Netflix's Wednesday smashes records with a little help from TikTok

Los Gatos, California - Netflix's latest show, Wednesday, has broken several records on the streaming platform, and it just may have TikTok to thank.

Wednesday has broken the record for the most viewing hours in a debut week for a television series on Netflix.
Wednesday has broken the record for the most viewing hours in a debut week for a television series on Netflix.  © IMAGO / Picturelux

Directed by Tim Burton, the supernatural series follows a new iteration of the iconic Wednesday Addams, played by Gen-Z It Girl Jenna Ortega.

Wednesday's impressive debut week broke Netflix's record for most hours viewed for an English-language series, which had been held by season four of Stranger Things.

The series achieved 341.2 million viewing hours between November 21 and 27.

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The success of Wednesday has been bolstered by its immense popularity on TikTok, where fan edits of the show have gone viral.

TikTok videos have boosted Wednesday's popularity

TikTok videos have contributed to Wednesday's popularity.
TikTok videos have contributed to Wednesday's popularity.  © collage: screenshot/TikTok/@robinssnesst & @machwann

Lady Gaga's 2011 track Bloody Mary has earned a resurgence on TikTok thanks to edits pairing the song with Wednesday's already-iconic deadpan dance scene.

The videos have become so popular that they have created something of a Mandela Effect for viewers who are convinced the Gaga song was used in the scene, though Goo Goo Muck by The Cramps is the song actually featured.

The edits have boosted not only the popularity of the show, but that of the song as well, with Bloody Mary achieving its biggest streaming day ever on November 27.

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The rediscovery of throwback hits like Bloody Mary is nothing new for TikTok – or Netflix.

According to data from 2022's Spotify Wrapped, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush, which was featured in Stranger Thing's fourth season this spring, experienced an 8700% increase in streams after the season dropped on Netflix.

Like Wednesday, the popularity of Stranger Things' fourth season was aided by a rush of viral TikToks about the show.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Picturelux

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