There is no shortage of content for Anglophiles on Netflix. From Regency-era dramas and murder mysteries to gangster sagas and baking competitions, there is a British show to suit every taste. Since 2020, Netflix has poured $6 billion into British productions and currently boasts over 100 active projects in the UK. The reason being- English shows have built a reputation for delivering intricate plots and well-rounded characters- and nothing quite compares to hearing it all in a British accent.

It seems, though, that the streaming giant is unlikely to hit any pause on its British content, having given the platform exactly what it craved.

According to The Guardian, Netflix has noticed a surprising trend in its viewership of British shows. These shows have proven to be the most popular among audiences in its global streaming service. Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive of Netflix, revealed at the Royal Television Society conference, that the thriller Fool Me Once, the dark comedy Baby Reindeer, the period drama Bridgerton, and the crime thriller The Gentleman claimed the top four spots on the top 10 most-viewed list- with a combined viewership of 360 million.

Fool Me Once is the most popular show on Netflix this year, with 108 million views. Whereas Baby Reindeer won six Emmy Awards and became one of Netflix’s biggest hits of all time with 88 million views. Meanwhile, Bridgerton got 92 million views, and The Gentleman 76 million. Sarandos hailed the UK as “the birthplace of prestige television” but he also defended Baby Reindeer during the conference.

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Baby Reindeer is quite controversial over the subject of consent and privacy. And Ted Sarandos has chalked it all up to a “British debate.”

Baby Reindeer, the Netflix original, drew a large audience with its supposedly true story of creator Richard Gadd’s unsettling experience with a dangerously obsessed stalker and even got a nod of approval from the King of Horror, Stephen King. However, it did not take long for the show to become controversial and even land Netflix in legal trouble with a $170 million defamation lawsuit. Despite the controversy, Baby Reindeer topped the charts in 91 countries right after its debut.

In the defense of the show, Ted Sarandos pointed out that the uproar is a peculiarly British local matter. "It is a fairly unique British debate. This debate is not happening anywhere else in the world about Baby Reindeer,” the 60-year-old said. Even so, these controversies have not managed to harm the show's success, as it is now one of the most-watched shows of 2024.

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