The British drama Adolescence, already one of Netflix’s biggest hits of 2025, has just pulled off something remarkable. According to newly released viewing data from the streamer, the gritty coming-of-age series starring Stephen Graham is now officially the second most-watched Netflix original series of all time — surpassing global hits like Stranger Things 4 and Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer.
Netflix’s all-time Top 10 ranking is updated periodically based on hours viewed within the first 91 days of release, and the latest update shows that Adolescence has now rocketed to second place on the list. It’s currently trailing only Wednesday, the breakout Addams Family spinoff that continues to reign supreme at #1.
Here’s Netflix’s current all-time Top 10:
- Wednesday
- Adolescence
- Stranger Things 4
- Dahmer: Monster
- Bridgerton Season 1
- The Queen’s Gambit
- Bridgerton Season 3
- The Night Agent Season 1
- Fool Me Once
- Stranger Things 3
Adolescence tells the story of a working-class British teenager navigating trauma, identity, and fractured family dynamics, all under the shadow of a crime that threatens to define his life. It’s a raw, emotionally charged series that gained momentum through word of mouth, strong reviews, and especially praise for Graham’s heartbreaking performance. Even UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confessed to being moved by the show. “As a father,” he told reporters at a roundtable earlier this year, per CBS News, “watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you it hit home hard.”
What’s helped push the show into rarefied Netflix territory is its blend of social realism and deeply personal storytelling. Viewers around the world connected with the atmospheric direction — each of the show’s episodes having been filmed in a single, continuous take — as well as the emotional honesty the show brings to the screen. Moreover, this also represents another win for the streamer’s global strategy.
As Netflix continues to invest in content beyond the US, series like Adolescence prove there’s a massive appetite for character-driven drama rooted in local cultures with universal themes.
Whether Adolescence can eventually overtake Wednesday remains to be seen. But for now, its leap into the #2 spot is a major moment not just for the creators and cast, but for UK television as a whole. I’ve been covering Netflix for quite a while, and I can attest: It’s a rare thing, indeed, for a show this unflashy to become such a juggernaut.
