the first episode, which they said was originally about a "haunted" subway platform where people kept falling in front of trains and dying. But filming that in New York — where extras would be limited amid social-distancing protocols — would have been difficult, and they didn't want to rely on CGI.

"That was our attitude throughout writing the season and I think it improved," Robert said. "Now it relies on [intimate] shocks instead of spectacle. Features and VFX heavy shows can do spectacle, but there's a big lack of reality when there's so much CGI."

Instead, the first episode of season two — which the Kings said picks up a minute after the first season's major cliffhanger — finds the antagonist Leland Townsend, played by Michael Emerson, seeking an exorcism because he says he sold his soul to the Devil. The drama lies in whether he's being genuine, they said.

"You can't tell," Robert said. "Is he telling the truth or being manipulative?"

"And then you have to ask yourself whether it even matters," Michelle added.

That kind of uncertainty between what's true and what's false reflects one of the Kings' main influences for season two. While "Evil" isn't as political as "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight," Robert said that season two was "most influenced by the decline in respect for the truth."

"That's not connected to any one news story and not just purely about this election," he said. "People just seemingly want to create their own [information] bubbles."

Before we got off the phone, I told the Kings that I found the series oddly comforting, in that it's about seemingly good people looking for and even finding answers in some cases to the chaos around them.

"We tend to be optimistic people and it would be lovely if more people thought about the show in that way," Robert responded.

"Evil" season two is expected to air in 2021 on CBS. The first season is streaming on CBS All Access and Netflix.

• Every week, Parrot Analytics provides Business Insider with a list of the nine most in-demand original TV shows on streaming services in the US.
• Netflix's "The Crown" is back in the ranking after its fourth season premiered.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix's "The Crown" debuted its fourth season on Sunday and has quickly surged in popularity. But no series comes close to Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian," which is way ahead of the pack in audience demand this week.

Every week, Parrot Analytics provides Business Insider with a list of the nine most in-demand TV shows on streaming services in the US.

The data is based on "demand expressions," Parrot Analytics' globally standardized TV-demand measurement unit. Audience demand reflects the desire, engagement, and viewership weighted by importance. The list is ranked by how much more in demand the top series are than the average TV show in the US.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" also saw big gains this week, likely because "The Mandalorian" has started to introduce characters from the series.

9. "The Boys" (Amazon Prime Video)

Times more in demand than average show: 29.9

Description: "In a more intense, more desperate Season 2 of THE BOYS, Butcher, Hughie and the team reel from their losses in Season 1. On the run from the law, they struggle to fight back against the Superheroes. As Vought, the company that manages the heroes, cashes in on the panic over the threat of Supervillains, and a new hero, Stormfront, shakes up the company and challenges an already unstable Homelander."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 97%

What critics said: "The Boys Season 2 continues its excellent form of balancing its comedy, over-the-top violence, and character development into a cohesive force of awesomeness." — IGN (season 2)

Season 2 premiered on September 4 on Prime Video. See more insights for "The Boys."

8. "Cobra Kai" (Netflix)

Times more in demand than average show: 31.2

Description: "Decades after the tournament that changed their lives, the rivalry between Johnny and Daniel reignites in this sequel to the 'Karate Kid' films."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 89%

What critics said: "Having stripped off most of the set-up shackles of the first season, things get lean, mean, and more focused in the 10-episode second season." — Deadline (season 2)

Season 3 premieres on January 8 on Netflix. See more insights for "Cobra Kai."

7. "The Umbrella Academy" (Netflix)

Times more in demand than average show: 31.6

Description: "Reunited by their father's death, estranged siblings with extraordinary powers uncover shocking family secrets — and a looming threat to humanity."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 90%

What critics said: "Netflix reassembles the squabbling super-siblings of The Umbrella Academy for a second season ... but it's all just noise." — Now Toronto (season 2)

Season 2 premiered July 31 on Netflix. See more insights for "The Umbrella Academy."

