Netflix’s Black Cleopatra series is a huge flop with record-breaking low scores on a top review site.

Netflix’s “Queen Cleopatra” Documentary Series Receives Lowest Audience Score in Netflix History

By Matthew Bush | May 15, 2023 at 9:15am

The new Netflix documentary series “Queen Cleopatra” has made history by receiving the lowest audience score in Netflix history. The current Rotten Tomatoes ratings are 11 percent from critics with one out of nine positive reviews and a 2 percent audience score with 0.7 out of a 5 star average rating.

Forbes contributor Paul Tassi reported, “The show has done something I didn’t think was even possible. It has not just the lowest audience score in Netflix history, it has essentially the lowest audience score possible on Rotten Tomatoes, a 1%. Not a 10%, a 1%. (Update: It just ticked up to 2%. Still an unprecedented low).”

Controversy Surrounding the Show

Aside from the poor reviews concerning content and acting, the show has come under scrutiny for what some have described as “race-swapping.” The lead character Cleopatra is portrayed by a black woman rather than the historically accurate Macedonian Ptolemaic descent. The show’s director, Tina Gharavi, continues to defend the show and the casting of Adele James, a black woman, to play Cleopatra.

Gharavi told Variety, “Why shouldn’t Cleopatra be a melanated sister? And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white? Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter.”

The show’s poor ratings have raised questions about whether Netflix will learn from this failure. With the first two installments of the “African Queens” franchise flopping, it is yet to be seen if there will be a new season and if so how that season will fare with the public.

Worst-Rated Shows on Netflix

The article goes on to describe some of the worst-rated shows that Netflix has produced, including former Netflix show “Resident Evil.”

• “Queen Cleopatra” – 2%
• “The Last Days of American Crime” – 0%
• “The Ridiculous 6” – 0%
• “The Open House” – 0%
• “The Cloverfield Paradox” – 16%

Tassi’s conclusion is, “I’ve never seen anything like this. Not with bad shows. Not with politically controversial shows prone to review bombing. Never this bad, not in Netflix history. Honesty, I think not even in TV history, at least with this many reviews in.”

It remains to be seen if Netflix will take any action in response to the backlash against “Queen Cleopatra” and the “African Queens” franchise.

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