How Will Ferrell’s New Netflix Comedy Hit #1 Despite 29% RT Score

Published Jul 19, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 2800 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions. Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston. Will Ferrell's new Netflix golf comedy series, The Hawk, hit #1 in the United States overnight despite a low Rotten Tomatoes score – so how did he do it? Ferrell not only stars in the new Netflix series as the fictional yet iconic pro golfer Lonnie Hawkins, but he also developed the series, marking his first-ever original scripted series as showrunner/creator. Audiences in the U.S. have arrived in waves to tune into The Hawk during its first few days on Netflix, even though most critics would attest that it's not worth the time or attention. At the time of writing, The Hawk received a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 29%, which is very low for any new streaming series nowadays. This is actually an improvement from The Hawk's debut RT score of 17%. That said, at-home viewers are much more supportive of the series overall, based on The Hawk's 65% audience score. Generally speaking, The Hawk's RT audience score isn't very high either, but compared to its critical reception, it proves that Netflix subscribers are much more enthused by Will Ferrell's latest comedic effort. How The Hawk Became An Instant #1 Hit For Will Ferrell & Netflix The Hawk just dropped on Netflix on Thursday, July 16, and has been the #1 series in the United States ever since, dethroning the streamer's most recent top pick, Little House on the Prairie. While Netflix's #1 spot is always a revolving door, since the platform puts out more original content than any of its competitors, The Hawk's surge to Netflix's premier spot in the U.S. is especially notable because it is a comedy, and a raunchy one at that. Only 12 comedy series have hit Netflix's #1 U.S. ranking since January 2024, including A Man on the Inside, Running Point, and The Four Seasons. The Hawk is now the thirteenth. Ferrell is undoubtedly one of the biggest comedic movie stars of the 21st century, ranking among all-time greats like Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, so it's unsurprising that his broad movie audience has naturally followed him to Netflix. Ferrell's comedy movies, like Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, Elf, and many more, have collectively earned a total domestic box office of $2.18 billion, ranking only below other industry giants like Jim Carrey and Ben Stiller. Ferrell has also established himself as an experienced producer, having dozens of credits on shows like Succession, Eastbound & Down, and Dead to Me, and movies like Booksmart, Hustlers, and May December. The Hawk's #1 Rank Proves Viewers Want More Original Comedies Netflix has long been the most popular streaming platform for drama series like Stranger Things and Squid Game, but has offered a more limited output in terms of true, even classic, comedy series. Following the success of recent comedic shows like Tires, Free Bert, Running Point, and now The Hawk, these metrics heavily indicate that there is still a massive audience, particularly in the United States, for fresh and original comedy shows on Netflix. That said, The Hawk is only the fourth original comedy series Netflix has released so far in 2026, compared to 13 new dramatic series such as I Will Find You, Man on Fire, and Legends. What's most clear from The Hawk's early viewership data is that Ferrell still has a large audience pull when it comes to his signature brand of comedy. His Lonnie Hawkins is much like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman and Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights in that he is an overly confident man-child who has, against all odds, stumbled into fame and success. It also suggests audiences are hungry for more sports comedies, bringing back the days of Happy Gilmore and other Ferrell comedies like Semi-Pro and Blades of Glory. While most critics and some viewers may have found Ferrell's shtick overdone by now, The Hawk's #1 status proves that a large appetite still exists for these nostalgic unserious comedies, and Netflix would be wise to keep making them, including a second season of Ferrell's new hit show. The Hawk Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network Netflix Cast Lonnie 'The Hawk' Hawkins