“Severance” — image credit: Apple
“Severance” has officially become the most-watched Apple TV+ series, beating out former champion “Ted Lasso” — but you’re probably not surprised.
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 team.
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.”
