“Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” has become the third Netflix series to surpass 1 billion viewing hours within 60 days, following in the footsteps of previous hit titles “Squid Game” and “Stranger Things 4.” It’s the second English-language series to accomplish the feat.
Recently renewed as an anthology series for two more seasons, the first installment of “Monster” hails from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan and follows the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters). The true crime show has dominated viewership on the streamer, spending seven weeks on the Netflix Global Top 10 and reaching the Top 10 in 92 countries. It also broke into the Most Popular English TV list of all time in less than two weeks, currently ranked at No. 2.
“Dahmer” also broke a record on the Nielsen streaming list, become the 10th most-watched streaming debut ever. Later on, it climbed up to become the seventh most-viewed streaming program in one week in the U.S, holding a No. 1 spot for three consecutive weeks.
Despite the show’s popularity, the series has drawn intense backlash for its sensationalizing of Dahmer, and many of the victims’ loved ones have come forward to say the series has been “retraumatizing” for them. In response, Murphy said he had reached out to the families about the making of the series and hadn’t heard back, adding that the show was made to honor the victims. The writer-producer also said he would pay for a memorial for those lost in Milwaukee, which Thomas M. Jacobson — who represented eight of the victims’ families during the Dahmer trial — dismissed as an “afterthought.”
“Dahmer,” which premiered Sept. 21, is created and executive produced by Murphy and Brennan, along with EPs Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun,Janet Mock, Carl Franklin (Episode 1) and star Peters. Color of Change president Rashad Robinson served as consulting producer. In addition to Peters, the series stars Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, Michael Learned and Niecy Nash.
