Years of unprecedented secrecy, a hard to explain premise and a title many have to look up in the dictionary did not hamper Pluribus‘ launch as Apple TV‘s most viewed drama of all time. According to the streamer, the series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan broke the record previously held by Severance Season 2 for the biggest global drama series launch cross Apple TV’s more than 100 territories, led by the U.S., UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, India and France.
In the U.S., the top delivery has been corroborated by the Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings, measuring minutes for Episodes 1 and 2 of drama originals over premiere weekend. Pluribus, starring Rhea Seehorn, debuted with two episodes Friday, Nov. 7.
While official Nielsen data will not be available for a couple of weeks, Luminate reported earlier this week that Pluribus logged 6.4M hours with its first two episodes over the first seven days of release in the U.S., a strong showing that landed the series at #4 for the week behind shows that all had significantly more episodes available.
There also has been anecdotal evidence, with reports of the Apple TV app crashing from high demand after the first two episodes of Pluribus were put up on the platform.
“Rarely has keeping the secret of a show we love so much been as fun or as rewarding an experience as it has been with Pluribus,” Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming, said. “Vince’s strikingly inventive premise blew us away from the second we read it, and witnessing the brilliance with which he has brought this series to life is truly remarkable. “It’s a thrill to watch audiences worldwide get hooked on this thought-provoking, insightful and darkly funny show rooted in humanity by an exceptional cast led by the talented Rhea Seehorn. and we can’t wait for viewers to dive deeper into the mystery.”
In a bidding war, Apple TV landed Pluribus in 2022 with a two-season order. The genre-bending sci-fi drama follows the most miserable person on Earth, Carol Sturka (Seehorn), who must save the world from happiness. The series also stars Karolina Wydra and Carlos-Manuel Vesga, and guest stars Miriam Shor and Samba Schutte.
The fourth episode of Pluribus, “Please, Carol,” debuts on Apple TV tomorrow, Nov. 21, 2025, followed by new episodes every Friday through December 26. You can view the clip below.
Additionally, full chapter from “Bloodsong of Wycaro,” drawn from the world of Pluribus, is now available on Apple Books.
Pluribus is produced by Sony Pictures Television and executive produced by Gilligan alongside Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Diane Mercer, Allyce Ozarski, and Jeff Frost. Jenn Carroll and Trina Siopy serve as co-executive producers.
