62% of the 50 Most Popular Series Are Based on Something That Already Existed
DropTheOriginally published on DropThe.org. Of the 50 most popular series in our database of 50K+...
Originally published on DropThe.org.
Of the 50 most popular series in our database of 50K+ titles, 31 are adaptations, reboots, sequels, or spinoffs. Original IP accounts for just 19. The most-watched shows on every major streaming platform are overwhelmingly built on something that already existed.
The Top 20 Most Popular Series: Originals Are the Exception
We ranked series by community engagement across 50K+ titles. Here’s what the top 20 looks like when you sort by original vs. adapted:
| Rank | Series | Source | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Game of Thrones | George R.R. Martin novels | Adaptation |
| 2 | Stranger Things | — | Original |
| 3 | Money Heist | — | Original |
| 4 | The Walking Dead | Image Comics series | Adaptation |
| 5 | Squid Game | — | Original |
| 6 | Breaking Bad | — | Original |
| 7 | Lucifer | DC Comics / Vertigo | Adaptation |
| 8 | Riverdale | Archie Comics | Adaptation |
| 9 | The Good Doctor | Korean drama remake | Adaptation |
| 10 | WandaVision | Marvel Comics | Adaptation |
| 11 | The Big Bang Theory | — | Original |
| 12 | Loki | Marvel Comics | Adaptation |
| 13 | The Boys | Dynamite Comics | Adaptation |
| 14 | The Flash | DC Comics | Adaptation |
| 15 | Grey’s Anatomy | — | Original |
| 16 | Peaky Blinders | — | Original |
| 17 | The Mandalorian | Star Wars franchise | Adaptation |
| 18 | Rick and Morty | — | Original |
| 19 | The Simpsons | — | Original |
| 20 | Euphoria | Israeli series remake | Adaptation |
Eleven of the top 20 are adaptations. That includes every Marvel and DC property, both Star Wars series, and the number one show on the list. The originals that break through — Stranger Things, Squid Game, Breaking Bad — are the exceptions that make the rule visible.
Expand to Top 50 and It Gets Worse
The top 50 by engagement tells the full story.
62%
adapted
31 adaptations
19 originals
Source: DropThe.org | Top 50 series by community engagement
Comics alone supply 9 of the top 50. Book adaptations add another 7. Video game adaptations — The Last of Us, Arcane, The Witcher — are the fastest-growing source. Manga adaptations like Naruto, Attack on Titan, and Demon Slayer hold 4 spots.
This is an excerpt. Read the full analysis with charts and data on DropThe.org
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