My Brilliant Career has moved quickly from a new Netflix release to one of the streamer’s most-watched English-language shows. The Australian period drama recorded 3.1 million views after its first Thursday release and reached No. 4 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 English TV list. Variety also reports that it entered the Top 10 in 54 countries, putting a 1901 Australian novel in front of viewers well beyond Australia.
What is My Brilliant Career about?
The six-episode series follows Sybylla Melvyn, an aspiring writer living in early 1900s Australia. Her family and society expect her to find a husband and settle down, while Sybylla wants time and freedom to write. Philippa Northeast plays Sybylla, with Christopher Chung, Genevieve O’Reilly, Anna Chancellor, and Kate Mulvany among the supporting cast listed by Netflix.
The show adapts Miles Franklin’s 1901 novel, which was written when Franklin was a teenager. The story’s age is part of the appeal: Sybylla’s argument with the life chosen for her is easy to understand, even when the setting and social rules are far removed from modern streaming dramas.
Why the chart result stands out
Netflix’s Global Top 10 list gives the show a broad result to point to, but the country-by-country numbers add useful detail. My Brilliant Career reached No. 3 in Australia, No. 4 in New Zealand, and No. 9 in the United Kingdom. It was not limited to one local audience, even though the series is built around an Australian novel and was filmed in South Australia and at Adelaide Studios.
The result also gives Netflix another chart story built around a television series rather than a major franchise. My Life With the Walter Boys Season 3 recently led Netflix’s TV chart, while My Brilliant Career is taking a different route by drawing attention to a period drama adapted from a classic book.
