Martin Henderson’s Netflix hit Virgin River has overtaken cult horror Stranger Things as the most popular show on the platform in the US, taking out the No.1 spot in weekly ratings.
The romantic drama, in which the former Shortland Street star plays love interest Jack Sheridan, generated more than 2.6 billion minutes of viewing from July 18 to 24, according to Nielsen – the week the 12-episode fourth season dropped on the platform.
Stranger Things ended with close to 2.3 billion minutes, and until that week in July had been the most watched show each week for eight weeks in a row. It is still the biggest English-language series on Netflix globally.
Virgin River follows Mel as she looks for an escape from her past by moving from Los Angeles to the small town Virgin River.
She takes up the role of the town’s nurse, and quickly mingles with all the quirky characters of the town’s tight-knit community including Jack, who owns the local bar.
Mel and Jack immediately strike up a friendship that borders on romance, however both characters have ghosts of the past getting in the way.
Stuff reviewer James Croot describes the show as the “ultimate comfort watch,” a quality that’s helped win enough fans to boost the show to the top.
