It appears television viewers worldwide have been dyin’ for a good Newfoundland story. “Below,” a Netflix thriller series starring Josh Hartnett as a fisherman whose Newfoundland town is attacked by a gnarly sea creature, reeled in 17 million views since premiering on Thursday. That makes it the most-viewed debut ever for a Netflix Canadian title, says the streamer. Netflix says the series, created by Toronto-born filmmaker Jesse McKeown, sits at No. 1 in 53 countries, and has cracked the top 10 in 90 countries. For comparison, the first season of hit romantic comedy “Nobody Wants This” debuted with 10.3 million views, while recent historical drama “East of Eden” debuted with 6.5 million views. “Below” was shot in 75 days across Newfoundland and Labrador, filming in communities including St. John’s, Petty Harbour, Brigus South and Pouch Cove. Netflix says it hired more than 700 primary cast and crew and partnered with more than 650 Canadian vendors. Speaking with The Canadian Press at the TIFF premiere of “Below” last month, McKeown said he’d felt compelled to write the show for about 18 years. His wife is from Newfoundland, and they live there on and off. “There are a number of reasons why I think I always wanted to make something there,” he said. “It was that kind of crazy contrast between how unforgiving and scary the landscape was, and just how warm and fun and inviting the people and the community were.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026. Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
