3 Body Problem is a galactic misfire for Netflix, but its season 2 chances are far from over

Finishing runner-up in its debut week on Netflix

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The viewing figures are in for3 Body Problem– and, well, the future doesn’t look good for Netflix’s latest big-budget TV epic.

Revealing the latest viewership data on itsin-house Top 10 website, Netflix confirmed that the mind-melting – and costly – sci-fi series failed to attract audiences in its first five days on the platform.3 Body Problemonly debuted at number 2 on the streaming giant’s weekly TV chart, amassing a less-than-impressive total of 81.7 million hours streamed. That represents a paltry 11 million total views; a figure calculated by dividing the number of hours streamed by season 1’s total runtime of seven hours and 24 minutes.

For comparison’s sake,Netflix’s live-action adaptations of two of thebest animeever made –One PieceandAvatar: The Last Airbender– were smash hits, despite their equally expensive outlays. The latter racked up 21.2 million total views (153.4 million hours viewed) in its first five days post-launch, while the former amassed 18.5 million views (140.1 million hours streamed) three days after its Netflix debut.

Trying to explain 3 Body Problem to my friends pic.twitter.com/2t2W849uRyMarch 26, 2024

The bad news doesn’t stop there for3 Body Problem, which was developed for Netflix byGame of Thrones' TV creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff alongsideTrue Bloodshowrunner Alex Woo. Indeed, the TV adaptation of Liu Cixin’s best-selling book series finished runner-up to Guy Ritchie’sThe Gentlemen, which earned 700,000 more views than3 Body Problem. That’s in spite ofThe Gentlemenbeing available on the world’sbest streaming servicefor the past three weeks.

Now,The Gentlemenisn’t a terrible show – it’s pretty good, in fact – but, considering that Netflix expected3 Body Problemto perform much better than it did, being beaten by a three-week-old series isnota good look for its latest TV spectacle.

I’m not overly surprised that3 Body Problemfailed to capture viewers' attention. In myreview of3 Body Problem, I labeled it “a cleverly constructed and sweeping epic… [that] has the makings of an HBO-style prestige drama”, but said its “reductive plot threads and storytelling deviations will irritate fans… [and] its more cerebral elements and plot pacing might baffle others”. It seems that audiences had similar issues, judging by the reactions I’ve seen online.

We might invite you to play again

In light of3 Body Problem’s subpar performance, we don’t have a more concrete answer to our most pressing question: will Netflix renew the series for a second season?

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Netflix is notoriously difficult to read when it comes to potential show renewals, with the streaming titan taking a number of factors into consideration before it decides whether to continue with or cancel a show. Thathasn’t stopped3 Body Problem’s creators from working on season 2, but I suspect they might want to put a temporary pause on their pre-production plans ahead of the series' underwhelming debut display.

So, what are the chances of Netflix greenlighting3 Body Problemseason 2? I’m going to divide opinion here by ironically sitting on the fence and saying there’s a 50:50 chance it’ll be renewed. There are two big reasons – one for each side of the argument – for my reluctance to commit.

In its first four days, #3BodyProblem ranks ahead of 1899 and Resident Evil but notably behind the likes of Avatar, One Piece and The Watcher.All eyes are now on how well the series grows in viewership in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/odiJKS3tcMMarch 26, 2024

On the ‘case for renewal’ side,3 Body Problemhas actually performed better than other Netflix TV Originals that’ll return for second seasons. PerWhat’s On Netflix, it outpacedThe Diplomat,My Life With The Walter Boys,Unstable,Survival of the Thickest, andThat 90s Showin the viewership stakes. All of those series are coming back for more installments, so why wouldn’t3 Body Problemdo likewise?

There’s a simple answer to that question, though: cost. According toThe Wall Street Journal,3 Body Problemreportedly cost $20 million per episode. Cumulatively, that means Netflix splurged at least $160 million on season 1, an outlay that makes it one of the streamer’s most expensive TV Originals yet. While we don’t have financial figures to compare its development costs to the aforementioned quintet, it’s highly unlikely that any of them were as expensive as3 Body Problemwas.

There’s still time for3 Body Problemto prove that it’s worth a second season. Some Netflix shows live or die by word of mouth – just look atStranger ThingsandSquid Game, whose popularity grew as more people talked about how good they were, as evidence of that. It’s possible, then, that3 Body Problemcould follow a similar trajectory, and perform better in the weeks ahead.

If it struggles to make an impact in the days to come, though, Netflix has a big decision to make. Does it throw more money at its newest TV extravaganza by greenlighting season 2, despite its poor showing? Or does it pull the plug early, and ask Benioff and Weiss – who signed a first-look deal with Netflix, don’t forget – to come up with another idea for a potentially successful series? Forget the impending alien invasion that humanity has to prepare for in the show – it’s the next seven days (at the time of writing) that’ll be pivotal to3 Body Problem’s survival.

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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

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