Keira Knightley was a fixture on the big screen in the early 2000s, starting with her big role in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). That same year, she starred True lovewhich today is, for many, a Christmas classic. Knightley ended his 2010s with two more Pirates of the Caribbean films, as well as Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Atonement (2007).
Knightley continued to appear regularly in films throughout the 2010s and 2020s, with notable titles including The imitation game (2014), Everest (2015), and Boston Strangler (2023), but was notably absent from the television space. The actor's most recent foray into TV was as a narrator in the cartoon The Sound Collectorbut His big push in the medium only arrived in late 2024, with the release of a spy thriller show on Netflixa type of project Knightley has never tackled before.
Black Doves enters Netflix's global top 10 list
Keira Knightley's show received rave reviews
Black Doves
became a huge hit on Netflix after hitting critics. Created by Joe Barton, Netflix's spy thriller stars Knightley as Helen, a spy who finds her secret identity at risk after her lover is caught by dangerous London criminals. Also starring Ben Whishaw as Helen's old friend Sam, Black Doves has been met with critical acclaim, with the show scoring an impressive 98% on Rotten Tomatoes following its Netflix debut earlier this month.
Now, new data from Netflix reveals that Black Doves is the service's second most popular title globally for the week of December 2-8. The Madnessrecorded an impressive total of 10.8 million views this week, leading to 59.4 million hours watched for the six-episode series.
In addition to coming in second place globally and in the US, Netflix reveals that Black Doves made the top 10 list in a total of 89 countries, including Canada. The show ranks number one in 18 of those countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Australia and New Zealand. Check out the full list of the top 10 below:
|
Netflix Global Top 10 List (December 2-8) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Classification |
Title |
Total views |
|
1 |
The Madness (Limited Series) |
13.3 million |
|
2 |
Black Doves (S1) |
10.8 million |
|
3 |
La Brea (S1) |
5 million |
|
4 |
Cold case: who killed JonBenét Ramsey (S1) |
4.6 million |
|
5 |
The ultimatum: get married or move on (S3) |
3.3 million |
|
6 |
It's Cake: Holiday (S1) |
3.1 million |
|
7 |
A man inside (S1) |
3M |
|
8 |
An Absurd Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter |
2.6 million |
|
9 |
Arcane (S2) |
2.3 million |
|
10 |
Later encounters (S1) |
1.8 million |
What Black Doves' success on Netflix means for the show
More episodes are already on the way
This Netflix success would normally bode well for a renewal announcement, but Black Doves season 2 was already officially announced in August, months before the show was released. Netflix was clearly confident in the material in advance and The fact that it is now seeing success on the platform suggests that it could be a title that will continue for years to come. If Knightley, Whishaw and Barton are all open to it and the strong viewership continues, there is no reason to Black Doves season three and beyond also failed to get the green light.
For Knightley, Black Doves' becoming a global hit on Netflix means that her first leading role in a TV show was a success. While she's set to continue appearing in films, it's entirely possible that this movie star will become more of a fixture in the TV space as she ages and her impressive career continues to evolve. Many doubts still remain about Black Doves'future, but the show is evidently impressing viewers around the world.
Source: Netflix