ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. When you click through the links on our site and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Learn more

Move over The Gentlemen! Netflix has a new number-one show

A new sci-fi smash is here, but is it enough for Netflix to green light more seasons?

Move over The Gentlemen! Netflix has a new number-one show
Andrew Williams
25 March 2024

Sci-fi epic 3 Body Problem has rocketed straight to the number one spot over at Netflix, overtaking The Gentlemen in global streams.

The show is currently the number one Netflix show in 70 countries, according to Flixpatrol.

Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen holds onto the top position in a few key territories, though, including the US and UK.

In case you’ve somehow missed the pre-release fuss over 3 Body Problem, it’s an adaptation of Chinese sci fi classic novel Three-Body Problem, concerned with alien invasion, astrophysics and multiple timelines.

The creators of Game of Thrones are behind this ambitious show but, as we covered last week, the critical reception to this one has been a little mixed.

3 Body Problem will be a critical test of the temperature over at Netflix, as to whether the show will be commissioned for the further series the story desperately needs.

Going number one is great, but could not quite wrestling the US and UK top spots from The Gentlemen set off alarm bells?

Move over The Gentlemen! Netflix has a new number one show
Image Credit: Netflix

Showrunner David Benioff recently told Gamesradar that while extra seasons aren’t guaranteed, he’s working as if they are already in the bag.

"We don't have a second season, but we need to keep pushing forward full steam ahead as if we did… Because if we do get a second season, we'll need to hit the ground running in terms of pre-production and production to get it out to people in some kind of reasonable time,” Benioff said.

We’ll have a better idea of how much of a hit 3 Body Problem really is when Netflix releases its own weekly viewing figures in a few days, over at the Tudum website.

3 Body Problem reportedly cost $20 million an episode, making it potentially the second most expensive Netflix show to date, following Stranger Things series four’s $30 million an episode.