(Credits: Netflix)

In a completely expected development, the return of one of the biggest original shows Netflix has at its disposal has laid waste to the viewership charts, blowing the competition out of the water and claiming a top spot that the series is more than likely to retain for at least another week if not even longer.

Outer Banks is the latest in-house exclusive to return from a lengthy sabbatical and release its latest season in two parts, with the sun-kissed teen drama dropping its first new episodes since February 2023. Absence has definitely made the heart grow fonder, with subscribers wasting little time making up for the show’s 20-month absence.

Notching 15.5million viewing hours, Outer Banks debuted miles ahead of its nearest competition, with rom-com Nobody Wants This holding onto second spot after three weeks of availability, although the confirmation that a second season is on the way may have emboldened new audiences to check it out knowing that it won’t be the latest Netflix series to experience a rapid cancellation.

Eric Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story drops down to third, having been watched for over 68million hours over the last four weeks. However, it isn’t quite on pace to match predecessor Dahmer as one of the streamer’s top-viewed episodic titles ever. Not only that, but Outer Banks notching 62million hours in less than a week underlines that the newcomer is on course to achieve just that.

Further down the list, it becomes apparent that subscribers have maintained their eclectic taste, with the seventh run of the reality series Love Is Lind being joined by Ali Wong’s latest stand-up special, Single Lady, and the fifth volume of ongoing true crime revival Unsold Mysteries.

It’s been almost 20 years since Prison Break premiered, yet the thriller continues to win over new converts after holding onto a spot on Netflix’s top ten for six weeks. The downside is that the show never gets any better than the first season finale, which might explain why none of the subsequent runs have troubled the rankings’ upper reaches.

Murder, mystery, thrills, spills, comedy, and romance are all present and accounted for, but in terms of impact, nothing comes close to matching Outer Banks.

The 10 most popular series on Netflix this week:

• Outer Banks: Season 4
• Nobody Wants This: Season 1
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
• Love Is Blind: Season 7
• The Amazing Digital Circus: Season 1
• Ali Wong: Single Lady
• Heartstopper: Season 3
• The Perfect Couple
• Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 5
• Prison Break: Season 1