(Credit: Netflix)

Almost every showrunner who is involved with Netflix productions has probably spent a lot of time trying to figure out how the algorithm works, but it will always be a mystery. Especially considering the recent news of the 2007 British show Secret Diary of a Call Girl experiencing a sudden boost.

Alongside other examples such as Peaky Blinders and The Inbetweeners, the ITV2 series recently managed to make it into the top 10 UK list even though it stopped airing in 2011.

The source material for the drama series is quite interesting because it was based on both books as well as online blogs maintained by Brooke Magnanti, who used the pen name Belle de Jour to detail the activities of sex worker Belle (played by Billie Piper) in London.

Responding to the surprising Netflix numbers, Magnanti said: “I saw that it was doing well, which, considering how much prestige television has come along since the early 2000s, came as a pleasant surprise.”

While explaining the reason behind the boost, she added: “Something that I think really speaks to people is that while the sexual content is very forward, the true theme is what it’s like to be young and feel alienated, trying to find your place.”

Continuing, “That has been explored in literature in everything from The Secret Garden to The Catcher in the Rye to my personal favourites, Of Human Bondage and Le Rouge et le Noir.”

Given this phenomenon of shows gaining traction years after their release, it’s going to be interesting to see which one joins the ranks next.