After 5 Years, Netflix Has Finally Found Its Best Squid Game Replacement

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Aug 13, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account In the fall of 2021, Netflix had over 220 million subscribers worldwide as its captive audience under once-in-a-lifetime unusual circumstances. The world had watched plenty of reruns from The Office and devoured the Tiger King, and while plenty of audiences discovered anime in that era, another explosive burst in interest emerged with K-dramas thanks to the impossibly dominant debut of Squid Game. The series and its three seasons sit handily at the top of Netflix's Most Popular Non-English Shows of All Time scoreboard, with season 1 in particular meeting the 91-day debut window criteria easily, with 265.2 million views, and 2.2 billion hours watched. To say the world was enamored with Squid Game and its cast of actors, many of whom rotating with other ongoing K-drama hits, would be a vast understatement. But while plenty of audience members misunderstood the premise, instead craving the dark spins on childhood games with macabre fates for the losers, this additional appeal only served to boost the profile of the series. It led to various attempts to capitalize on Squid Game's appeal, but it also presented a daunting challenge to all shows, K-dramas or otherwise, to try and meet its hype. Nothing has ever replicated the conditions to match Squid Game's debut or even that of its subsequent seasons. But some, thanks in no small part to tackling taboo subjects and bearing some social commentary of their own, were able to chart similarly. Now, one other K-drama has meaningfully joined Netflix's all-time Top 10, and it's worth diving into. Only One Other K-Drama Sits With Squid Game On Netflix's Top 10 It took five years, but even meeting a fraction of Squid Game's success is a daunting challenge even for the dominant K-drama medium on Netflix. While there are no other shows of this type on the Non-English charts, that is not to say K-dramas are by any means less popular; they are incredibly saturated on the platform, and they are increasingly consistent in representing South Korea's cultural output compared to virtually any other market. So, when Teach You a Lesson amassed 63.4 million views without still even being out for 91 days, eventually running for nine solid Weekly Top 10s with many at #1, it scored #10 on the all-time Netflix charts. This presented a satisfying new feat, bookending the chart for South Korea with weeks to spare for its run. In fact, for all of 2026 so far, K-dramas have continued to flood public discourse, with Teach You a Lesson's absurd premise sparking plenty of discussion on its special government entity authorized to use corporal and/or other creative punishment to subdue students, teachers, and abusive parents. With its star, Kim Mu-yeol, an established action and thriller actor, and Netflix's audiences being demonstrably obsessed with the genre, Teach You a Lesson mixed in elements of these genres with a healthy dose of comedy to offset its most controversial elements. It's been received particularly well even in a competitive season packed with other hit K-dramas produced by Netflix or licensed by the platform. But perhaps what's most compelling about seeing Teach You a Lesson do well enough to meet even a chart-worthy fraction of Squid Game's success, is in how it wraps up its bold premise in some thoughtful social commentary. Teach You A Lesson & Squid Game Are Wildly Different Yet Attractively Bold Controversial depictions of violence in political, economical, or social allegory isn't particularly new and isn't even exclusive to South Korea, but much like revenge cinema, the country's finest filmmakers in TV and movies have mastered them. Whether it's cases like Japan's Battle Royale or Korea's Squid Game, death game fiction has worked well because of the heavy-handed messaging it delivers about generational conflict and economic inequality, respectively. Squid Game has a message to say, particularly in season 1, and the grim choices made by people in desperate financial situations make it darkly compelling to watch, even if the spectacle sometimes overtakes the themes. By comparison, Teach You a Lesson almost feels tongue-in-cheek compared to the commentary it throws down, but it's still shockingly poignant. The solutions proposed by the fictional Education Rights Protection Bureau's agents in this series range from direct retribution, to outright jailing students. The series tackles bullying driving some students to suicide with unsettling shots of witnesses of roof-jumpers watching the blood pool near their shoes. It features teachers leveraging public goodwill while secretly thumbing the scales for undeserving students. Parents are shown pushing their students past their breaking points to achieve impossibly high standards. It showcases a multifaceted problem hitting on all levels of the education system. Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE While exaggerations exist like entire gangs taking over schools, South Korean teachers feel the show is empathetic to struggling teachers, students, and parents shouldering an education system in need of reform. It's the sort of thing that prompts one to have serious discussions about the sort of bullying enabled, and the Modest Proposal-style application of "what if a teacher could slap a student who goes too far?" Obviously, this is absolutely taboo in modern society, but it does what plenty of South Korean fiction does exceedingly well: present a problem with a darkly satirical proposed solution as an illustration of just how far its institutions have fallen that the thought even crosses the mind. Squid Game and Teach You a Lesson don't go nearly to the same extremes, but both pack action and spectacle with a sliding scale of dark to goofy comedy, depending on the cast member. Teach You a Lesson certainly can't replace Squid Game on All-Time charts, and it simply never will, nor will it replace the memory of the legions of viewers who were sucked in five years ago. But it can perhaps occupy the same space Squid Game once did, as a fresh new show with a message for its viewers that's bold, occasionally controversial, and absolutely perfect for water cooler discussion, as all good TV is meant to be. Squid Game Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk First TV Show Squid Game Latest TV Show Squid Game: The Challenge First Episode Air Date September 17, 2021 Cast Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, Oh Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Kim Joo-ryoung, Anupam Tripathi, Lee Yoo-mi, Gong Yoo, Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri Current Series Squid Game, Squid Game: The Challenge Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama television series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk. The show follows financially desperate individuals who are lured into a deadly competition of children's games for a massive cash prize. With its blend of social commentary, psychological tension, and striking visuals, it became a global phenomenon on Netflix and has expanded into a multi-season franchise. Teach You A Lesson Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Teach You a Lesson is a TV Show released in 2026, focusing on unconventional school inspectors who tackle the issue of dwindling respect among students and staff. Through sharp, pragmatic approaches, these inspectors aim to restore order and discipline, imparting essential life lessons beyond the traditional curriculum.