6. "Titans" (HBO Max)

Times more in demand than average show: 35.2

Description: "'Titans' follows young heroes from across the DC Universe as they come of age and find belonging in a gritty take on the classic Teen Titans franchise. Dick Grayson and Rachel Roth, a special young girl possessed by a strange darkness, get embroiled in a conspiracy that could bring Hell on Earth. Joining them along the way are the hot-headed Starfire and lovable Beast Boy. Together they become a surrogate family and team of heroes."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 81%

What critics said: "Despite leaning a little too hard on 'gritty' at times, Titans remains a solid show with much to recommend it. It is solidly-acted, beautifully-shot, and even the bits that miss — Iain Glen's Bruce Wayne — are not far off the mark."  — Starburst (Season 2)

Season 2 premiered on DC Universe in September, 2019. See more insights for "Titans."

5. "Star Trek: Discovery" (CBS All Access)

Times more in demand than average show: 35.7

Description: "After making the jump in the second season finale, season three of "Star Trek: Discovery" finds the U.S.S. Discovery crew dropping out of the wormhole and into an unknown future far from the home they once knew. Now living in a time filled with uncertainty, the U.S.S. Discovery crew, along with the help of some new friends, must together fight to regain a hopeful future."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 3): 93%

What critics said: "The expansive visuals of the first episode begin to retreat into more familiar territory, but the emotions end up riding even higher, especially by the end of Episode 4." — Indiewire (season 3)

Season 3 premiered October 15 on CBS All Access. See more insights for "Star Trek: Discovery."

4. "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (Disney Plus)

Times more in demand than average show: 39.0

Description: "From Dave Filoni, director and executive producer of 'The Mandalorian,' the new 'Clone Wars' episodes will continue the storylines introduced in the original series, exploring the events leading up to 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.'"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 7): 100%

What critics said: "This season will also serve as a gauge to see whether audiences want more of the STAR WARS saga told in animated form. If it comes even close to the quality of The Clone Wars, the answer will undoubtedly be yes." — JoBlo's Movie Network (season 7)

Season 7 premiered on February 21 on Disney Plus. See more insights for "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

3. "The Crown" (Netflix)

Times more in demand than average show: 44.6

Description: "This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 4): 96%

What critics said: "10 episodes of television that may not be uniformly among the show's finest, but which are somehow its most authentic." — RogerEbert.com (season 4)

Season four premiered on November 15 on Netflix. See more insights for "The Crown."

2. "Stranger Things" (Netflix)

Times more in demand than average show: 48.6

Description: "When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 3): 89%

What critics said: "The problem with aggressively reminding your audience of the classics time and again is that you'll eventually get to a point when they'd rather watch those movies instead, and skip the show that can't stop toothlessly imitating them." — Thrillist (Season 3)

Season 3 premiered July 4, 2019 on Netflix. See more insights for "Stranger Things."

1. "The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus)

Times more in demand than average show: 99.5

Description: "After the fall of the Empire, a lone gunfighter makes his way through the lawless galaxy."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 91%

What critics said: "The series needs to be wary of alienating the casual Star Wars viewer. For now, though, it's all enjoyable bluster ..." — Independent (Season 2)

Season 2 premiered on Disney Plus on October 30. See more insights for "The Mandalorian."

• Quibi, the ambitious short-form streaming service that launched in April, announced in October it would shut down.
• Cody Heller, the creator of the Quibi series "Dummy," told Business Insider that she "wouldn't trade" the experience of making the show despite Quibi's collapse.
• She said that Quibi hasn't communicated what could happen to the show, but she hopes "Dummy" will eventually land at another streamer, either as it is or edited together as a movie.
• Heller said she was disappointed to see many people, especially those in the TV industry, mocking Quibi without giving it a real chance.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Four years ago, television writer and producer Cody Heller began writing a series about a woman who talks to a sex doll.

