There’s a lot of buzz about Netflix originals this fall, and while Wednesday is getting the lion’s share of the attention with many subscribers, 1899 is continuing to crush and capture some glory right behind it. Surprisingly, both critics and fans are on board with this series being an enjoyable watch.
1899 is currently ranked second in the top ten most-viewed shows on Netflix, nearly two weeks after it was released. Also impressive is its Rotten Tomatoes score, which has both critics and audiences in agreement on its quality. Critics have it at 79% while audiences have it just a bit lower at 76%. That’s a pretty solid showing, especially for an original streaming series, even if it's not quite as high as The Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special.
For those out of the loop, 1899 is a new series centered on a ship of immigrants traveling from Europe to America in the last year before the turn of the 19th century. The ship is set off course after receiving a message from the Prometheus, a ship believed to have sunk months before.
The passengers find the missing ship, and while I won’t dive into spoilers, the situation gets pretty supernatural from there on out. The series clocks in at eight episodes, and has been generating a lot of positive attention since its release on November 17.
For some, it may be little surprise that 1899 is gathering a lot of attention. The new show hails from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, who brought the acclaimed foreign thriller Dark to Netflix. That series also received a good deal of acclaim from critics, including CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola. Those who watched Dark may recognize actor Andreas Pietschmann in 1899, as he plays the ship’s captain Eyk.
1899 has already become another example of an international project becoming hugely successful on Netflix, as the German show actually boasts cast from different parts of the world speaking different languages. It's also the latest in a trend of international offerings finding success with critics as well as viewers, with Squid Games actor Lee Jung-jae winning an Emmy for Oustanding Lead Actor at the 2022 awards.
As for what the success with fans and critics means for the odds of 1899 getting a second season, I can’t say. What I will say is that viewers seem to have far more questions than answers at the end of Season 1, so there are undoubtedly plenty of people hoping that Netflix will grant it another season, and its current popularity and favorable reviews can't hurt the chances. In short, now might be a great time to use that Netflix subscription and check it out, and wait to see if Season 2 is confirmed in the coming weeks.
Check out 1899 on Netflix now. For anyone who has already watched, perhaps the next destination should be our list of best sci-fi movies, some of which may even be on streaming!
