Netflix justifies its decision to cancel fan favorite shows by crunching the numbers, extrapolating the data, and determining the engagement rate before opting to either save or snuff out an original project, but there’s no way the streaming service could have accounted for Ben Schwartz‘s current domination of the most-watched charts.
The Parks and Recreation veteran is a widely popular star famed for his signature brand of exuberant motor-mouthed comedy, something that’s served him well in a variety of projects ranging from the blockbuster Sonic the Hedgehog duology to upcoming Nicolas Cage vampire spectacular Renfield, via the acclaimed murder mystery series The Afterparty.
And yet, it’s boners and skidmarks that have launched the 41 year-old straight to the top of the viewership summit, and the irony wasn’t lost on Schwartz in the slightest.
For some background, Schwartz played Rabbi Charles Grodner in 2014’s ensemble dramedy This is Where I Leave You, where his character was lumped with the unfortunate nickname of “Boner.” In the Ryan Reynolds-fronted animation Turbo, he lent his vocal talents to a snail called Skidmark.
As a result, Schwartz currently holds a featured role in the first and fourth biggest hits on Netflix among subscribers in the United States, leaving him sandwiched between the first two installments of The Hunger Games franchise. Did anyone have Katniss Everdeen being stuck on either side of Boner and Skidmark when trying to predict which titles at-home audiences would be drawn to? We’re going to go out on a limb and say no.