Even though it's been months since its release on Netflix, British limited series Adolescence continues to be the little show that could. Back in April, the show garnered enough viewership to surpass Bridgerton in Netflix's ranking of the most-watched English-language original series of all time, but the show's latest achievement might be its most impressive yet.
Adolescence breaks Stranger Things ratings record
On June 3, 2025, Netflix announced that Adolescence had officially become the No. 2 most-watched English-language Netflix original series of all time. The show has obtained 141.2 million views to date, which is enough to officially best one of the biggest Netflix releases ever. Adolescence has now passed Stranger Things season 4 and its 140.7 million views.
If Adolescence wants to be the No. 1 most-watched English Netflix show of all time, it's going to be an impossible uphill battle to beat the first season of Wednesday. Jenna Ortega's pop culture phenomenon Addams Family series has earned over 252 million views, and that's over 100 million more than Adolescence currently has. But it's unlikely to eclipse Wednesday for this reason.
Netflix only counts the first 90 days of release for the all-time ranking numbers, and Adolescence only has less than two weeks left in this window at the time of reporting. It's sure to add a decent amount to its total, but not enough to overtake Wednesday for the No. 1 spot. The limited series has still made some impressive, unprecedented Netflix history that very few saw coming.
Although the show earned rave reviews upon arrival and became a word-of-mouth sensation, Adolescence only has four episodes in its season. That's half of either Wednesday or Stranger Things, even Bridgerton, and it was still able to hold its own and improve upon the ratings of some of the biggest global Netflix hits. It's no wonder Netflix has been exploring a second season.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Adolescence will be able to maintain its position in Netflix's elite most popular shows ranking. The two behemoth shows its sandwiched between will soon be back with highly, highly anticipated new seasons. Wednesday's two-part second season arrives on Aug. 6 and Sept. 3, while Stranger Things bids farewell with its final season in three parts on Nov. 26, Dec. 25, and Dec. 31. Those holiday dates will surely deliver big numbers!
Obviously, at the end of the day, it's not about how big the numbers are or how popular a show is. These ratings figures are all in good fun and not a competition. It's just exciting to see the tangible evidence of a show's success, especially a little limited series like Adolescence. Who knows what the next unexpected hit Netflix series will be that will blow all of these shows out of the water?