Exploring the thousands of titles on Netflix can be both exciting and overwhelming. Content of all types abounds, from dramas and comedies to reality shows and documentaries. It’s a good thing there’s a list to help narrow your decision by letting you see the most popular Netflix shows. That’s right, every week, Netflix releases its list of the 10 most-watched TV shows over a recent seven-day period.
After a week on the charts, Colman Domingo and his new thriller The Madness have moved to the No. 1 spot. Debuting at No. 2 is Black Doves, an excellent spy series starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw. Elsewhere, Sabrina Carpenter’s holiday special has won over younger audiences with her covers of famous Christmas songs. Below, we have listed the top 10 shows in the U.S. from December 2 to December 8, along with general information about each show, including genre, rating, cast, and synopsis.
We’ve also rounded up the best shows to stream this week, the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and the best shows on Disney+. For Netflix fans, also check out the 10 most popular movies on Netflix right now.
10. The Empress season 2 (2022)
7.8/10The fiery Bavarian princess Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, aka Sisi (Devrim Lingnau), returns in the 1800s-set The Empress season 2. Sisi’s older sister, Duchess Helene (Elisa Schlott), was supposed to marry Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria (Philip Froissant). However, Sisi falls in love with Joseph, and the two get married, making her the new Empress of Austria.
Sisi moves to Hamburg to live with Joseph and his family, who do not like her. Joseph’s family undermines Sisi at every turn, with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie (Melika Foroutan), leading the charge. In reality, the family fears Sisi because of her individuality and free spirit, which makes for entertaining drama inside the palace.
9. Fortune Feimster: Crushing It (2024)
7.0/10Fortune Feimster returns to Netflix for her third comedy special, Crushing It. The hilarious comedian gets personal in this special, riffing on things like her honeymoon mishaps with her wife. Feimster broke out on Last Comic Standing before coming into her own as a panelist on Chelsea Lately.
Feimster is known for her magnetic presence and unique personality, which translates to loud reactions from the crowd whenever her punchlines land. If you’re looking for more of Feimster’s content on Netflix, she is one of the stars of Fubar, the action comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, which recently wrapped filming on its second season.
8. The Later Daters season 1 (2024)
Who said there has to be an age limit on dating? Thanks to shows like The Golden Bachelor, more programs are designed around baby boomers finding love. The Later Daters is the latest example of a dating show catered to older people. Executive produced by Michelle Obama, The Later Daters is a docuseries in which six singles between the ages of 56 and 70 embark on multiple blind dates.
Many of these contestants have not been in a relationship for over 10 years, so they need a refresher on proper dating etiquette. Enter Logan Ury, a Harvard-trained behavioral scientist who serves as the dating coach for each of the six singles. With Ury’s help, the daters attempt to get back in the field and start making memories with new partners.
7. A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (2024)
6.6/10Who had a better year than Sabrina Carpenter? The 25-year-old soared in popularity thanks to hit songs Espresso, Please Please Please, and Taste. Carpenter was an opening act for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour and received six Grammy nominations. To put a bow on 2024, Carpenter is headlining a new Netflix music special, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter.
Carpenter is ringing in the holidays with songs from her holiday EP, fruitcake, and iconic covers of well-known hits. Carpenter duets with several famous singers, including Shania Twain, Kali Uchis, Tyla, and Chappell Roan. Additionally, Quinta Brunson, Nico Hiraga, Cara Delevingne, Kyle Mooney, and Jillian Bell all make special appearances in the holiday special.
6. A Man on the Inside season 1 (2024)
75%
7.8/10After collaborating on The Good Place, Mike Schur and Ted Danson reunite for the new comedy A Man on the Inside, based on the documentary The Mole Agent. Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson) is a retired college professor and widower who desperately needs a new purpose in life. Opportunity comes knocking when Charles answers an ad from a private detective named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada).
Evan (Marc Evan Jackson) hires Julie to find his mother’s necklace, which he believes was taken by one of the residents at the Pacific View retirement home. Julie then hires Charles to become a resident at Pacific View and be her eyes on the inside. Charles takes the job, hoping to shake up his life. That does happen, but not in the ways he expects.
5. Is It Cake? Holiday season 1 (2024)
The baking game show where contestants try to fool judges by replicating common objects in cake form returns for a special competition, Is It Cake? Holiday. Just like Is It Cake?, the holiday edition will include the same rules. However, the objects the contestants will replicate are festive, including nutcrackers, wreaths, ice skates, and more.
Hosted by SNL’s Mikey Day, Is It Cake? Holiday will bring back nine bakers from the previous three seasons in the ultimate showdown for a large cash prize. The list of celebrity judges includes Hannah Berner, Tiffany Haddish, Terry Crews, Punkie Johnson, Randall Park, Rachel Bloom, Wayne Brady, and Sebastian Maniscalco.
4. The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On season 3 (2022)
Will couples get married when faced with ultimatums? That is the premise behind The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, which returns for its third season. Six heterosexual couples participate in this social experiment, as one partner in the relationship issues an ultimatum. The couple temporarily split up and enter a trial marriage with someone from a different couple.
During that time, the trial couple date and live with their new partner. At the end of the experiment, the couples reunite with their original partner and decide if they want to get married, pursue their trial relationship, or end the relationship entirely. The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On is a test to see if love truly does win.
3. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey season 1 (2024)
6.9/10The tragic story of JonBenét Ramsey remains one of the most notorious unsolved cases in American history. The story begins in December 1996. John and Patsy Ramsey wake up to find their daughter, six-year-old JonBenét, has been kidnapped, with a ransom note left behind. Hours later, JonBenét is found sexually assaulted and murdered in the basement.
The police automatically assumed the parents were the prime suspects. Nearly three decades years later, the case remains unsolved. The Netflix true crime series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey tries to answer that same question that no one has solved in three decades. Director Joe Berlinger examines the case and presents a new theory as to what happened to the young girl on that fateful December night.
2. Black Doves season 1 (2024)
79%
7.2/10Christmastime in London is the backdrop for Black Doves, a new spy thriller from creator Joe Barton. Keira Knightley stars as Helen Webb, a loving wife and mother who lived a double life as a spy. Helen has secretly worked for a shadowy organization called the Black Doves for over a decade. Helen’s life is turned upside down after the assassination of her hidden lover, Jason (Andrew Koji).
To prevent Helen from seeking revenge, the Black Doves’ spymaster, Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in former assassin Sam Young (Ben Whishaw) to keep an eye on her. Helen makes it abundantly clear that she will kill Jason’s murderers, even if Sam tries to stop her. When the duo unearth a deadly conspiracy with global implications, Helen and Jason must work together to minimize the damage.
1. The Madness (2024)
65%
6.5/10Emmy winner Colman Domingo headlines the new conspiracy thriller series The Madness. Created by Stephen Belber, The Madness follows Muncie Daniels (Domingo), a media pundit on the verge of stardom who finds a dead body in the Poconos. The dead body is a controversial white supremacist. Despite pleading his innocence, Muncie becomes the top suspect after being framed for murder.
Desperate for help, Muncie turns to his ex-wife, Elena (Marsha Stephanie Blake), and lawyer/friend Kwesi (Deon Cole) for help in clearing his name. Muncie’s fight forces him to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Gabrielle Graham) and son (Thaddeus J. Mixon). Ironically, the person who might be able to help Muncie out the most is hardened FBI Agent Franco Quinones (John Ortiz).
