Apple TV's New Sci-Fi Thriller Series Dominates Streaming Popularity Chart

Summary Dark Matter is the number one most popular title on streaming for the week of May 9 – 15.

The show is the latest in a long line of well-reviewed sci-fi series on Apple TV Plus.

It's unclear if Dark Matter season 2 will happen given the lack of source material.

Apple TV Plus' Dark Matter series dominates a new streaming popularity ranking. Created by Blake Crouch and based on Crouch's own 2016 novel, the sci-fi thriller series follows Joel Edgerton's Jason, a physicist, as he is abducted into an alternate reality version of his life. The Dark Matter reviews have been mostly positive thus far, with praise directed at Edgerton's lead performance and the show's twisting, mind-bending narrative.

Following Dark Matter's premiere on May 8, the show now takes the number one spot on Reelgood's streaming popularity chart for the week of May 9 – 15. The series beats the likes of Fallout, Bodkin, and Baby Reindeer, cementing it as a major interest for viewers. Check out the full top 10 chart below of the most popular titles being watched in the U.S.:

Dark Matter Continues A Strong Apple TV Plus Trend

The Streamer Has Become A Home For Strong Sci-Fi

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Apple TV Plus is far from the most popular streaming service and still falls behind the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney Plus, but the service has become known for excelling when it comes to sci-fi TV shows. Popular sci-fi series on the platform include Foundation, For All Mankind, and Silo. The service also houses shows like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Invasion, and Constellation.

Title Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Dark Matter 78% 72% Foundation 86% 72% For All Mankind 93% 82% Silo 88% 63% Monarch: Legacy of Monsters 89% 77% Invasion 56% 50% Constellation 71% 63%

As seen in the chart above, the critical response has been generally quite positive to most of these shows, with a few exceptions. What's more, Apple TV Plus has managed to avoid the reputation that some other streamers have of cancelling shows that have passionate fan-bases. Foundation season 3 is confirmed to be on the way, Silo is returning for season 2, and For All Mankind was just recently renewed for season 5. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is also returning for season 2 and Invasion for season 3.

Constellation was cancelled after just one season.

It's not clear if Dark Matter season 2 will move forward given that season 1 essentially exhausts the source material, but the show is further proof of Apple TV Plus' value as a streaming service for consumers. Apple continues to pump large amounts of money into these types of creative, unique, well-reviewed shows and, for the most part, seems willing to continue many of these shows to their natural conclusions. It's unclear whether Dark Matter's popularity will continue over subsequent weeks, but the show is evidently off to a strong start.

New episodes of Dark Matter release on Wednesdays on Apple TV Plus.

Source: Reelgood