AppleTV+ has been absolutely smashing it with sci-fi dramas in recent years. From the outer space adventures of Foundation to the dystopian future presented in Silo, there are so many great offerings. However, the one standout show has to be Severance, and now we have the numbers to back it up.
Created by Dan Erickson and primarily directed by Ben Stiller, Severance chronicles the mysterious goings-on at Lumon, a leading technology company which claims to be working to improve humanity. But Lumon is shrouded in mystery. The company utilises a technology called severance which partitions the mind into two sections: the employee (Innie) and the external real-world person (Outie). It means the person can't recall what they did at work when they're at home and vice versa. In other words, it keeps their office work safe from leaking into the outside world.
Severance has been widely praised for its unique aesthetic, clever cinematography, fantastic cast, and gripping story. It balances elements of black comedy with deep psychological dilemmas. The very idea of severance brings up numerous moral questions. As of March 2024, with the show nearing the conclusion of its second season, it currently stands at a staggering 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nielsen reports that Severance is AppleTV+'s most watched show ever!
Prior to Severance, Jason Sudeikis's British comedy Ted Lasso was AppleTV's standout offering. But with the launch of Severance season 2, the series quickly became AppleTV's #1 series ever, based on the number of unique viewers from Jan. 17 through Feb. 17, 2025.
Per Nielsen figures, as reported by Deadline, Severance season 2 claimed the #4 spot on Nielsen’s Top 10 Originals chart for the week of Jan. 13. To give you some more easily digestible figures, Severance has garnered 589 million minutes viewed in the U.S. in that time, with the number only expected to rapidly increase as season 2 reaches its endgame.
The shows success has been worldwide, too. Severance was the #1 most-watched series globally on Apple TV+, taking the #1 spot in some huge demographics including the U.S., UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, France, Mexico and Spain.
While streaming giants Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ may still dominate the market, the success of Severance goes to show that AppleTV+ is absolutely worth your subscription.
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