Netflix's New Steamy Romance Series Just Landed and Already Has 92% on Rotten Tomatoes

Summary

• On February 8, a new limited series, One Day, was released on Netflix.
• The show is the second attempt to adapt the novel of the same name, but this time the attempt was a success.
• Critics and viewers alike have absolutely loved One Day, with a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

While we were all worried that 2024 would be incredibly empty of releases due to the unprecedented length and scope of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, the situation (at least for now) is not that critical. After all, while traditional broadcast networks plan to air shortened seasons of fan-favorite series in the near future, streaming services are taking over. After all, they emphasize not only American productions, which are subject to the rules of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, but also foreign productions, which are bound by local unions and their terms.

In recent months, the scene has been actively occupied by European and especially British films and TV series. On February 8, the library of Netflix, probably the most willing to emphasize foreign productions, was replenished with the British romantic drama One Day. And now, just a week later, the new limited series has made its way into the top 10 most watched series, and critics have given it an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Let's get to the bottom of what this show is and why it's been so well received.

A Series About Love Lasting Decades

Netflix's new series One Day is a live-action adaptation of the 2009 novel of the same name by British novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls. The book became an instant New York Times bestseller, and critics from the most prestigious publications raved about it, thanks to Nicholls' easy-to-read prose (though they were somewhat critical of the novel's narrative structure) and the story itself, which focuses on an on-again, off-again relationship that spans some 20 years.

So let us turn to the plot itself. What is the best way to characterize it without giving away too many spoilers? Well, for example, if the characters of Richard Linklater's favorite Before trilogy, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, had agreed to keep meeting in random corners of the planet for at least another decade. Well, and even if the end of the story would have had a slightly more tragic ending.

In short, the plot follows the lives of Dexter (Leo Woodall) and Emma (Ambika Mod), who promised each other to meet every year on a fateful day when they spent the night together after graduating from the University of Edinburgh.

A Live-Action Adaptation That Outshines Its Predecessor

In general, there has been an attempt to adapt Nicholls' novel in the past, but despite the novel's popularity and warm reviews, the movie did not get any attention at the time. It is unlikely that many of our readers even remember it, despite the star cast!

We're talking about the 2011 version of the same name, directed by Lone Scherfig and starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. Even though the script was adapted by David Nicholls himself, the movie only has a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as critics and audiences failed to see the chemistry between the leads.

The new series, on the other hand, has brought viewers into the fold. Rotten Tomatoes' critics score is an impressive 92%, precisely because the lead duo's unparalleled chemistry made the plot work. The audience score is not much different, coming in at 87%. Many have noted that the show is truly bingeable, has brilliant acting, and makes you laugh and cry at the same time.

What's more, this limited series has become one of the most-watched on Netflix worldwide. For the week of February 5-11, One Day ranked third in the top 10 most-watched English-language series with a total of 35,200,000 hours watched.