In 2022, Dahmer was the clear winner when it came to most mentions during a single week. This Netflix release, which is based on a true story, follows one of the most notorious serial killers in the US.

Dahmer earned a somewhat disappointing score of 57% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes – but there’s an explanation. This low score, and the large number of online mentions, are likely due to the controversy surrounding the show. Some viewers were angry about the show’s depiction of the victims, some criticized the subject in general, and others simply wanted to watch something more lighthearted.

In second place was Wednesday, which saw the second-highest peak in unique author mentions. This comedy horror turned mystery overtook Dahmer to become Netflix’s second most popular English-language series of all time, behind Stranger Things.

Speaking of Stranger Things – this was 2022’s biggest all-round hit. Released in two parts across May and July (which is the cause for the two peaks in mention numbers), Stranger Things’ cult following is only growing.

So, these were the winners by mention volume in a single week. But are the most watched shows really the best? Let’s find out.

2022’s best shows?

We looked into the sentiment surrounding 2022’s most viewed shows to see which came out on top.

The Last Kingdom blew away the competition with 81% of sentiment-categorized mentions being positive. Series 5 of this British historical fiction television show was released last March, and it gathered an overwhelmingly positive reception – receiving 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was even called ‘one of the best series in history.’ That’s impressive.

Ozark and Bridgerton were runners-up when it came to positive sentiment. Both of these shows released new seasons in 2022, exciting old fans and intriguing new ones.

Dahmer received the most negative sentiment, at 94%. As we covered above, this is due to the show’s dark storyline and the related controversy. 

Interestingly, the Great British Baking Show was the second-most negatively discussed program, with 86% of sentiment-categorized mentions being negative. Early seasons of the show were removed from Netflix at the start of the year, and many long-term fans took to social media to vent.

In fact, when any show is removed from a streaming platform, we can see a similar pattern. Fans are especially disappointed with unfinished storylines for canceled shows, using social to find others who think the same.

Brands can use this data to discover which shows – or products – fans like the most. After all, the voice of the consumer is paramount.

What’s trending in 2023?

The beauty of social listening is that you can stay on the pulse of what’s trending right now. We looked at online conversations to find people discussing their current binge-worthy recommendations, to see what’s worth watching tonight.

The recent season of Drive to Survive received almost 12k social mentions in a single day last week after the new release. The show follows the F1 teams throughout the yearly Grand Prix Championship, and was released ahead of the new racing season this weekend. 

People took to social to discuss season 4 of You. The show was a hit with over 92 million hours viewed in the week of its release. The suspenseful episodes had people on the edge of their seats, as people continue their love of thrillers – which we saw plenty of towards the end of 2022.

This February, the US and Canada celebrated Black History Month, and we saw a number of related shows thriving. Documentary series African Queens: Njinga stole the public eye as fans discuss the true tellings of Africa’s most fascinating rulers. Plus, Hulu’s mini-series The 1619 Project – featuring Nikole Hannah-Jones – discusses the consequences of slavery in America. Both shows were heavily commended online throughout February.

So, what makes a good TV show?

When it comes to online chatter, the best-performing shows last year were mostly new seasons of already popular shows. From Stranger Things to The Last Kingdom, many of these renewals have an already thriving cult following. And with each new release comes hoards of brand new fans.

Equally, you don’t need to be a new season of an existing show to thrive in the limelight. Dahmer and Wednesday were new releases, and they both stole the title of Netflix’s second most popular English-language series of all time (Stranger Things is yet to be topped). First Dahmar took the title, and then Wednesday snagged the second place from Dahmer.

The theme for 2022 seemed to be horror. With Wednesday’s mystery killer, Dahmer’s dark drama, and Stranger Things’ supernatural forces, we were all feeling gloomy last year. In 2023, maybe we’re seeing a similar theme with the popularity of You.

But it’s early days. We’ll have to keep on the pulse of the social data to see what comes out on top.