Here Are the 10 Most Popular Shows on Netflix in 2023

Manifest

Manifest is Netflix's eleventh most watched show — it would've been tenth, but Ginny & Georgia's season one beat them — and there's a good reason for that. 

Manifest is a supernatural show with a compelling story. On a trip from Jamaica to New York, the Montego Air Flight completely disappears. No one knows what happened to it for over five years and a half years. 

That is, until the same plane lands like nothing happened in New York one day. 

No one knows what happened, and the people on the plane never even noticed they had been gone for over five years.

The show has an interesting premise, and it's already finished, so you can watch the whole thing without any interruptions.

Fubar

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back with this new action-comedy series from Netflix. This isn't a typical action show, but it's managed to win people's hearts with its first season. It was so successful that it got 266,200,000 hours watched in 2023.

In Fubar, you'll see the story of Luke Brunner and Emma Brunner, a father and daughter who aren't as close as they thought they were. As it turns out, both are working for the CIA and are on undercover missions. However, they don't know the other is an undercover agent.

Once they find out, they'll be forced to work together and learn more about each other in order to succeed in the mission and in their family.

The show is really fun, and it's already been confirmed that there will be a second season in the future.

Outer Banks

Outer Banks isn't your typical teen drama; it's a show filled with mystery and adventure. Because of this, its third season was one of the most watched shows on Netflix, with over 402,500,000 hours viewed.

Trying to find out what actually happened to his father, John B takes his friends on an adventure to discover the legendary treasure that his father was trying to find before he went missing. 

In the third season, the Pogues are closer than ever to finding the treasure and what really happened to John's father. However, the journey isn't as easy as you'd expect, as they'll have to face against the law and another group called Kooks.

La Reina del Sur

Nothing beats a good telenovela, which is why La Reina del Sur became a huge hit on Netflix. The show is so good that its third season had over 429,600,000 hours watched in 2023 alone.

La Reina del Sur is based on a book by the same name, and it follows the story of Teresa Mendoza, a woman from Mexico who is trying to earn power through her drug business.

More than just being a story about drugs, this is a story about a broken woman who loved and lost multiple times until she decided to take control of a world that took everything from her.

With almost 200 episodes to watch, La Reina del Sur is a binge-worthy show that will keep you glued to your couch in 2024. 

You

Simply named You, this drama quickly became one of Netflix's most popular shows. It was so popular that its fourth season still managed to accumulate 440,600,000 hours of watch time, making it the sixth most-watched Netflix show in 2023.

You is a story about a serial killer who tries to find the perfect woman for himself. The problem? Once he finds someone he's interested in, he stalks them until he finds everything there is to know about them.

He then uses this information to try to make them fall in love with them. And it doesn't matter who he needs to hurt or kill to get the girl.

The other problem? Even if he does get the girl, sometimes that's not enough. 

As we mentioned, You already has four seasons available for you to watch, with the final season coming sometime in 2024. So, this is the perfect time to catch up with Netflix's favorite serial killer.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Queen Charlotte isn't your typical romance story; it's got so many twists and turns that you'll likely end up watching all of its six episodes in one sitting.

If the name Bridgerton sounds familiar, it's because there is also another successful Netflix show that goes by that name. That's right, Queen Charlotte is actually a prequel to the Bridgerton show, and it follows the story of, you guessed it, Queen Charlotte.

The show explores the history behind Queen Charlotte's marriage to King George and the secrets the latter had about himself. And it also shows you the "current" timeline in the Bridgerton universe following the death of Princess Charlotte.

Whether you love the Bridgerton show or not, Queen Charlotte has a pretty compelling story that will make you want to watch the main show's next season when it goes live sometime in 2024.

On the other hand, if you just want a short drama, this mini-series has everything you need.

Wednesday

This was probably everyone's pick for Netflix's most-watched show of the year. However, Wednesday actually ranks in fourth place. 

That doesn't mean the show isn't any less good than it already is. If you're a bit older, you probably recognize the name Wednesday Addams, the daughter of the Addams family — one of the most iconic and creepy families on television.

In this story, you'll follow Wednesday's new life as she's transferred to a school filled with magical individuals and a murder mystery that she's ready to solve. 

The deeper she digs, the more she'll learn about her family, her friends, and even herself.

The show was a huge hit, amassing a total of 507,700,000 hours viewed, which is pretty impressive considering it was released in 2023. Because of this success, Netflix has already confirmed another season is coming.

The Glory

The Glory, a Korean thriller that took the world by storm, was Netflix's third most-watched show of 2023, and for a good reason. 

If you haven't watched it and love a good revenge story that's well thought out and has a lot of interesting twists and turns, you'll love The Glory. After all, 622,800,000 hours watched can't be wrong.

You'll follow the story of Dong-eun, a pretty smart girl who was brutally bullied and harassed when she was a teenager.

After going through much trauma and failing to get help from her school or parents, she decides to take matters into her own hands, crafting an elaborate vengeance that took her years to set in motion.

Some of the scenes are pretty intense, especially when you consider that some of them were based on true events. 

The Glory already has both parts on Netflix, so you'll be able to catch the complete story right now.

Ginny & Georgia

Even though The Night Agent was the most watched season of the year, the real winner was Ginny & Georgia. Why, I hear you ask? 

Well, the show actually appears two times on Netflix's report. The first season of Ginny & Georgia, which was released in 2021, was watched 302,100,000 hours in 2021. Then, the second season, released in January 2023, had a total of 665,100,000 hours viewed.

Almost one billion hours were spent watching this amazing show about a broken home. You'll follow the story of Georgia, who moves with her daughter Ginny and his son Austin to a new town looking for a fresh start. It's got drama, it's got comedy, and it's already been confirmed that a third season is on its way.

The Night Agent

Many of us were probably thinking that a show like Wednesday would be Netflix's top hit of 2023, but it was actually The Night Agent.

This show managed to gather a total of 812,100,000 hours watched in 2023 since it was released in March. 

And what makes this show so addictive? Well, it's got everything from drama to mystery and action. You'll watch how an FBI agent, Peter Sutherland, finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy that involves high-profile officials in the US government. 

You can't trust anybody, and that's what made everyone love the show as soon as it came out. If you loved the first season, Netflix has already confirmed a second season will happen, albeit it hasn't started yet.