Wikipedia:Top 25 Report/December 24 to 30, 2017

WP:25

The Top 25 Report

Most Popular Wikipedia Articles of the Week (December 24 to 30, 2017)

Prepared with commentary by Stormy clouds
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Here is the special annual Top 50 Report for 2017.

Binge-Streaming Away

This week, readers flocked in their droves to the encyclopedia to find information about the royals. The Windsors have become ubiquitous on the report since the engagement of Meghan Markle (#12) to Prince Harry, and the release of the second series of The Crown. The sumptuous period piece, which dredges up regal drama decades since dead, also is responsible for the viewing habits of many readers on the encyclopedia, a fact noted by the Washington Post. Given the repetitive nature of describing her highness (#3), I am beginning to feel solidarity for Lizzie, having to do the same monotonous task day-in, day-out. Netflix also accounts for a film on the list (#6), and the rejoicing tears of technophobes as their gospel returned. (#22, #24).

While television is responsible for a large volume of entries, film dominates at the apex of the list, with two gargantuan releases dominating box office takings in Hollywood and Bollywood respectively. Google also produces an entry, as too does the holiday season. In 26th, Christmas comes agonizingly close to making the report, but it is stuck in the cold. Maybe if they make a Netflix original about the nativity, it might scrape in.

For the week of December 24 to 30, 2017, the 25 most popular articles on Wikipedia, as determined from the WP:5000 report, brought to you by Netflix, were:

