The #1 Most-Watched Netflix Drama Series Ever Made Is Based On Shocking True Events
You might have missed it, but Ryan Murphy has a new series arriving on FX (and available to stream on Hulu) this fall after a string of super successful hits on Netflix. Grotesquerie stars a bevy of familiar Murphy miniseries faces, including Courtney B. Vance, and features his trademark stunt casting (Travis Kelce, why not).
It also finally (finally) gives Niecy Nash-Betts her first lead role in a Murphy miniseries after wowing audiences in both Scream Queens and Dahmer. To get ready, why not revisit Dahmer, and Nash-Betts’ Emmy-winning performance? It is the third most-watched Netflix series of all time, after all. It’s also the number one most-watched drama the platform has ever produced.
Per Netflix: This series examines the gruesome and horrific true crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer and the systemic failures that enabled one of America’s most notorious serial killers to continue his murderous spree in plain sight for over a decade.
Netflix’s Dahmer was beaten only by Stranger Things 4 and last year’s Wednesday. Pretty cool that the top three are all genre series, no? Dahmer has, since its premiered, commanded a remarkable 1 billion hours viewed across an estimated 115 million unique viewers. That’s no small feat, whether you’re a fan of Ryan Murphy’s distinct brand of television or not (for reference, he’s hit or miss for me).
Dahmer was as much a showcase for Niecy Nash-Betts as it was star Evan Peters. Adopting the trademark anthology format Ryan Murphy is known for, a second season, reportedly centering around the Menéndez brothers, is set to premiere on Netflix this year.
When first released, Dahmer was met with praise for its performances, particularly those of Nash-Betts and Peters, while also fielding criticism for its reported exploitation. Ryan Murphy has never been subtle, and several critics pointed out how often Dahmer risked tilting toward the glorification of its central figure. The full title, after all, is Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In case the subject wasn’t clear.
Family members of the real victims, including Shirley Hughes, Tony Hughes’ mother, and Eric Perry denounced the show, claiming that the show was playing with real people’s lives in its depictions of Dahmer’s horrific murders.
Controversial or not, Dahmer, and true crime as a whole, really, continue to dominate public interest. For reference, I could never get into Dahmer. I can manage the Red Devil slicing up coeds, but my own sensibilities were enough to tell me Dahmer would be pushing it. What do you think? Did you check out Dahmer on Netflix? Are you surprised to hear it’s one of the streamer’s most-watched shows ever? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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