Ever wonder why that random show suddenly took over your entire feed? One day nobody’s talking about it, and the next day everyone’s obsessed. That’s the power of social media in today’s entertainment world.
Social media platforms have completely transformed how TV shows gain popularity. What once relied on traditional marketing and word-of-mouth now explodes overnight through trending hashtags, viral clips, and endless memes. Shows that might have remained hidden gems can now become global obsessions in a matter of days.
This digital word-of-mouth works differently than traditional promotion. When friends, influencers, and total strangers all buzz about the same show, curiosity kicks in hard. Nobody wants to feel left out of cultural conversations happening in real-time. Plus, watching a show everyone’s talking about creates an instant community. Instead of solo viewing, you’re part of a shared experience, discussing theories and reactions with millions of others online.
Ready to see this phenomenon in action? Let’s look at five shows that rode massive social media waves to extraordinary heights of popularity.
1. Squid Game: From Korean Drama to Global Phenomenon
Deadly Games, Green Tracksuits, Social Commentary
This South Korean survival thriller follows desperate contestants competing in deadly children’s games for a massive cash prize. Beyond its shocking violence, the show delivers powerful commentary on economic inequality and the dark side of capitalism – themes that resonated worldwide during the pandemic.
TikTok turned Squid Game into a cultural force unlike anything Netflix had seen before. The dalgona candy challenge went viral with millions attempting to cut shapes from honeycomb without breaking them. The distinct visuals – from pink-uniformed guards to the giant “Red Light, Green Light” doll – sparked countless Halloween costumes, recreations, and parodies across every platform.
What started as a subtitled Korean drama with modest expectations transformed into Netflix’s most-watched series in history, largely through organic social sharing. The show’s simple games, distinctive visuals, and universal themes about money struggles created perfect social media fodder. Reaction videos alone generated billions of views as people captured their shock at the show’s unexpected twists.
Want a mind-blowing fact? Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the script back in 2009 but faced rejection for nearly a decade because studios thought the concept was too violent and unrealistic. Now it’s one of the most successful TV shows ever made.
2. Wednesday: When Gothic Dance Goes Viral
Deadpan Delivery, Macabre Mystery, Iconic Moves
This Netflix series follows Wednesday Addams navigating life at Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for supernatural outcasts. While solving murders and mastering psychic abilities, she delivers perfectly timed deadpan one-liners that captured viewers’ hearts. Jenna Ortega’s fresh take on the iconic character struck the perfect balance between honoring the original and creating something new.
Wednesday’s massive success stems from one unforgettable scene: the dance sequence at the school ball. Set to The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck,” Ortega’s bizarre, jerky choreography became TikTok’s biggest trend of late 2022. The dance spread like wildfire, with Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” becoming the unofficial soundtrack as millions recreated the moves. Videos under the hashtag #WednesdayDance accumulated billions of views within weeks.
The show’s stark black-and-white aesthetic proved perfect for Instagram and TikTok, with users recreating Wednesday’s braided hairstyle and gothic makeup looks. What’s fascinating is how the dance trend brought viewers who might never have considered watching a show about the Addams Family. Teenagers who had no connection to previous iterations discovered the character through their feeds, sending Wednesday to the top of Netflix’s charts globally.
Here’s an awesome behind-the-scenes tidbit: Jenna Ortega choreographed that iconic dance herself just days before filming, pulling inspiration from gothic club scenes of the 1980s and archival footage of Siouxsie Sioux performances.
3. Stranger Things: Nostalgia Marketing Perfected
80s Revival, Supernatural Mystery, Unexpected Music Renaissance
This sci-fi horror series follows a group of kids in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana as they battle monsters from an alternate dimension called the Upside Down. With its perfect blend of nostalgia, genuine frights, and heartwarming friendships, Stranger Things captivated both Gen X viewers who lived through the 80s and younger audiences discovering the era’s aesthetics for the first time.
While popular since its debut, Stranger Things reached new heights with Season 4 when Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” featured in a pivotal scene with Max Mayfield. The song absolutely exploded on TikTok, introducing Bush to an entirely new generation and sending the 37-year-old track to #1 on global charts. The song generated over a billion streams, with countless videos using the dramatic crescendo for everything from fan edits to completely unrelated content.
Between seasons, fan theories about Vecna, the Upside Down, and character relationships keep conversations alive across platforms. Character ships, quotes, and memes maintain relevance during the sometimes years-long production breaks. The young cast’s real-life friendships and social media presence further fuels engagement, creating a fandom that stays active long after each season drops.
Surprising production fact: The Duffer Brothers initially pitched Stranger Things as an anthology series similar to American Horror Story, with completely different characters and settings each season.
4. Euphoria: Setting Beauty Trends One Rhinestone at a Time
Glitter Tears, Raw Reality, Gen Z Aesthetic
HBO’s unflinching look at high school life follows Rue Bennett (Zendaya) and her classmates navigating intense issues including addiction, trauma, sexuality, and identity. The show’s dreamlike cinematography and stylized approach to serious topics created a unique visual language that spoke directly to younger viewers.
Euphoria’s greatest social media impact came through its revolutionary makeup looks. Rhinestones, neon eyeliner, glitter tears, and graphic designs sparked a beauty revolution across platforms. Makeup artist Doniella Davy created looks so distinctive that #EuphoriaMakeup became its own genre, with thousands of tutorials generating millions of views. Major beauty brands launched Euphoria-inspired collections, while high school students started showing up to class with sparkles adorning their eyes.
Sunday night episodes dominated Twitter conversations throughout Season 2, with real-time reactions creating must-see TV in an era of binge-watching. Character memes, particularly surrounding Cassie Howard’s breakdown moments, spread like wildfire across platforms. Even people who found the show too intense to watch knew exactly who Maddy was and why she was banging on that bathroom door.
Industry gossip: Season 2’s production reportedly became so tense that background actors filed workplace complaints, while several cast members publicly expressed concerns about their character arcs – drama that only fueled more social media conversation about the show.
5. Game of Thrones: The Original Social Media TV Phenomenon
Fantasy Politics, Shocking Deaths, Cultural Touchstone
This HBO epic follows noble families competing for the Iron Throne of Westeros, blending fantasy elements with complex political intrigue. Based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, the show became infamous for its willingness to kill beloved characters and its intricate world-building that inspired endless fan theories.
Game of Thrones pioneered how we experience TV through social media. The Red Wedding episode triggered one of the internet’s first major reaction video phenomena, with compilation videos of viewers screaming in horror gaining millions of views. Phrases like “Winter is Coming” entered everyday language, while character deaths regularly became worldwide trending topics within minutes of airing.
Even years after its controversial finale, Game of Thrones references remain embedded in internet culture. The show demonstrated how social conversation could transform a fantasy series – traditionally considered niche – into mainstream entertainment. By creating moments specifically designed to shock viewers and generate discussion, GOT became the template for how shows could leverage audience reactions into cultural momentum.
Wild fact: The show’s widely criticized final season sparked such intense online backlash that an entire internet subculture formed around criticizing the showrunners.
Which shows have you started watching because they blew up on your social feeds? Did they live up to the hype? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
