Some of Netflix’s best miniseries have involved realistic stories based on true events, like 2024’s Baby Reindeer, inspired by creator Richard Gadd’s real experience with a stalker. Others highlight important historical figures or moments, like Griselda, which became Google’s top trending TV show of 2024. Some have even spawned their own series thanks to their success, like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which has since become an anthology series about murderers. But, rarely, a miniseries will arrive that gets universal praise while becoming a massive hit for the platform.
Toxic Town Has Become A Streaming Hit After Its Critical Acclaim
The Show’s Popularity Reflects Its 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Less than a week after its release, Toxic Town has become a streaming hit for Netflix. The four-episode miniseries is based on real events, following a group of mothers bringing a court case against the Corby Borough Council. The Council was accused of being liable for negligence relating to toxic materials used at Corby Steelworks, whose release into the air in the district caused birth abnormalities in children. The cast of Toxic Town is led by former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker, who plays one of the core mothers, alongside Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus) and Claudia Jesse (Bridgerton).
Now, Netflix has confirmed Toxic Town is a global success, becoming Number 4 on their global Tudum chart for the week of February 24 to March 2, 2025. The miniseries has reached the Top 10 in 49 countries for the week, fittingly becoming Number 1 in the United Kingdom. Its level of instant success across the world, coupled with its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, makes the series stand out as a strong new entry in the streamer’s catalog.
Toxic Town was written by Jack Thorne, best known for the Enola Holmes movies and His Dark Materials TV show.
What Toxic Town’s Netflix Success Means For The Miniseries
The Show Is Resonating Around The World
Toxic Town‘s reviews have been entirely positive, with even some lower-scoring ones praising the show for highlighting the landmark legal case it depicts. It’s also something that’s clearly resonating with the whole world, given its success in dozens of countries and status as Netflix‘s top TV show in the UK. The show was only released on Thursday, February 27, meaning it’s possible its success on the platform is only just beginning.
That 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is the rocket fuel. Critics are gushing—ScreenRant calls it “emotionally resonant,” The Guardian hails Whittaker’s “superb” turn as Susan, Slate dubs it a “winning underdog spirit.” It’s not just praise; it’s unanimous, a badge of prestige rare for Netflix’s mixed bag of originals (think Mary’s 30% flop still hitting Top 10). The cast seals it: Whittaker’s fiery grit, Wood’s quiet rage, Jessie’s steely resolve, and Carlyle’s weathered Des—a lawyer fighting the good fight—bring heft to a story that could’ve been preachy. Director Minkie Spiro (3 Body Problem) keeps it taut, balancing bleakness with glimmers of hope, while Thorne’s script sidesteps melodrama for raw truth. “The layers of emotion felt palpable,” one X fan raved, glassy-eyed after a binge. At four episodes, it’s lean—perfect for a weekend, no fluff.
But it’s the real story that hooks you. Corby’s steelworks shutdown in 1980 left 11,000 jobless and a toxic mess in its wake—settlement ponds brimming with poison. The council’s cleanup turned disaster into catastrophe, hauling waste through town in uncovered trucks, red dust choking the air. Kids paid the price—Susan’s son with one finger, Tracey’s daughter with malformed organs—and the mothers fought back. After years of denial, a 2009 judge ruled the council “extensively negligent” from 1983 to 1997, linking airborne toxins to the defects in a legal first. Toxic Town doesn’t flinch—Episode 1’s “1995” kicks off with babies’ cries and mothers’ dread, building to Episode 4’s “2009” triumph. It’s not all fact—names shift, drama amplifies—but the core’s unshakable, a gut-punch that’s sparked X pleas like “This needs more awareness!”
