A new Polish Netflix series is storming the platform. “Heweliusz” defeated

This Polish hit whose The premiere on Netflix took place on February 11, 2026 year. “Lead Children” not only achieved impressive viewership, but also provoked a real discussion among viewers. And the platforms are delighted when their series are written about in the media and widely discussed. So Netflix should be in heaven right now.

Apparently, viewers love stories based on true events. The more drama, the better it all looks. But the Netflix production, the action of which takes us to Silesia during Brezhnev’s times and tells a story inspired by the life of Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król, achieved success not only in Poland, but quickly became a global hit. “Lead Children” ranks second among Netflix’s most popular foreign-language series in the world. In as many as 10 countries where Netflix is ​​available, the series is in the top 10 most watched productions. It is worth noting that in this ranking it is number 1 in three countries.

In its premiere weekend, the series recorded as many as 4.2 million views. Thus, it did better in the statistics than the famous “Heweliusz”, which finished its premiere with 3.3 million views.

The series “Lead Children” not only tells a close-to-the-heart story about children living in family homes next to the Szopienice Steelworks, affected by lead poisoning, but also stands out for its excellent cast. In addition to Joanna Kulig, we will see the great Agata Kulesza, Kinga Preis, Michał Żurawski, Zbigniew Zamachowski and Marian Dziędziel. And although there will be voices on the Internet that it is not a hit, but another Netflix mass film, it must be admitted that most viewers are delighted with the show. It’s a solid production that makes it hard to tear yourself away from the screen.

Moreover, “Lead Children” caused quite a storm in the media regarding the presentation of history itself. Critical voices appeared online, and the grandson of Professor Bożena Hager-Małecka (played by Agata Kulesza) believes that the Netflix production unfairly showed his grandmother. He called the series “hurtful and unfair.” The creators of the series always refute such accusations in the same way – the series is not a documentary, but a story inspired by events.