'Severance' tops 'Ted Lasso' as Apple's most-watched series for good reasons
"Severance" has officially become the most-watched Apple TV+ series, beating out former champion "Ted Lasso" -- but you're probably not surprised.
"Severance" -- image credit: Apple
Apple can tell when it has a good thing going. While every show it picks up doesn't become a hit, it certainly makes it known when it's found something special.
"Severence" is no exception. If you've read our site at all in the last two months, you've probably noticed we've covered quite a bit, from a star-studded pop up in New York to the series' surprising jump to Roku for a limited time.
Even Tim Cook has gotten in on the fun.
It could easily be argued that "Severance" is less an Apple TV+ hit, and more of a genre-defining "cultural phenomenon," as Apple TV+'s head of programming Matt Cherniss told Deadline.
And while Apple often seems to be allergic to sharing things like Apple TV+ viewership numbers or iPhone sales numbers, it has taken time to confirm that "Severance" is now the platform's top series in history based on number of unique viewers from between January 17 through February 17.
And, as Deadline points out, "Severance" landed in Nielsen's Top 10 Originals chart for the week of January 13 -- at spot number four, no less. It garnered an impressive 589 million minutes viewed in the U.S., with 28% of those minutes spent on the Season 2 premiere.
But, even if we didn't have this information, it would hardly be surprising. Everywhere you look, people seem to be talking about it.
I personally know at least a dozen people who I'd call "Apple-adverse," who have active Apple TV+ subscriptions specifically to watch "Severance." I've been out running errands and I'll hear people talking about the show with friends.
My mother has even brought it up in casual conversation, and I wasn't even aware she knew what Apple TV+ was.
"Severance" is a formidable entry into what seems to be a revival of the "water cooler show," joining other heavy-hitters like "Succession," "Squid Game," and "The Last of Us." And, Apple's choice to drop episodes weekly rather than release an entire season at once, is helping to keep interest at an all-time high.
It seems that in addition to driving up profits for Apple's in-house streaming service, it's likely also helping those who would have ignored Apple TV+ otherwise discover other shows and films on the platform.
Image credit: Apple
I'm possibly AppleInsider's foremost Apple TV+ expert insofar as what I write about, despite not watching the service that much. It's nothing personal, I just don't watch much in the way of television or movies.
And again, this is anecdotal, but I have had friends who, yes, are aware of my job, reach out to me to ask about Apple TV+. This happened a little in the past when a particularly notable Apple TV+ show had surfaced.
It happened quite a bit when "Ted Lasso" took off and cemented itself as the darling of Apple TV+.
But now, I find myself getting regular texts and phone calls from friends asking me if I've seen it, or interestingly enough, if I've seen other Apple TV+ series that have been around for quite some time.
Its popularity seems to stem from a culmination of several things. The series blends genres the way a sommelier would blend wines. It's a psychological thriller, sure, but it's also science-fiction, and kind of a black comedy. Oh, and its dystopian, and dystopian is in.
It's also got some heavy hitting talent both on-screen and off. Ben Stiller directs, while Adam Scott, Christopher Walken, and Michael Louis Chernus bolster an already very talented cast.
Or maybe it's because it's relatable. The show's creator, Dan Erickson, has said that he dreamed up the idea while working in a "weird little windowless office," and earning a paycheck by doing "weird, seemingly meaningless, repetitive tasks all day long."
I think that speaks to the doldrums of the American office worker. I know a few.
"'Severance' is such an interesting concept," a friend said to me. "Half of the show's setting is my personal hell, so I hate this show for that. But I think that's also the reason I keep coming back."
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
You have to *pay* people to go into offices. People *pay* to watch football.
No one goes into offices for fun. In fact, there was a big insurrection after COVID restrictions were lifted and companies started scaling back or completely eliminating "work from home" initiatives.
But these are television shows -- entertainment -- not the real world. I know it's difficult for some people to understand the nuanced difference.
The fact that Apple has produced both shows that they realize that different types of entertainment will appeal to different audiences. It's worth nothing that Apple has a major stake in MLS now with their MLS Season Pass. That will go on for many years beyond 'Severance' and 'Ted Lasso'.
It's worth pointing out that all of the top 20 TV programs annually in the US are sports events; only US presidential debates even show up in that list. Worldwide football television coverage dwarfs everything else.
That being said, Neilson rankings, social media hype, Apple's own data, and even some posts in this very thread seem to suggest that there's, I dunno, a couple dozen or so people who think it's pretty neat.
That's why there are smilies and emoticons. But a lot of people who know what they are don't use them anymore. Just like search engines.
By the way, I'm missing the good old days when you could structure your viewing around what came out on a given night of TV network programming. In my youth I am especially fond of the memory of being thrilled with the prospect of taking in the latest episode of Mission Impossible - Yes, I'm that old - every Friday night, if I recall correctly. Releasing shows weekly has its charms. Gives you something to look forward to and that's really not a bad thing.