Mel Brooks’ “History of the World, Part II” has taken the streaming world by storm, becoming Hulu’s most-watched scripted original of 2023 in its first week of release.
During the first week of its launch, the eight-episode comedy garnered the highest number of hours watched compared to any other scripted original series on Hulu. The show premiered on March 6 with the first two episodes, followed by two episodes each night until Thursday, March 9. Surprisingly, the total viewership count for the entire week encompasses the show’s entire release.
The sequel series is set 40 years after Mel Brooks’ 1981 film, “History of the World, Part I,” and features a diverse range of sketches that take viewers through different periods of human history. The show stars Wanda Sykes, Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz, and Mel Brooks. It also includes guest appearances from Quinta Brunson, Dove Cameron, D’Arcy Carden, Danny DeVito, Hannah Einbinder, Jay Ellis, Josh Gad, Poppy Liu, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, and others.
Mel Brooks is serving as the show’s writer and executive producer along with Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen. The show is directed by Alice Mathias, David Stassen, Nick Kroll, and Lance Bangs. Searchlight Television and 20th Television joined hands for the show’s production.
Although Hulu does not provide specific viewership data, “History of the World, Part II” ranked sixth in last week’s Parrot Analytics data series, which showcases the most in-demand new series. The satire series ranked 20.7 times the average series demand in the U.S. during the week of its launch from March 4 to March 10.
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Moreover, the series created a buzz on social media, as the show’s official accounts received the highest number of video views and engagements of any Hulu Original released in 2023 on its premiere day. The buzz around “History of the World, Part II” has been reflected with Twitter users expressing their enthusiasm for the film.
Choreographer and director Chloe Arnold tweeted, expressing her joy about the opportunity to choreograph a few episodes for the series.
Had so much fun choreographing a few episodes for History of the World Part II. Out now on @hulu
Thank you for being so amazing!! @DoveCameron #CharlesMelton #hulu #chloearnold #choreo #HistoryOfTheWorldPart2 #dovecameron pic.twitter.com/JiB5U5RNf2
— Chloe Arnold (@chloearnold) March 13, 2023
Similarly, Brad Neuberg also praised the series and referred to its cast as “an all star cast of comics.”
History of the World Part II is amazing, ‘nuff said
— Brad Neuberg (@bradneuberg) March 15, 2023
To further add, one of the fans tweeted about how the series sequel is the best comedy they’ve seen in years, reflecting the show’s positive reception among audiences.
Just not funny -maybe two laughs per hour:
HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PART II pic.twitter.com/2n3gSjrDir
— Barry Pennock Speck 50s Boroboy (@iamyetwhatiam) March 19, 2023
The success of “History of the World, Part II” has cemented Mel Brooks’ place as a comedic icon and solidified Hulu’s position as a leading streaming platform for original content. Interestingly, it has also sparked speculation about the potential for a third installment in the series.
