There are big streaming shows and then there’s “Friends.” Despite coming from a very different era, the iconic must-see TV sitcom is a cross-generational hit in the streaming era, prompting reunions and even widespread concern when it was briefly missing from streaming platforms.
It’s no surprise, then, that a tribute from one of the show’s stars was last week’s most-watched streaming episode. “The One About Matthew Perry,” Netflix’s three-part documentary series about the late actor’s life, debuts at the top of the Weekly Samba Report’s streaming chart this week.
In doing so, the actor who played Chandler Bing dethroned “Tulsa King,” last week’s No. 1. Hitting the gangster drama Paramount +, the Matthew Perry doc gives Netflix its fifth album in six weeks, with five different episodes taking center stage.
The Wrap Report provides an exclusive first look at last week’s most-watched movies and TV series across both streaming and serial television, derived from viewership trends collected from the Samba panel of more than 3 million households, balanced to the US Census.
We return to Netflix in third place this week with “Nobody Wants This.” The romantic comedy series has drawn strong viewership for every season, but this current third season comes with rumors of a casting rift amid public disagreements between the show’s actors.
Speaking of romance, “Love is Blind” is next, landing in fourth place this week. With three new episodes of the date show hitting Netflix every Wednesday, the 11th season is climbing the charts, up three spots this week.
“Mobland,” the another Paramount + show about crime syndicates, moving up three spots this week to fifth place. Meanwhile, “The Terminal List,” Amazon Prime Video’s action series about a wronged Navy SEAL out for revenge, goes in the opposite direction, falling two places to sixth.
Last week we saw “From,” an MGM+ series recently added to Netflix, ride those new viewers all the way to third place. After a week of initial excitement from viewers, the horror series slips down to seventh this week.
“The Diplomat”, one of Netflix’s most popular and decorated shows, falls precipitously this week, going from second place down to eighth. That’s the case with most Netflix series, where it’s hard to maintain long-term viewership when entire seasons are added to the library at once. This is the third week of “The Diplomat” on the chart, after its return on October 15, and we may claim it again.
We have two Netflix premieres that are closing us out this week. “The Fall of El Mayo,” in ninth place, is a true crime documentary about a Mexican cartel kingpin. That’s followed by “Minimum Wage,” an “Office”-style workplace sitcom about teenagers trying to flip a slice of pizza.
The serialized side of the chart is a rare appearance of a scripted show at the top of the chart, as “NCIS” — in its 24th season — hits No. 1.
“Dancing with the Stars” slips to second place, and with American sweethearts Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa being sent home this week, it will be interesting to see if the long-running competition can keep up the momentum.
Speaking of momentum, “The Voice” has struggled a bit in its 30th season. The NBC singing competition has historically dominated the chart in the fall, but it consistently finds itself in the middle of the pack this season, coming in fifth place this week.
“9-1-1,” on ABC, is the other single show on the chart this week, coming in sixth. The rest of the chart belongs to “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!”
