Not every small screen success story needs to serve as the basis for a sprawling multi-season arc, and the clue is right there in the name ‘limited series,’ which makes it clear that the plot has a finite shelf life. However, after The Queen’s Gambit drew in over 62 million viewers in the first four weeks it was available on Netflix, you can understand why there may have been some discussions in the boardroom about trying to capitalize on one of the biggest shows of 2020.
To put that into perspective, the seven-episode adaptation of Walter Tevis’ novel is the single most popular scripted limited series in the company’s history, and ranks as the fifth largest television debut ever. Of the four titles above The Queen’s Gambit, Tiger King is the only one that isn’t part of an ongoing episodic narrative, although the misadventures of Joe Exotic have since been spun off into various documentaries and dramatic retellings.
Not only did the series break records, but it also reached the number one spot on the Top 10 most-watched list in 63 countries to prove Beth Harmon’s rise in the chess world held global appeal, and now insider Daniel Richtman is claiming that the streaming giant want creator Scott Frank to craft a second season.
There’s no guarantee it’ll happen, though, and in all honesty, it probably shouldn’t, but you can never rule anything out when the deep pockets of Netflix are involved. The Queen’s Gambit came to a satisfying conclusion that tied the narrative up nicely, and any attempts at returning to the well wouldn’t have source material to rely on for inspiration. That being said, Frank is certainly more than talented enough to deliver the goods.