"Dummy" briefly found a home in 2017 at TBS, which Heller told Business Insider was planning to launch a one-hour block of 15-minute programming. The series was written to adjust to the short-form template, but the block never materialized. Heller moved on as an executive producer on the Showtime series, "Kidding."

"I was bummed but I had a job," Heller said.

A year later, Heller got a call from a former TBS executive who had left the network for a streaming startup called Quibi, founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, the former Walt Disney Studios chair and cofounder of Dreamworks Animation. Heller said that the former TBS exec had given Katzenberg her scripts.

"He got that it was f---ing weird and embraced that," she said of Katzenberg.

Quibi launched in April after raising $1.75 billion and attracting big-name talent, including the actress Anna Kendrick, who starred in "Dummy." The service strived to stand out in a crowded streaming field by focusing on short-form programming, with 10-minutes-or-less episodes watched on mobile devices. It helped that Heller's series was already tailored for short-form storytelling.

But the service never took off. As people stayed home to practice social-distancing guidelines, other streaming services benefited, but Quibi floundered and struggled to sign up subscribers. By October, six months after launching, Quibi announced it would shut down.

In a letter, Quibi's founders said its failure was "likely for one of two reasons: because the idea itself wasn't strong enough to justify a standalone streaming service or because of our timing."

But Heller said she doesn't regret making her show with Quibi.

"No other network would have let me make this show [the way I wanted to make it]," she said.

'Dummy's' future is unclear

Heller is still unsure about her show's future. She said Quibi hasn't communicated to her what will happen with its content. Some production partners are already shopping shows to other buyers, such as "Most Dangerous Game," but she said those conversations haven't happened yet for "Dummy." 

She hopes the series will find a new streaming home eventually, either as it is or edited together as a movie (Quibi, after all, described some of its shows as "movies in chapters").

"I'm eager to get it back out there now that Quibi's done," she said. "We haven't gotten into any real conversations about what's next, but it's a priority at some point to get it out there as is or as a movie, or use it as a jumping off point to make more seasons. We're open to everything."

Despite Quibi's downfall, Heller said she "wouldn't trade" the experience.

"We shot the whole thing in 18 days and it was the best 18 days of my life," she said. 

Business Insider reported in June that Quibi execs would give extensive notes on many shows. Katzenberg himself "gave copious input," according to The Wall Street Journal. But Heller said she didn't experience much intrusion into her creative process.

Perhaps the biggest change she had to make was rewriting 15-minute episodes into 10-minute episodes, she said.

Heller feels some critics never gave Quibi a chance

The possibility that Quibi would shut down wasn't foremost in Heller's mind when making the show.

She said that's somewhat due to the timing: the series was filmed in the spring of 2019 and Quibi didn't launch until a year later. She also noted that she cocreated one of Hulu's earliest original shows, "Deadbeat." She had experience in explaining to people why she was putting her trust in a new streaming endeavor.

"I wasn't even thinking about whether Quibi would work, I was just grateful to make the show I wanted to make," she said. "I wasn't thinking about the end result. I was just having the best time ever making this show."

Before and after Quibi's launch, Heller said that she noticed a lot of negativity toward the service online from people who she felt never gave it a chance — even those within the television industry, which she never fully understood.

"I felt there was a lot of cynicism and hatred toward it," she said. "I didn't get why people wanted others to fail so badly. Quibi allowed me to stretch my wings and make a show about a sex doll that talks. It was really weird to see other TV writers sh---ing all over it. It was a strange sensation where I was defensive but didn't want to appear bitter."

She eventually decided it was a waste of time to try and change people's minds, though, and she needed to let it go.

"People just wanted it to fail," Heller said. "That's internet culture. It's made everyone crueler."

She continues to look on the bright side. She said "Dummy" was one of Quibi's top performing shows (though didn't specify any particular numbers). She formed a lasting friendship with Kendrick, who is one of the few people Heller has seen during the pandemic. She said that someone recognized them one day and told them that they loved "Dummy."

