Netflix's newest Australian Western drama television series, Territory,enters the streaming service's Top 10 this week. Created by Ben Davies and Timothy Lee, the six-part show follows the passing of the Lawson family’s patriarch, which plunges their cattle empire into a tense showdown between billionaires, cattle tycoons, Indigenous leaders, and criminal rivalries. With an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Territory is gaining traction globally for its gripping portrayal of betrayal, power struggles, and shifting loyalties.
Netflix released their weekly Global Top 10, with Territory sitting comfortably at number 3, just under This Is Zodiac Speaking and just above Beauty in Black. With 6.4 million views logged five days since its release, the drama's success reflects a growing appetite for Shakespearean family sagas set in the wild west.
What Territory's Spot in Netflix's Global Top 10 Means
Competing with Established Hits Like Paramount's Yellowstone
The success of Netflix'sTerritory may be inextricable from the path led by Paramount's award-winning American Western Yellowstone. Territory similarly offers an intense power struggle between rival factions—with alliances constantly being redrawn—but differentiates itself with an outback setting. The show emphasizes the Lawson family dynamic and dysfunction while showcasing the vast landscapes of the Northern Territory. Reviewers have also praised the series for bringing a nuanced Indigenous edge to the series, like The Hollywood Reporter's Daniel Feinberg, who wrote that the show does "better than Yellowstone in its attempts at weaving the Native perspective into the storytelling."
Territory is Netflix's latest Western drama, following a succession story on the world's largest cattle station. Here's who's in the cast.
Notably, the cast features a mix of seasoned actors and rising stars, including Australian actress Anna Torv (The Last of Us), New Zealand actor Michael Dorman (Patriot), and the young Australian actor Sam Corlett (Vikings: Valhalla), with gripping performances. As tensions rise and alliances fluctuate, viewers are drawn into a narrative that explores not only personal ambition but also the broader socio-political context of Indigenous rights and land ownership.
Our Take On Territory's Rising Popularity
A Fresh Take On Classic Western Tropes
With its current performance on Netflix, Territory signals a growing appetite for Western dramas that explore complex relational dynamics between kin, money, and—most importantly—land. The show taps into themes of ambition, betrayal, and the struggle for power—universal elements in the name of survival that resonate with audiences worldwide.
As it climbs the charts, Territory seems poised to carve out a niche for itself in the increasingly competitive landscape of streaming dramas with a series Territory's ending teasing season 2. Nonetheless, given the history of Netflix canceling shows soon after their release, it's a few weeks too soon to know whether the show will go from here.
A power struggle erupts after the death of the Lawson family patriarch, leaving their massive cattle station without a clear successor. Rival factions, from cattle barons and Indigenous elders to billionaires and gangsters, vie for control. Tensions rise as the once-dominant Lawson family faces betrayal from within and outside forces.
CastAnna Torv , Michael Dorman , Robert Taylor , Sam Corlett
Character(s) Emily Lawson , Graham Lawson , Colin Lawson , Marshall Lawson
English (US) ·