Series Snapshot ~ 11/6/2025

Welcome to the Series Snapshot, a weekly deep dive into the shows topping the streaming charts.

Netflix’s top streamed series this week is the new season of The Witcher, now starring Liam Hemsworth as the titular Geralt of Rivia, previously played by Henry Cavill. Despite the bold casting change and high viewership, the fourth season is currently rated most poorly against prior seasons. The Witcher (originally a novel series by Andrzej Sapkowski) is best known for its popular RPG series from CD Projekt Red. The Netflix live-action series has always been met with harsh criticism, as many videogame adaptations face difficulties in translating an interactive experience into a passive one, and fervently dedicated fans with high standards can be hard to appease. The newest iteration has received criticism for feeling half-hearted, both in performances as well as writing. Additionally, viewers bemoan the lack of a gripping season arc and also point out lackluster make-up and CGI, which make the series feel cheap without the charm of tongue-in-cheek camp. The Witcher also stars Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan, and was created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. 

A similar situation happened at Hulu this week- new series All’s Fair is both most-watched, and receiving generally poor reviews. All’s Fair follows a team of women divorce attorneys who navigate the high-stakes world of top law-firms, and features a cast with huge star power, Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close, to name a few. However, critics and fans feel the series is boring, poorly executed, and sloppily written. The real value exists in ironic viewership, and viewers seem to be watching it for that spectacle. Time will tell if the series will hold the attention of its audience past initial curiosity. All’s Fair was created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken. 

At HBO Max, another win for the adapted series It: Welcome to Derry, based on the Stephen King novel and recent films. The series has been garnering praise for its intense scares, eerie atmosphere and gruesome body horror. On top of being truly scary, strong writing and acting performances elevate the show beyond “spin-off” and into something that stands on its own. Some nitpicks around performances from child actors as well as occasionally bad dialogue are noticed, but easily forgiven. The show stars fan-favorite Bill Skarsgard, who returns as the evil clown Pennywise, as well as Taylor Paige, and Jovan Adepo. It: Welcome to Derry was created by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs. 

Amazon’s massive worldwide hit The Summer I Turned Pretty is back at the top this week, as GenV drops back in viewership. Summer I Turned Pretty has maintained consistently high viewership, and generally stays high in the list, so we’ve seen it jump back to number one a few times after its peak viewership early this year. Anticipation has grown amongst fans for the highly hinted at theatrical release of a final feature film, and creator Jenny Han recently confirmed a movie is in production. The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Gavin Casalegno, Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, and Rain Spencer.

AppleTV original series The Last Frontier holds its place at the top again, ahead of Slow Horses and The Morning Show. The Last Frontier has received pretty mixed reviews, with praise for the performance of Jason Clarke, but heavy criticism for the series' less interesting subplots, and inconsistent pacing. Viewers and critics agree that the show has a great premise but ultimately fumbles the execution. The Last Frontier also stars Dominic Cooper and Haley Bennett, and was created by Jon Bokenkamp.  

For Disney Plus, ABC original High Potential racks up another week at the top of the charts, marking its fourth consecutive week as most streamed on the platform, and fifth number one week in total since season two premiered on September 16. The series has been seen as a nostalgic comfort, reminiscent of 2000’s procedurals like Psych and White Collar. Kaitlin Olson is a revelation, consistently praised for her standout performance, and the series also gets high marks for its witty writing and quick dialogue. The show’s massive success almost guarantees a third season, though no official statements have been made. High Potential was created by Drew Goddard and also stars Daniel Sunjata and Judy Reyes. 

Netflix 

The Witcher - Season four

Premiered October 30, 2025

Starring Liam Hemsworth, Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan

Created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

Hulu 

Alls Fair - Season one

Premiered November 4, 2025

Starring Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close

Created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken

HBO MAX

It: Welcome to Derry

Premiered October 26th, 2025

Starring Bill Skarsgård, Taylour Paige and Jovan Adepo.

Created by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs

Amazon

The Summer I Turned Pretty - Season three

Premiered July 16, 2025

Starring Gavin Casalegno, Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, and Rain Spencer

Created by Jenny Han

AppleTV

The Last Frontier 

Premiered Oct. 10, 2025

Starring Jason Clarke, Dominic Cooper and Haley Bennett

Created by Jon Bokenkamp

Disney+

High Potential - Season two

Premiered September 16, 2025

Starring Kaitlin Olson, Daniel Sunjata, and Judy Reyes

Created by Drew Goddard