Image: The Watcher, Netflix
For the week of October 15 - 21, Game of Thrones remained at the top of the chart after a minor 3% increase in demand made the show 106.8 times more in demand than the average series. The prequel of the perennially series, House of the Dragon, also saw a 9% boost in demand this week after its penultimate episode aired on October 16. The increase in demand led to House of the Dragon moving up to sixth place in the rankings with 62.3 times the average series demand in the U.S. this week.
While the top four spots in the rankings remained unchanged, Saturday Night Live saw an 8% decline in demand this week. While the sketch comedy saw a boost in demand as a result of its new season premiere the last couple of weeks, it is likely that it may slide down the rankings next week as data begins to come in on House of the Dragon’s finale episode. Following hot on the heels of SNL, The Walking Dead moved up another spot to fifth place this week. The show had 62.6 times the average series demand, a minor increase from last week. It is quite likely that TWD will also be overtaken by House of the Dragon next week, as the two shows had a very minor difference in demand this week.
As we edge closer to Halloween, it comes as no surprise that The Simpsons had another 7% increase in demand this week. The animated sitcom’s beloved annual “Treehouse of Horror” specials have become somewhat of a tradition for most viewers, fans and non-fans alike. This year the show announced they would air two brand new episodes for Halloween for the first time ever, with one taking the usual anthology approach, while the other (titled “Not It”) is a parody of Stephen King’s It. The approach worked, seeing that increased audience attention in the U.S. made it 55.5 times more in demand than the average series this week.
Rounding out the overall top ten shows this week, in tenth place we see YTV’s My Hero Academia enter the rankings with 44.9 times the average series demand – a 4% increase from last week. The anime has seen a steady increase in demand as it premiered its sixth season on October 01 earlier this month; the increase in demand can also be attributed to the manga dropping new chapters in tandem, keeping the fandom engaged in the world on both fronts.
Stranger Things remained at the top of the streaming originals rankings this week. Despite seeing a further 5% decline in demand, the show continues to maintain a wide lead over the other shows on the chart with 74.3 times the average series demand. As expected, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power rose up to second place in the rankings with 43.4 times more demand than the average show. The 10% boost in demand is the direct result of the season finale, which aired on October 14.
Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale moved up to become the third most in demand series this week despite a minor decline in demand. While the show has been slightly overshadowed by the other big series releases in the U.S., it has held on impressively in the rankings over the last few weeks. With Rings of Power and HOTD ending, we could see increased audience attention on the Hulu series as it edges closer to its finale and audiences begin catching up to the episodes.
Disney+’s Andor had 34.1 times the average series demand this week, a 7% increase which saw it rise up to sixth place in the rankings. Meanwhile, The Mandalorian also saw a 6% increase in demand for the show, pushing it up to seventh place with 34 times the average series demand. It was followed by Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in eighth place with 28.6 times the demand average, a sharp 36% drop compared to last week. The controversial Netflix series seems to have run its course with audiences as they move on to the next show.
The highest surge in demand this week was observed for Netflix’s new series, The Watcher. The thriller mini-series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan premiered on October 13 and entered the rankings in ninth place with 28.1 times the average times series demand. The 165% increase shows that the series has an audience clearly primed for scary content during the spooky season this October.
