Netflix series with rare 99% critic score just broke a major streaming service record

Good Netflix shows tend to get the whole world talking, and their most recent hit has not only amassed near-perfect review scores but it has also broken a major record for a streaming service show.

From Squid Games to Stranger Things, Netflix is no stranger to conversation-dominating shows that you simply can't take your eyes off of. It's become a common occurrence to walk into the break room at work and hear people discussing their thoughts on the latest streaming hit, but one of the most recent drops has seemingly surpassed all previous shows on the platform.

It's been hard to escape the immense praise that has been thrown at Netflix's new show Adolescence, which chronicles a four-part story about a young boy who is charged with the murder of a girl that attends his school.

Adolescence has received high praise for both it's narrative and performances (Netflix)

It has managed to earn itself a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes' critic-based Tomatometer across different reviews, with many praising the affecting narrative, important message, and show-stopping performances from Stephen Graham and newbie actor Owen Cooper.

That's clearly translated into eyes on the screen too, as its rapid word-of-mouth meant that Adolescence has become the first ever streaming show to top the UK's television charts, as reported by Comic Basics.

This data comes from the Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), who capture viewing numbers across both traditional television and streaming services in a seven day period.

Despite releasing three days into the 10-16th March consolidation period, Adolescence managed to top the charts with a staggering audience of 6,450,000 for its first episode.

All four episodes also managed to appear within the top 10, with the fourth and final part of the show managing 4,654,000 viewers which perhaps indicates how many people binged the entire show in the four days following its release.

All four parts of Adolescence managed to make the top ten in its release week (BARB)

It beat out ITV's Protection by just under half a million viewers, and also dealt a blow to UK TV staples like The Apprentice, Death in Paradise, Gladiators, and Coronation Street.

Understandably, Adolescent also broke the single-episode viewership record for a streaming show in the UK too, as Netflix's Fool Me Once previously managed 6.3 million at the start of last year.

Many across social media have responded positively to Adolescence's record-breaking achievement, although one user on Reddit has wondered how the feat has only just happened:

"Kinda crazy that it took until 2025 for this to happen," they remarked, and perhaps it shows that the powerful nature of this particular Netflix show really resonated with audiences.

"Amazing series, I literally finished it in a day," writes another, adding that "it really highlights the issues related to crimes currently happening in the UK, especially those committed by young individuals."