“Ratched,” Ryan Murphy’s Netflix prequel to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Next,” is the streamer’s top new series this year. It already has a two-season order.
Starring Emmy winner Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story,” “The People vs. O.J. Simpson”) as a younger Mildred Ratched, the show was viewed by 48 million households within its first 28 days, the streaming service said today.
In its first 28 days, 48 million members have booked an appointment with Nurse Ratched, making it our biggest original Season 1 of the year. pic.twitter.com/NjCR8uPuPP
— Netflix (@netflix) October 16, 2020
The series is inspired by Miloš Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which starred Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. The quasi-horror drama, adapted from Ken Kesey’s novel, detailed an inmate in a mental hospital taking down a vicious and corrupt nurse.
“Ratched” is Nurse Ratched’s terrifying back story, how a nurse morphed into a monster.
The Wrap reports that in Nielsen’s weekly Top 10 list of streaming programs, “Ratched” claimed the No. 1 spot for Sept. 14-20, though it debuted Sept. 18, soaring to 972 million total minutes viewed, the company’s measurement yardstick.
Netflix says its biggest launch to date was “The Witcher,” debuting Dec. 20, 2019 and seen by 76 million households in its first month. Henry Cavill stars in the fantasy series.
“Ratched” was created by Evan Romansky. Executive producers include Murphy, Ian Brennan and Paulson.