In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming platforms, few shows have managed to captivate audiences quite like “Suits,” as the fans cannot help but marvel at the renewed popularity this legal drama has found on Netflix.
The courtroom drama television series written and helmed by Aaron Korsh officially debuted on the streaming giant in July after nearly four years off the air on the USA Network and has experienced a big comeback in streaming numbers. The series has crossed 45 billion minutes viewed by attracting an impressive global audience by spending a record-breaking 12 consecutive weeks as the #1 series on the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 chart.
As the numbers speak for themselves, Sarah Rafferty recently also weighed in, expressing amazement about how many new people have discovered Suits on Netflix. In an interview with People, the actress who portrayed Donna Paulsen, Harvey Specter’s former secretary and confidante, said, “you can’t really metabolize that in a real-world kind of way” when seeing how many unexpected billions of viewing minutes the show has racked up on the streamer since it’s debut.
The actress continued by expressing, “I don’t get it,” about the behemoth viewership levels.
“I’m incredibly grateful, because our world sometimes right now feels like it’s growing increasingly dark and fractured and limited in moments, and I think that it helps — it makes me feel good. It’s just as simple as that — to know that this thing that we worked on for 10 years is providing escape for people, or providing connection, meaning, in any way, shape, or form. And if that’s just having a break from the news of the world, I’ll take it.”
In addition to this, during the red carpet at Variety’s Power of Women event on Nov 17, 2023, Meghan Markle, who played the ambitious, talented senior paralegal Rachel Elizabeth Zane in the same USA series, was also asked about the series’ increased viewership on Netflix and Peacock combined.
To this, Markle, who is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, replied in shock, “Isn’t that wild?” She further added, “It was great to work on; such a great cast and crew. We had a really fun time. I was on it for seven seasons, so quite a bit. But it’s hard to find a show you can binge-watch that many episodes of these days, so that could have something to do with it. But good shows are everlasting.”
Watch the complete interview below as Variety’s senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson asks further questions about the series and Markle’s involvement as a producer in future projects:
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex on the success of #Suits: "It’s hard to find a show you can binge-watch that many episodes of these days, so that could have something to do with it. But good shows are everlasting." | Variety #PowerOfWomen https://t.co/oGSpRQ4GyP pic.twitter.com/kz8QiTq2be
— Variety (@Variety) November 17, 2023
We are also delighted to inform our readers that the fans have more things to forward from the ‘Suits’ universe as the cast and creators are coming together for a special event at the ATX TV Festival to celebrate its thirteenth season, which runs from May 30-June 2, 2024, in Austin, TX. The festival has announced its first confirmed panels, and they include a Suits retrospective. With the recent success, the cast and crew will grace the stage after previously having panels in 2015 and 2017.
As of writing this, the confirmed participants on the panel include creator/executive producer/showrunner Aaron Korsh and cast members Patrick J. Adams, Sarah Rafferty, and Dulé Hill, with more to be announced soon. The official X (formerly known as Twitter) handle of the fest also confirmed the news to their followers by posting the first wave of ATXTVs13 programming lineup, which will also include Halt And Catch Fire retrospectives and a Presidential Forum with TV executives.
🎉🎉 We couldn't let the year close out without announcing the first wave of #ATXTVs13 programming!
Join us May 30-June 2, 2024 in Austin, TX for #Suits and #HaltAndCatchFire retrospectives, and a #PresidentialForum with TV execs.
Badges are available: https://t.co/2vEDfpyPQe pic.twitter.com/N7yMg1Gvqz
— ATX TV Festival (@ATXFestival) November 20, 2023
At last, Deadline has also broken the news that Suit creator Aaron Korsh has confirmed that an offshoot for NBCUniversal is in development. It is not a revival or reboot, and, unlike the 2019 Pearson, the new legal procedural is not a spin-off either. It would be a Suits universe series in the vein of the CSI and NCIS franchises, featuring new characters in a new location. A network or platform for the potential new series has not been determined yet.
About ‘Suits’
Set at a fictional New York City corporate law firm, it focuses on Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), who are winning lawsuits and closing cases while hiding Mike’s secret. The series also features Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt, a neurotic, manipulative, and unscrupulous financial-law partner; Meghan Markle as the ambitious, talented paralegal Rachel Zane; Sarah Rafferty as Harvey’s legal secretary and confidante Donna Paulsen; and Gina Torres as the firm’s profit-above-all managing partner, Jessica Pearson.
The synopsis, as per NBC, reads:
“Big-time Manhattan corporate lawyer Harvey Specter and his team, which includes Donna Paulsen, Louis Litt, and Alex Williams, are launched into a play for power when a new partner joins the firm. With his two best associates gone and Jessica back in Chicago, Specter and the team try to adjust to a new normal without them. The team faces down betrayals, fiery relationships and secrets that eventually come to light. Old and new rivalries surface among members of the team as they learn to deal with their new members.”
The firm is family, thankful for them today and everyday ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qUs8ky17gD
— Suits (@SuitsPeacock) November 23, 2023