The American crime drama and miniseries Defending Jacob is apparently a hit with Apple TV+ viewers, with reports Thursday that it now ranks among the two fastest-growing series premieres for the fledgling streaming network.
Industry sources have told Hollywood entertainment publication Deadline that despite Apple refusing to release viewership numbers, Defending Jacob ranks among the top three series premieres for Apple TV+, logging a big opening weekend with viewership continuing to build.
Aside from people who watched on release date, sources said that the audience grew by five times during the show’s first 10 days of being available. This reportedly puts Defending Jacob behind only The Morning Show as the most popular series on Apple TV+.
Defending Jacob tells the story of Andy Barber, played by Chris Evans, a father dealing with the accusation that his 14-year-old son Jacob, acted by Jaeden Martell, is a murderer.
Strong reviews
Scout Tafoya wrote in a Cult of Mac review of Defending Jacob that “for the first time, Apple TV+ has delivered a show that lives up to the hype.” He calls it “the strongest opening of any Apple TV+ show to date.”
The show racks up some accolades elsewhere as well. Defending Jacob made the list of most popular TV shows on Rotten Tomatoes. The review site’s readers gave it a score of 96%. However, some reviewers aren’t as pleased with the show as Tafoya. It currently has a Tomatometer Score of 52%.
The first five episodes of Defending Jacob are currently available on Apple TV+, with the remaining three due for release each Friday.
