‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Officially Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Limited Series Ever

Many people are already loving it and some are also learning to play Chess.  Now, Netflix users have officially made “The Queen’s Gambit,”  the most-viewed scripted limited series ever on Netflix — with 62 million member accounts tuning in to the show in the first 28 days, as per Netflix.

"A record-setting 62 million households chose to watch The Queen’s Gambit in its first 28 days, making it Netflix's biggest scripted limited series to date," said Netflix in a Twitter post.

Netflix also shared some other data related to The Queen’s Gambit:

• The series made the Top 10 in 92 countries & ranked #1 in 63 countries.
• The novel has entered The New York Times bestseller list, 37 years after its release.
• Google searches for “How To Play Chess” have hit a nine-year peak.

Although Netflix reports viewing is based on the number of viewers who have watched at least 2 minutes of a piece of content. 

“I am both delighted and dazed by the response. It's just all way beyond what any of us could have imagined,” said writer/director, and co-creator Scott Frank. “But speaking for my fellow producers and the entire cast and crew of the show, every one of whom made me look better than I actually am, we are most grateful that so many took the time to watch our show, and we all look forward to bringing you our Yahtzee limited series next.” 

Earlier in 2009, Heath Ledger was originally attached to direct a film adaptation of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ before his untimely death.

Seven-episode limited series “The Queen’s Gambit” premiered on October 23 on Netflix worldwide. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling, and Bill Camp.

Based on a 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, the series is about an Eight-year-old young girl Beth Harmon loses her brilliant and troubled mother in a horrific car crash and learns how to play chess from a janitor in an orphanage. The orphans are being drugged. She develops a drug addiction. She gets adopted by a very troubled woman.

Scott Frank serves as co-creator, executive producer, writer, director, and showrunner. “The Queen’s Gambit” is executive produced by William Horberg (“The Talented Mr. Ripley”) and Allan Scott (“Don’t Look Now”), who is also a co-creator of the series.

Many fans have already started to demand a second season from Netflix, but as announced, the show is a limited series, which also means that it will not get a second season. Anyway, a second season or not, the series has already inspired a lot of people to show interest in playing Chess.

Do read our series review here and a broader fan-based analysis here.