2018 has been a huge year for Netflix, with the streaming service taking their production of original content to insane new heights. They now have hundreds of original TV shows, stand-up specials, documentaries, and movies, with an estimated spend of around $8 BILLION on content this year alone.

It feels like every weekend has brought with it multiple Netflix drops, and they’ve released some of their best series and seasons yet in 2018: from returning successes such as GLOW Season 2 and BoJack Horseman Season 5, to great newcomers like Maniac and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. But which ones are people watching the most?

Netflix are notoriously tight with their ratings, refusing to release data in the way most traditional networks do, but instead they do give some end-of-year stats. Chief among them is their list of most binge-watched movies and TV show. Crucially, this means those with the “highest average watch time per viewing session” as opposed to any hard numbers or more recognisable metrics, or even just the most popular overall, and is only based on the U.S.

Still, in the absence of proper viewing figures, this list is one of the most definitive to go on for what people were watching – and what you might’ve missed – on Netflix in 2018, and while there are some familiar favourites, there are also lots of big surprises.[/nextpage][nextpage]

10. Orange Is The New Black Season 6

Orange is the New Black is one of the original Originals, and the last remaining series from 2013, the year Netflix first debuted their own content. Hemlock Grove has long gone, and House of Cards has just finished its sixth and final season (and no one seemed to notice), but OITNB will be back for its seventh and final run next year. And, based on this list, it’s as strong as ever with viewers.

The female-driven prison drama had seemed to be in decline after its fifth season, which received mixed reviews and didn’t make the top 10 of Netflix’s list, but Season 6 has bounced back in a big way. Following on from last year’s riot storyline, this year saw the ladies sent to a maximum security prison, and a gang warfare storyline between two cell blocks.

With the change of scenery there was a freshness to the series, which also came with a lot of new characters. It was an improvement on Season 5, and that was reflected not only in the more positive reviews, but the fact people binge-watched it so much.[/nextpage][nextpage]

9. Insatiable

Insatiable is a new sitcom with just 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, so how did it become one of Netflix’s most binged series of 2018? It’s likely got less to do with the show itself, and a lot more to do with the controversy surrounding it.

The comedy focuses on the life of Patty Bladell, a teenager who was relentlessly bullied in school for being overweight. However, a freak accident while on summer vacation means she has to go on a liquid diet for three months, leading to a dramatic weight loss, marked change in appearance, and a whole new attitude. Patty then goes on to seek revenge on all those who bullied her.

Even prior to the season airing, a petition on Change.org had received over 100,000 signatures calling for Netflix to cancel the show due to claims of it fat-shaming – a petition that now has over 230,000 signees. That only seems to have boosted it though, with people presumably tuning in just to see what the fuss is all about (it helps that it’s led by Disney Channel star Debbie Ryan too), and rather than cancel it, Netflix have greenlit a second season.[/nextpage][nextpage]

8. Anne With An E Season 2

Although not a show that seems to generate a lot of hype on the surface, people clearly love bingeing Netflix’s Anne With An E. The first season was one of the most-binged series of 2017, and it’s repeated the trick this time around.

Based on the classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables, the series stars Amybeth McNulty as the titular character, an orphan who is taken in by a new family consisting of an elderly spinster and her brother. It then follows Anne as her boundless enthusiasm wins over those around her.

Anne With An E has cross-generational appeal – the story is intended to be for all ages – meaning it can be watched by families, and there’ll be countless viewers who read the book growing up and want to watch the show, combining to make it a heavily binged series.[/nextpage][nextpage]

7. The Haunting Of Hill House

One of the least surprising series on this list, The Haunting of Hill House is one of Netflix’s biggest, buzziest, and overall best shows of 2018, so it’s good to see it getting the sort of appreciation it deserves.

The Haunting of Hill House is based on Shirley Jackson’s classic novel, which immediately gives it a level of audience recognition, but the bigger reason for it being so heavily binged is that it’s simply incredibly engrossing. Like all the best ghost stories, it’s scary but in a way that means you can’t bring yourself to look away (and a lot of people might find it’s better to get all of the scares over with in one go).

Expertly mixing horror elements with a stirring family drama, and plenty of mysteries, questions, and cliffhangers to compel you to keep on watching (and watching, and watching), even if it’s from behind the sofa.

(Excerpt) Read More at: WhatCulture.com

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