Lucifer may have gotten the axe from broadcast network television because Fox wasn't satisfied with the ratings, but it definitely doesn't seem to be suffering as a streaming series on Netflix. The devilishly fun series made its Netflix debut back on May 8, and calculations in the weeks since that premiere suggest that Lucifer is absolutely crushing it in binge views.
Lucifer has held the top spot on TV Time's rundown of the most binged shows each of the five weeks since Season 4 premiered on Netflix in May. The rankings include shows from broadcast networks as well as digital services, so Lucifer wasn't up against just other streaming shows.
Notably, Lucifer was on top of Game of Thrones for each of the five weeks, and Game of Thrones was still airing new episodes two of those weeks. It also ranked above shows like Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and (somewhat surprisingly) NBC's Good Girls.
The closest Lucifer came to losing the top spot was the week of May 20 - May 26, when it was not even 2% above Game of Thrones. Considering the Game of Thrones series finale aired May 19 (unfortunately for HBO), however, I would say Lucifer should be pretty happy about keeping an edge over arguably the biggest show in TV history. It was going strong in the reports from May, and the numbers reported from June so far are definitely solid.
Now, all of this said, Netflix is notorious for not releasing official viewership numbers and ratings for its shows, and the reports courtesy of TV Time haven't been confirmed by the streaming giant. Netflix undoubtedly has its own numbers.
Still, landing the top spot on any report of binge popularity is something to be proud of, especially since it was initially cancelled because not enough people were watching. Viewership matters differently on streaming than broadcast television; perhaps streaming was the right medium for Lucifer all along.
Besides, Netflix must be happy enough with whatever numbers Lucifer has produced, binge-watching and otherwise. Netlix renewed Lucifer for its fifth season last week, and many Netflix series don't last nearly that long.
There's also the point that as much as Season 4 ended on a cliffhanger, it was one that wouldn't have been entirely infuriating if that season finale turned out to be the series finale. Sure, Lucifer was back in Hell, but fans could always imagine what would happen next for him.
Well, fans don't have to imagine forever, although there's no news at this point of just when Season 5 will premiere. Sadly, Season 5 will be the final season of Lucifer. The cast reacted to the renewal on social media, and the prevailing feelings among them seems to be joy and gratitude mixed with some bittersweetness.
If you want to join the masses reportedly binge-watching Lucifer, you can find all four seasons streaming on Netflix now. Plenty of other shows are coming to the streamer in the not-too-distant future as well, so there's lots to keep you busy during the wait for the fifth and final season.
