What's everybody been watching this week then?
We've dug into the latest data from streaming aggregator ReelGood, which pulls viewing figures from streaming sites in the UK and the US, and broken out the top 10 most watched TV shows of the past week.
There have been some pretty big releases recently, so as you can probably imagine Obi-Wan Kenobi and Stranger Things are leading the charge, while some previous entries like Barry and Better Call Saul continue to rack up the views.
From true crime drama to gory superhero shows, here are the top 10 most streamed TV shows of the week...
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi
It had to be really, didn't it? Disney+'s latest Star Wars foray, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which follows the titular hero (played by Ewan McGregor) on a quest to save Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from the clutches of Inquisitor Reva (Moses Ingram) 10 years after the events of Episode III. It became the most-watched Disney+ original after its opening weekend. The people simply can't get enough Star Wars.
How to watch: Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.
2. Stranger Things
Another wildly unsurprising entry is the Duffer brothers' Stranger Things, which recently returned for the first volume of its fourth (and final) season. Our core characters are all a lot more grown up this time around, but Hawkins is still just as scary and monster-riddled as ever (and the soundtrack is, as always, banging).
What we thought: You’ve waited a long time to go back to Hawkins — three years to be exact (or a whole pandemic, a few collapsing democracies, a Capitol insurrection, an ongoing war, etc, etc, etc). Certainly, Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 rewards that patience by welcoming you back with an over-abundance of what we've always loved about this cult hit since 2016. — Jess Joho, Staff Writer
How to watch: Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix.
3. The Boys
Eric Kripke's gory superhero series has punched its way back onto our screens with a third season, following Billy (Karl Urban) and Hughie (Jack Quaid) as they go up against Homelander (Antony Starr) again after the events of Season 2. Expect gratuitous violence aplenty, from Season 1 all the way to the brand new Season 3 streaming from June 10.
What we thought: In some ways, Season 2 is The Boys we came to know in 2019. It's still relentlessly dark and oppressively bleak in its portrayal of the world. It's also still gory as hell, and perhaps even moreso this time. But if you're here, you already know what to expect and are prepared for graphic scenes of explosive dismemberment and compound fractures. — Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter and Editor
How to watch: The Boys is now streaming on Prime Video.
4. The Lincoln Lawyer
Netflix's adaptation of Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer shot to the top of the streaming service's "Most Watched" list upon its release. The legal thriller stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, a Los Angeles lawyer who takes cases from the back of his Lincoln Town Car.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Lincoln Lawyer is now streaming on Netflix.
5. The Orville
The third season of Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi dramedy sees the return of the titular USS Orville, with the crew — led by Captain Ed Mercer (MacFarlane himself) — heading off on a series of new interplanetary adventures. Make the most of it, too, as there's currently a question mark over whether or not a Season 4 will happen.
How to watch: The Orville is now streaming on Hulu.
6. Barry
Bill Hader and Alec Berg's dark comedy about a relocating hitman is back for its third season, following on from a tense cliffhanger at the end of Season 2. Hader returns as the titular hero, starring alongside Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan and Michael Irby in this well-written dramedy.*
What we thought: From the show's premiere in 2018, Barry's underlying moral dilemma was whether or not the eponymous antihero is a good man. He knows for a fact that he wants to be, but time and again Barry lashes out, kills someone, or torpedoes his own life while trying to stay the course. Season 3 pushes this further, confronting the Barry we've come to know with the man he was before Los Angeles and an increasingly blank, threatening space where his envisioned future used to be. We're still rooting for him, but we can't guarantee he'll be okay. — Proma Khosla, former Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Barry is streaming now on HBO.
7. Under the Banner of Heaven
Another true crime miniseries — this one based on the non-fiction book by Jon Krakauer — Under the Banner of Heaven stars Andrew Garfield in his first foray into prestige TV. Garfield plays Jeb Pyre, a detective investigating the murder of a mother (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby that may have involved the Mormon Church.*
How to watch: Under the Banner of Heaven is now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes every Thursday.
8. Night Sky
Holden Miller's sci-fi drama certainly sounds intriguing: Two grandparents, Franklin (J.K. Simmons) and Irene (Sissy Spacek), have for years lived with the secret of a portal in their backyard that leads to a station on a deserted planet. Sign us up.
How to watch: Night Sky is currently streaming on Prime Video.
9. Hacks
The killer duo of Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) is back for Season 2 of HBO's Hacks. This season takes the two comedians on the road for Deborah's new tour, where she's struggling with more personal material. On top of the tour, Ava is worried about a very inflammatory email that she sent at the end of Season 1, which could blow up her whole relationship with Deborah.* — B.E.
What we thought: Deborah's failure to gain momentum on her tour means the first few episodes may move a bit more slowly than you'd expect. But don't doubt for a minute that Hacks has lost its magic. The jokes still land, and Deborah and Ava's interactions are consistently golden... I'll gladly hitch a ride with Deborah and Ava wherever they're going next. — B.E.
How to watch: Hacks is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes every Thursday.
10. Better Call Saul
If you missed Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), you're clearly not alone. The Breaking Bad prequel, now in its sixth and final season, remains one of the most-watched shows of the week. Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, and Jonathan Banks remain excellent, as do the rest of the cast. Plus, Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are confirmed to appear this season, so it feels like the gang's really getting back together.* — B.E.
What we thought: For several key players, the stakes have never been higher. Reputations, relationships, and lives are on the line, and mounting tension in the first two episodes alone exposes seldom-seen sides of characters we thought we had all figured out. —Nicole Gallucci, former Senior Editor
How to watch: Better Call Saul is now streaming on Netflix and on AMC+.
* Asterisks indicate the writeup is adapted from another Mashable article.
