Wednesday becomes most popular Addams Family adaptation with viewers since 1960s

Wednesday has been a hit with viewers, shooting up Netflix’s streaming charts into the coveted number-one spot in multiple countries. The series has also set an impressive new milestone as well to become the highest-rated Addams series on Rotten Tomatoes with audiences since the 1960s. 

Focusing on Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega), the show follows her – and her spooky family – as she gets shipped off to a new boarding school called Nevermore. Here, she finds herself investigating a series of strange murders after discovering that she has psychic powers. 

It’s the latest in a long line of Addams Family adaptations since the classic cartoon was created by Charles Addams in the 1930s. But, according to The Independent, it’s also been one of the most popular.

Wednesday landed some mixed reviews upon release, but viewer consensus has been much more positive. The eight-part series currently has a 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The score means it’s the highest-ranked adaptation on the platform since the 1964 TV series, which ran until 1966. The first season has an audience score of 94%, based on 25 reviews. 

Wednesday tops the 1991 film The Addams Family which holds a 66% audience rating, whereas its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values has 63%. In recent years, MGM has also produced two animated adaptations of the Addams Family, released in 2019 and 2021. Both have an audience score of 69%.

For more on the Netflix series, check out what the showrunner had to say about Wednesday season 2 and what Tim Burton revealed about the Hyde monster. If you’re searching for your next binge, we’ve also rounded up the best Netflix shows available now.