New Netflix no.1s are like busses: you don't have to wait too long for a bunch to come along in quick succession. And after the trailblazing Black Doves went rapidly to helm the best streaming service's chart in early December, now there's another new show in the top-viewed slot.
La Palma is a fictional natural disaster series and it's a rare no.1 because it's in the Norwegian language, available with subtitles. It's not often foreign-language shows top Netflix's chart – but there have been major successes, of course, such as the landmark first-season of Squid Game (and series 2 is just around the corner).
What I find really interesting about La Palma, however, isn't the show itself quite so much as the commonality it has with Netflix's first-ever originals show. It took me back to a 2022 blog post from Netflix CEO, Ted Sarandos, celebarting the 10th year anniversary of its landmark first series.
Do you remember it? Lilyhammer, which first aired in 2012, is a Norwegian crime drama-comedy, starring Steven Van Zandt (yes, the very same from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band), spanned three seasons – and was largely a success. There are no plot crossovers between Lilyhammer and La Palma, just to be clear – these are very different shows indeed!
However, La Palma might have attracted decent viewer figures – but it's really failed to ignite much praise for the show. Its Rotten Tomatoes score doesn't bare a critics score, while viewers' averages give it a mere 31%. That'll certainly bring into question any liklihood of a second season, not that many reviewers are calling for one – calling out "bad acting" and "cheesy" scenes on the aggregator site.
By comparison, Lilyhammer netted an 85% audience rating – and I'd say it's well worth revisiting even now. It's almost like a Sopranos comedy spin-off set in Norway, if that sounds up your (E) street. La Palma might not raise so many laughs – intentionally, at least – but if you're looking for a sunny-setting and ultimately anti-festive series ahead of the holiday period, it's certainly worth trying it out.
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