Rank	Article	Views	Notes
1	Star Wars: The Last Jedi	1,354,406	When I first saw this list, I felt raw power. The sequel to 2015's The Force Awakens may continue to furiously divide opinion within the fandom, but its enduring interest to Wikipedia readers means that it reigns supreme at #1 for the third consecutive week, matching its predecessor in this regard. Mark Hamill (pictured) portrays Luke Skywalker in the film.
2	Tiger Zinda Hai	1,116,220	Just as the year winds to a close, the power of Bollywood is resurrected, and leaps like a Bengal tiger into second place. Predicatably, the blockbuster behemoth stars a Khan, but not Aamir or Shah Rukh this time - rather, it is Salman. The film is already the highest grossing Hindi film of 2017, but still lags significantly behind the one with strong hands in box office receipts.
3	Elizabeth II	1,098,515	Cor blimey, her royal Majesty, having ascended to third in the annual report, bolsters that position by earning a bronze for the week. While I would like to attribute her views to the report, it is far more likely down to The Crown.
4	Boxing Day	1,094,867	This entry is of intense intrigue, as the holiday immediately preceding it fails to make the list. It appears that readers of the encyclopedia decided to use the ol' Wi-Fi while shopping to see why exactly the populace was tearing one another apart to get to the sales. The devout were likely just looking for the martyr.
5	Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon	1,078,473	The second most infamous Margaret of the last century retains her lofty position in the list as a result of the continued success of The Crown. However, her position relative to her sister (#3) indicates that Netflix binge-watchers, who use the encyclopedia to inform them on the historical figures in their period dramas, are progressing nicely through the tale.
6	Bright (film)	1,064,578	The film, directed by David Ayer, has triggered ample polarisation amongst cinephiles, with critics branding it a lazy, uninspired buddy cop film with poor writing, and the general public saying that it is an enjoyable viewing experience. There is a sequel already in the works, with Smith set to reprise his role. I, for one, won't be rushing to Netflix to watch this one, as I have yet to overcome the depression that Ayer's last effort awoke in me.
7	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh	840,915	Philip appears in The Crown, and the new series reputedly casts him in a dubious light. Given his retirement from public affairs back in May, he has ample time to watch it and mull over the depiction of him offered by Matt Smith.
8	Deaths in 2017	784,295	Fittingly, the most prevalent article of the year retains a spot in the top 10, as readers of the encyclopedia look to the list of the lost for one last time.
9	Bitcoin	721,663	While its price per unit may have plummeted back from the stratosphere, the cryptocurrency continues to confound my expectations and draw a large readership. On an unrelated note, here is a pretty picture that I found.
10	Marlene Dietrich	716,112	We have the folks over at Google to thank for this entry, as they ran a Doodle to celebrate the 116th birthday of the star who helped shape Hollywood into the force that it is today.
11	Star Wars	709,138	While the latest installment of the franchise has retained its place atop the report for a third week, the article for the series as a whole is not starved of readership. Many Wikipedians, planning for or fresh from a trip to the multiplex, are catching up on the frantic adventures of Luke, Han, Leia et al., inspired by the excitement which #1 is generating.
12	Meghan Markle	676,356	Meghan Markle has been a prominent feature in multiple iterations of the Top 25 Report since her engagement to Prince Harry back in November. The continued attention lavished upon her by a royal-obsessed media sees her secure a place in the report worthy of a princess. She is remarkable as the only (future) royal not to be buoyed by high-brow Netflix or PBS dramas - any old network suits her.
13	Darth Vader	587,747	Vader, if not for the strict exemptions rules we apply, would be a perennial listing on the Report. However, whatever bot activity propels Anakin so high has been aided lately by Wookiepedians driven to research the Sith lord as a result of #1. These genuine views mean that Vader is included. Thus, despite not making an appearance in the new film beyond a momentary reference, the imperialist has struck back.
14	Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle	570,934	So, Sony Pictures, after a lackluster year, commissioned a sequel to a dormant "franchise", by making a follow-up to the 1995 Robin Williams vehicle. Their marketing campaign was plagued with error and rife with controversy. On release, however, the film became a surprise smash hit with audiences. It stars Dwayne Johnson (pictured).
15	Queen Victoria	560,313	Victoria, formerly the longest-reigning British monarch (see #3 for her usurper) is another royal who is seeing an exponential explosion in view counts as a result of television. If these shows are inspiring tsunamis of viewers to learn about the royals on Wikipedia, have we reached the infotainment age? The information super-highway will never be the same again - good heavens.
16	Ted Kaczynski	542,856	The infamous Unabomber was returned to the headlines this week as a result of the release of Manhunt: Unabomber onto Netflix. If the past successes of the streaming platform are any indication, crime intrigues. There is, of course, the possibility that paranoid purveyors of the wiki are simply checking if it is safe to open their mail.
17	The Greatest Showman	540,564	The musical stars Hugh Jackman as P. T. Barnum (#18) and follows his quest to operate a thriving circus where the societally ostracised can thrive. It adopts musical flair, with the lyricists from La La Land on board. Unfortunately, the film, loaded with a city of stars, does not seem to be shining either critically or commercially. Fitting, given the fate that befell the circus.
18	P. T. Barnum	537,136	Barnum, of circus fame, is the subject of The Greatest Showman, where he is portrayed by Hugh Jackman. Not sure that the man himself was as prone to spontaneous renditions of elaborate show tunes, but this incarnation certainly is.
19	Charles, Prince of Wales	532,936	We now begin a trio of royals of the House Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The heir to the throne is also head of the trinity, despite being the only one to not reign (many are hoping for homeostasis in this regard). The internet is abuzz because of sigh The Crown, where a young Charles is slapped by his father (#7). If the tapes are true, he deserved it.
20	George VI	490,858	Albert the unlikely, George only ascended to the throne following the shocking abdication of his brother (#21). Given that he was never meant to wear the crown, Albert was afforded more freedom than his sibling, much like a certain Ed Sheeran look-alike. He also, famously, had tro-tro-trouble with oration. Likely makes it on the list due to viewers of The Crown indiscriminately clicking all links related to the matriarch (#3).
21	Edward VIII	489,438	As time advances, the transgressions deemed so severe in the past diminish in importance. Edward was king for the briefest of tenures, and was forced to set aside his birthright due to his affections for an American divorcee. Bet that many are happy that the same strict rules are not implemented today. Maybe it is just as well that he had to step down, as he had some nefarious beliefs.
22	List of Black Mirror episodes	485,495	The fourth season of the dystopian, technophobic, engrossing series dropped on Netflix on the 29th, captivating audiences and driving them to Wikipedia to investigate further and try to wrap their heads around the cryptic cookies that creator Charlie Brooker (pictured) deposits. None of the new episodes live up to the heady neon highlight that was "San Junipero", but the definitive ranking (in my humble opinion as an addict) is below at #24.
23	Kwanzaa	467,609	The holiday, which celebrates African-American culture, was first devised in 1966, and is observed for the week immediately succeeding Christmas every year. Readers of the encyclopedia were evidently curious to see what was up with the kinara set up by the neighbours. My question is, don't the rest of us deserve a Festivus?
24	Black Mirror	464,250	As an avid fan, who binged watched the entire new series on the day of release, I am going to remain mum about everything to avoid spoiling some truly exceptional television - rather, here is my ranking of the six anthology episodes from worst to best. 6.) "Metalhead", 5.) "Crocodile", 4.) "Arkangel", 3.) "Hang the DJ", 2.) "Black Museum", 1.) "USS Callister".
25	Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon	457,430	A controversial figure amongst anglophiles, the Earl of Snowdon was married to a reluctant Princess Margaret (#5), and then behaved in a less than exemplary manner in the marriage. Once again, his appearance can be attributed to The Crown, as the patrons of Netflix appear to adore searching Wikipedia articles about the royals while binging on the newest series.

Exclusions

This list excludes the Wikipedia main page, non-article pages (such as redlinks), and anomalous entries (such as DDoS attacks or likely automated views). Since mobile view data became available to the Report in October 2014, we exclude articles that have almost no mobile views (5–6% or less) or almost all mobile views (94–95% or more) because they are very likely to be automated views based on our experience and research of the issue. Please feel free to discuss any removal on the talk page if you wish.

Note: If you came here from the Signpost article, please take any discussion of exclusions to this article's talk page.