"Even if the show didn't reach the audience I was hoping it would, it brought those who watched it joy," Heller said.

• Read more about Quibi

• Quibi poached top talent from Netflix, Snap, and Hulu. Meet 9 leaders and content execs who are now free agents as the startup winds down.
• The 199 days that doomed Quibi: How $1.75 billion couldn't save the most hyped app of the year from a pandemic and apathetic users
• An investor who backed Quibi explains why he bet on its leaders and wishes they tried to 'fight more'
• Quibi's content failed to hook viewers and convince them to pay. Insiders said Jeffrey Katzenberg had close control of many programming decisions.

• "The Queen's Gambit" is the most popular TV series on Netflix for the third week in a row. 
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular TV shows on Netflix.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"The Queen's Gambit" is the most popular TV show on Netflix for the third straight week. 

"Chappelle's Show" followed close behind after debuting on the streaming giant (as well as HBO Max) on November 1.

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week.

9. "Schitt's Creek" (Pop TV, 2015-2020)

Description: "Suddenly broke, the formerly filthy-rich Rose family is reduced to living in a ramshackle motel in a town they once bought as a joke: 'Schitt's Creek.'"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 93%

What critics said: "There are finales of shows that stay with us and give a beautiful sendoff to their characters, and I'm proud to say that Schitt's Creek is among the most amazing." — The Mary Sue (season six)

8. "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" (A&E, 2016-2019)

Description: "Former Scientology members share detailed accounts of alleged abuse and harassment by the Church in this docuseries from actress Leah Remini."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: "Unfortunately, neither the pre-air special nor the premiere episode attempts to tackle these big questions, instead presenting more of the same interviews and explainers about the religion we've already seen in the first two seasons." — Hollywood Reporter (season three)

7. "Dash and Lily" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Opposites attract at Christmas as cynical Dash and sunny Lily trade messages and dares in a red notebook they pass back and forth around New York City."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "The show could easily cross over from comfortingly familiar to straight-up hacky. What keeps it on the right side of the line, for me at least, is the liveliness and authenticity of its contemporary New York." — Time (season one)

6. "The Office" (NBC, 2005-2013)

Description: "This hit comedy chronicles the foibles of disgruntled office workers — led by deluded boss Michael Scott — at the Dunder Mifflin paper company."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

What critics said: "Even though its later seasons never lived up to its groundbreaking early explorations of contemporary work culture, what The Office leaves us with are memories of television comedy at its best." — The Atlantic (season nine)

5. "The Great British Baking Show' (Netflix original, 2010-present)

Description: "A talented batch of amateur bakers face off in a 10-week competition, whipping up their best dishes in the hopes of being named the U.K.'s best."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 90%

What critics said: "The increasing strain of the technical challenges demonstrates the trend away from the homey and familiar of The Great British Baking Show toward the spectacle and inflated stakes that define so many other cooking competitions." — Slate (season 11)

4. "60 Days In" (A&E, 2016-present)

Description: "Recruited by a sheriff, volunteers infiltrate county prisons to expose corruption and crime from within the system in this docuseries."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

3. "Cocomelon" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Learn letters, numbers, animal sounds and more with J.J. in this musical series that brings fun times with nursery rhymes for the whole family!"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

2. "Chappelle's Show" (Comedy Central, 2003-2006)

Description: "The brilliant Dave Chappelle performs blistering stand-up, impressions and sketches that skewer topics like racism, politics, celebrities and sex."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 96%

What critics said: "The sketches here are high-grade Chappelle: funny and surprising, if not a full-on riot, as his best work on the show has been. But they also tell the story of an intellectual with an esoteric imagination." — New York Times (season three)

1. "The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix original, 2020)

Description: "In a 1950s orphanage, a young girl reveals an astonishing talent for chess and begins an unlikely journey to stardom while grappling with addiction."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "It is a transporting tale of an extraordinary life and a window onto a world of addiction and empowerment, pawns and queens." — Boston Globe