The streaming landscape is shifting once again as Netflix moves to cement its dominance by aggressively expanding its catalogue on two distinct fronts. In a bid to capture audiences across the spectrum, the platform has secured the rights to Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed Western drama 1883, whilst simultaneously celebrating a massive ratings victory with its latest German original production, Unfamiliar.

The Yellowstone Universe Expands

For fans of high-stakes ranch drama, the arrival of 1883 marks a significant acquisition for the streaming giant. Netflix already hosts four of the five seasons of the flagship blockbuster Yellowstone, and the addition of this prequel—previously exclusive to Paramount+—offers subscribers a deeper dive into the lore of the Dutton family.

Premiering originally in 2021, 1883 serves as a gritty origin story for the wider Yellowstone saga. The narrative charts the harrowing journey of the Dutton ancestors in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Viewers follow the family as they depart Tennessee for Fort Worth, Texas, joining a wagon train bound for the perilous Oregon Trail before eventually settling in Montana to establish the land that would become the Yellowstone Ranch. The series boasts a stellar cast, headlined by Sam Elliott alongside real-life country music power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

However, viewers diving into the series for the first time should be aware of its structural limitations. Despite the insatiable appetite of the fandom—with online forums awash with praise for the “brilliantly put together” storyline—there is no second season in the pipeline. Creator Taylor Sheridan has been firm in his stance that 1883 was designed from the outset as a limited series. According to reports, Sheridan was given a tight window to write and film the project to support the launch of Paramount’s streaming service, leading him to treat the project as a “10-hour movie with an ending.” Although Paramount teased the possibility of additional episodes in early 2022, those plans were quietly shelved, leaving the series as a singular, self-contained chapter.

German Production Tops Global Charts

While the American West draws in one demographic, Netflix is seeing unprecedented success with its European output. The new German mystery series Unfamiliar (produced by Gaumont) has quietly become a juggernaut, outperforming established English-language heavyweights.

Following a strong debut, viewership for Unfamiliar surged significantly in its second week. The series recorded 4.9 million views in its first seven days, a figure that more than doubled to 10.4 million views the following week. In total, the drama amassed 15.3 million views just eleven days post-release. Under Netflix’s current metrics, a “view” represents the total hours watched divided by the series’ runtime, providing a figure roughly analogous to the average number of households that have watched the programme in its entirety.

These figures make Unfamiliar the most successful launch for a German series since the psychological thriller Dear Child (Liebes Kind) in 2022. For context, Dear Child had racked up 25.6 million views by its second week, while last year’s Cassandra sat at 14.4 million at the same eleven-day milestone.

Overtaking English-Language Hits

Perhaps most tellingly, Unfamiliar has managed to eclipse major Anglo-American productions. In the past week, it not only topped the charts for non-English language series but also surpassed the viewership of Netflix’s English-language offerings. The latest series of The Lincoln Lawyer managed only 9.6 million views in its second week, whilst the fourth season of the period drama Bridgerton trailed with 9.4 million views in its third week of release.

The German drama has found a global audience, breaking into the Top 10 in 90 countries and claiming the number one spot in 35 of them. Curiously, however, the series failed to take the top spot in its home market. In Germany, viewers were more captivated by the four-part documentary Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. Despite being roughly five and a half years old, the documentary has resurfaced following the release of new files related to the case. A similar trend was observed in Austria, where Unfamiliar landed in fourth place, sitting behind the Epstein documentary, as well as Bridgerton and The Lincoln Lawyer.