Unexpected series flattens House of the Dragon & Umbrella Academy after landing on Netflix
While returning shows like House of the Dragon and The Umbrella Academy have dominated the charts in recent weeks, an older series has blown all of the competition out of the water after landing on Netflix.
Last summer, theSuits renaissancesaw the 2011 legal drama smash all kinds of viewership records when it dropped on thestreaming service. And it looks like the same might be happening with Prison Break.

The entertaining drama-thriller series, starring Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, ran for four seasons from 2005-2009, before returning for a fifth chapter in 2017. So, why the sudden surge in viewership?
Although the lead actors have beenfocusing on other projects of late, all five seasons of Prison Break became available onNetflixon July 29.

Once again, the quality of the show and ease of having it all in onebinge-worthyformat has seen the series shoot up in the charts. There’s also the fact that it’s on Hulu, too.
According to Nielsen’s streaming ratings for the week of August 5-11, Prison Break racked up 1.6 billion viewing minutes. This puts it in first place, aboveThe Umbrella Academy, which earned 1.4 million minutes despite dropping itsfourth and final seasonthat week.

Bluey came in third place with 1 billion minutes, while Grey’s Anatomy earned 940 million.
You might be surprised to seeHouse of the Dragononly came in fifth place with 935 million minutes viewed, although the drop-off makes sense when you consider that theSeason 2 finaleaired on August 4.

Given it’s widely considered to be one of thebest TV showsin existence (aside from the not-so-favorable Season 5), it’s no surprise Prison Break is performing well, especially when it’s a relatively quiet period for new streaming originals.
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Fans new and old have been tuning in since it arrived on Netflix, with onewritingon X/Twitter, “Netflix I love you for bringing back Prison Break.”
“Prison break back on Netflix? Time to hibernate,”quippedanother, while a thirdadded, “Prison break is finally on Netflix. Time to watch for the 100th time.”
If you’re looking for something else to watch, take a look at the newTV shows coming to streamingthis month. you’re able to also check out everything we know aboutSquid Game Season 2,Virgin River Season 6, andStranger Things Season 5.