Matthew Perry’s new three-part show just dethroned every show on Netflix‘s charts days after its debut. The docuseries about the late Friends star features never-before-seen footage and testimonies from the people closest to Perry.
The One About Matthew Perry is topping Netflix charts post debut
The One About Matthew Perry topped Netflix’s U.S. Top 10 chart after its October 27 debut, according to FlixPatrol. The three-part docuseries earned a perfect Tomatometer score. It quickly climbed to the No. 1 spot on Netflix, unseating popular titles like Nobody Wants This and FROM.
The documentary premiered one day before the third anniversary of Perry’s death on October 28, 2023. Emmy winner Mary Robertson directed the intimate, three-part series featuring people who knew Perry best. The show also reached the top of Netflix charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, and several other countries.
Much of the material comes from the Perry family’s private archive, including unreleased photographs and videos. The documentary centers on previously unheard testimony from Perry’s sister Mia Perry Bowick and his lifelong best friends. Bowick said, “It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life.”
Director Robertson called Perry “one of the comedic geniuses of our time” in a statement. She added that the public only knew part of his story, saying, “That’s why we set out to make this series.” The documentary also features actor Kevin Pollak, director Jonathan Lynn and the attorney who led the prosecution in Perry’s death case.
Variety noted that none of Perry’s Friends co-stars appear in the series. Robertson built Perry’s portrait around people who knew him when the cameras were off. The documentary examines Perry’s long battle with addiction, a subject he discussed openly during his lifetime.
Perry died at 54, with his death attributed to the effects of ketamine and accidental drowning. The series is produced by Maxine Productions, a division of Sony Pictures Television.
