Taika Waititi celebrates ‘Our Flag Means Death’ ranking as the biggest new series in the United States

Since premiering on March 3, the new swashbuckler comedy series Our Flag Means Death has been an unmitigated smash hit for HBO Max. And in fact, the series, which stars Rhys Darby as an aristocrat turned pirate and Taika Waititi as the legendary pirate captain Blackbeard, has become so popular that it’s now officially the most-watched series in the United States.

Waititi did a victory lap on Thursday, sharing an article to that effect. “In a tragic turn of events … HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death is the biggest new series in the U.S. right now,” tweeted the Thor: Ragnarok director.

According to Business Insider, Our Flag Means Death was the top new series released in the last 100 days, as of when the first season wrapped up last week. That data is from Parrot Analytics, a company that measures audience demand across streaming platforms.

Overall, the series peaked as the No. 11 most in-demand show both in the US and worldwide. But it’s still in the top 0.2% of shows across all platforms, according to Parrot Analytics, an impressive feat for a series not based on preexisting IP.

Demand for the show tripled between its series premiere and first season finale. When it debuted on Max on March 3, “Our Flag Means Death” was 11.9 times more in demand than the average series in the US. By the finale on March 24, it was 36.7 times more in demand.

The pirate comedy outperformed even Apple TV’s universally beloved Ted Lasso in terms of freshman season growth. By the respective season finales, the demand for Our Flag Means Death was a whopping 42.8 percent higher than the demand for Ted Lasso.

Series creator David Jenkins, who previously helmed the TBS comedy series People of Earth, likewise celebrated the news on Thursday.

“This is what happens when a major media company invests in inclusive mainstream stories,” tweeted Jenkins. “And when good execs like Suzanna Makkos, Billy Wee, and David Ruby protect and encourage the material as it passes through the pipeline.”

HBO has not yet officially ordered a second season of Our Flag Means Death, but based on the data, it seems inevitable that we’ll be seeing more of the self-proclaimed “Gentleman Pirate” and his ragtag crew.