6 Years Later, Anya Taylor-Joy's 7-Part Masterpiece Is Still The King Of Netflix Miniseries

Published Sep 21, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT

Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering everything from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi epics.

Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the TV and movies team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time.

Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check.

When it comes to measuring the success of a Netflix show, there’s no better chart to refer to than the streamer’s official most popular TV list. Rather than capturing what happens to be trending during a particular week, Netflix’s all-time ranking measures titles by the views accumulated during their first 91 days, providing a snapshot of the biggest English-language TV releases in the platform’s history.

Since Netflix’s subscriber base has increased more-or-less year-on-year, it’s unsurprising that many newer shows perform considerably better during their first 91 days than classic titles. Consequently, the current all-time top 10 is largely populated by more recent releases, such as Wednesday season 2, Stranger Things season 5, and the 2026 Harlan Coben miniseries I Will Find You. There is, however, one major exception: The Queen’s Gambit.

A cultural phenomenon when it first released in 2020, The Queen’s Gambit follows chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) as she rises from an orphanage to the highest levels of competitive chess while struggling with addiction and personal loss across 7 pulse-pounding episodes. Six years after its debut, The Queen’s Gambit still occupies the #9 position on Netflix’s all-time English-language chart, with 112.8 million views in its first 91 days. That longevity would be impressive for any Netflix hit. For a self-contained miniseries about chess, it’s extraordinary.

The Queen’s Gambit Is Continuing To Defy Expectations

The Queen’s Gambit remaining among Netflix’s 10 biggest English-language shows six years later is nothing short of mindblowing, especially when it’s had to withstand a constant stream of new competition. Eight of the other nine current entries arrived after it (the only one that didn’t was Bridgerton season 1). Yet, with 112.8 million views and 746.4 million hours watched during its first 91 days, Beth Harmon’s story has refused to disappear from Netflix’s official list of most popular TV shows.

The success of the Anya Taylor-Joy miniseries was far from guaranteed too. A drama centered on competitive chess doesn’t have the obvious mass-market appeal of supernatural sci-fi horror, period drama romance, or an impactful crime thriller. Nevertheless, The Queen’s Gambit transformed its matches into genuinely gripping viewing while making Beth’s personal journey just as central to the plot as her chess success.

The scale of the response quickly became undeniable. Netflix reported in November 2020 that 62 million households had watched The Queen’s Gambit during its first 28 days under the company’s then-current measurement system. The series reached the Top 10 in 92 countries and hit #1 in 63, becoming Netflix’s biggest scripted limited series at the time.

Six years of pop culture-dominating Netflix releases in the time since have changed that record, but they haven’t erased the achievement. The Queen’s Gambit was designed as seven episodes telling one complete story, yet it remains surrounded on the all-time chart by some of Netflix’s biggest franchises like Stranger Things and Wednesday. The fact it still holds #9 position in the streamer’s most popular English language shows ever released is beyond impressive, and another miniseries remaining on the list for as many years is highly unlikely to say the least.

The Impact Of The Queen’s Gambit Reached Far Beyond Netflix

The success of The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix would already make it one of the defining miniseries of the streaming era, but its influence wasn’t confined to viewing figures. The show helped turn chess into a genuine pop-culture phenomenon. In the weeks following The Queen’s Gambit’s release, sales of chess books rose 603%, while demand for physical chess sets jumped 87% (via Variety).

The pandemic and the growth of online chess were also important parts of that boom, so The Queen’s Gambit cannot receive sole credit. However, its contribution was significant enough that chess organizations, retailers, players, and commentators repeatedly identified the series as a major catalyst. Years later, many specialists continue to credit the show with helping drive chess’s renewed popularity, particularly among younger players (via the UN Regional Information Center).

That may ultimately be an even more impressive legacy than its Netflix ranking. Plenty of streaming shows generate enormous viewing figures before disappearing from the wider conversation. The Queen’s Gambit inspired people to learn a centuries-old game, buy boards, join online platforms, and reconsider what compelling sports drama could look like.