The Beast in Me lasted two weeks on top of Netflix’s top 10 list, raising questions about the miniseries perhaps returning for more, even if that wasn’t the original plan. But at long last, the show has been unseated by something new.
Yes, WWE Monday Night RAW, but another show past that, which beat even RAW for the #1 spot today. That would not be a scripted series, but instead, Kevin Hart’s Acting My Age stand-up special that was just added to Netflix. I believe this is the fourth Kevin Hart comedy special, as the service is a prime destination for comics looking to get their shows out to the widest audience possible. I’m not sure there is a wider distribution for comedy specials besides Netflix.
The spot is an hour and six minutes, and the synopsis is: “Older, wiser – and still hilarious. Kevin Hart opens up about his midlife mishaps, from intimacy pills to the perils of unexpected injuries.”
The injuries are not just middle-aged aches and pains. In 2019, Hart was involved in a car accident which resulted in a major back injury including spinal fractures, and in 2023, he injured his abdomen and hip during a 40-yard dash against a former NFL player, which actually had him in a wheelchair for a time. Curious to see how he jokes about that!
You can check out the trailer for the special below, which has a few sample jokes:
We are quite literally one day away from the release of Stranger Things season 5’s first four episodes, and that will no doubt be planted at #1 on the chart for a long, long while after that, and ahead of its Christmas release of three more episodes (with the finale on New Year’s Eve). Even now, Stranger Things is at #5 on Netflix’s top 10 list as people are rewatching the show ahead of tomorrow, given that it’s been three years since season 4 came out.
Of note, Man on the Inside has not and will not reach #1 on the chart. We’ll see if that changes its fate for a third season, but with great reviews and a tiny budget, I have to imagine it won’t matter all that much, and Netflix doesn’t want to annoy the guy who created Parks and Rec and 30 Rock, Mike Schur, by cancelling his latest production.
So watch Kevin Hart today, and Stranger Things tomorrow. It’s going to be a wild ride on Netflix through the end of the year as one of its biggest series comes to an end.
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