Move over, Squid Game: The Challenge, there's a new kid on the Netflix block – literally.
Young Sheldon, a prequel spin-off of popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, was only added to Netflix last Friday (November 24), but already it's giving the streaming giant's Squid Game reality series a run for its money.
Per Comicbook.com, Young Sheldon, which has been licensed to Netflix by Max, is already sitting at number two on Netflix US' streaming charts. Despite the amount of money Netflix has thrown at its real-life iteration of Hwang Dong-hyuk's wildly successful show – and the hype it generated ahead of Squid Game: The Challenge's arrival – then, one of its TV originals could be usurped by a third-party offering.
For those unfamiliar with Young Sheldon: it's set a decade before The Big Bang Theory and it focuses on Sheldon's childhood in Texas with his parents. Making its debut in 2017, it's amassed six seasons of well-received comedy, with a seventh installment planned for early 2024. Reviews have generally been very positive, with critics praising the show's warm heart as well as its comic chops.
If it comes to it, Netflix likely won't take too kindly to Young Sheldon defeating Squid Game: The Challenge. Sure, the world's best streaming service might not ultimately care as, if Young Sheldon does win this week's TV crown, it'll have drawn in plenty of viewers for the streaming giant. Still, we suspect it'll be secretly disappointed if its Squid Game spin-off doesn't sit top of the tree when the latest Netflix Top 10 lists are revealed on Wednesday, November 29. In the meantime, read our guide on everything we know about Squid Game season 2.
Who's winning and losing in Netflix's TV charts?
Currently, Squid Game: The Challenge sits atop the Netflix charts, with the reality show having a ready-made audience due to the original series' unprecedented popularity. Interestingly, it's deposed Matt Rife's comedy special, which is down from number one last week and falling fast amid widespread revulsion at his use of domestic violence as a punchline and his subsequent reaction to criticism.
Nearly Normal Family is in at number three, with The Crown season 6 in at number four, First Wives Club number five and the aforementioned Rife one place lower. Demonic romance My Demon is in at seven, while Mike Birbiglia's one man show The Old Man and The Pool lounges about at number eight. That leaves the beautiful wartime epic All The Light We Cannot See at number nine, and the alarming docuseries Escaping Twin Flames in at number 10.
It'll be interesting to see if Young Sheldon retains its high ranking next week. Right now, five of its six seasons are available on Netflix, so it's likely fans will continue bingeing the series over the coming weeks. With a number of new Netflix movies and shows set to launch in time for the festive season, tough, it's possible Young Sheldon will start to fall when that pent-up demand has been satisfied.
That said, it might stay the distance for a while longer. Indeed, nobody expected Suits – another show that jumped from Max to Netflix this year – to become a huge Netflix hit, break many of the streamer's TV records in the process, and join our best Netflix shows guide as a result. Will Young Sheldon follow suit? Who knows, but we're eager to see if it does.
