Good News And Bad News About ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Viewership
The numbers are in, and according to new data, there has been an effective zero percent drop in viewership between seasons of Wednesday, indicating interest in the show is still there after a nearly three-year break.
That’s the good news, that Wednesday didn’t lose viewership over time because of the break. It got 50 million views in its first five days of streaming, compared to season 1 getting 50.1 million views over the same period.
More good news is that because season 2 of Wednesday is split in half, so unlike Wednesday season 1, there will be a second spike of viewership next month, something the original Wednesday did not have with its eight-episode binge-drop. So, more viewership over the long term may be incoming.
I’m not exactly sure I view this 50 million tie as amazing news, however. I think even with half the season out, you would want to see that above season 1 if you’re trying to ramp up interest in a show you’ve already greenlit for season 3 and want to continue making indefinitely.
Almost every show with multiple seasons on Netflix’s all-time list has had its later seasons pass its first season, from Bridgerton to Stranger Things to Money Heist. The lone, recent exceptions are seasons 2 and 3 of Squid Game, but…there was also the complaint that they did not live up dramatically to season 1 at all. So that’s not good.
I think we have to bank on the idea that Wednesday season 2 with its second part 2 influx of views may ultimately surpass season 1. But I also think the lesson here is that a nearly three-year gap between seasons of a show like this depresses viewership more than we might see otherwise. Fortunately, however, season 3 of Wednesday is about to start production in November, way, way sooner than the gap between season 1 and production starting on season 2, which was over a year. By my calculations, this time around we may be waiting only (“only”) a year and a half for Wednesday season 3.
It’s a big hit, that’s the main thing. Interest did not crash and it will remain a hugely important show for the future of Netflix given that its monsters like Stranger Things and Squid Game are about to end, or have already ended. Nothing is exactly close to Wednesday’s level of success, short of Bridgerton being made eternally. Though even that is not particularly close. The show has a long life ahead of it.
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