By Gus Saltonstall
Over the past month, “The Perfect Couple” has been among the most watched shows on Netflix, and if you were listening carefully, you may have caught a fleeting reference in the first episode to one of the Upper West Side’s most iconic residences: the Beresford.
The who-done-it murder mystery, set on the Nantucket estate of a wealthy family on the eve of a wedding, was the streaming platform’s most watched show in the U.S. from September 13 to 27. It garnered a massive 3.4 billion minutes watched during its debut week, before adding another 1.8 billion minutes throughout its second full week of availability. As of Monday, it was still the fifth most-watched show in the country on Netflix.
Despite all those eyeballs, the UWS reference may have been caught by relatively few viewers. It comes near the end of episode 1, during a conversation that starts at the 45:35 mark. Thomas and Abby Winbury, husband and wife, are talking.
“The Beresford will only hold the apartment until the end of the month,” Abby, who is played by Dakota Fanning, tells her husband Thomas, played by Jack Reynor. “I need to get into that building. Do I need to remind you that I’m pregnant. In by the end of the month.”
The Beresford, a 22-story co-op at 211 Central Park West between West 81st and 82nd streets, was built in 1929 and is a designated New York City landmark. Over the years it’s been home to an impressive list of famous residents, among them: Jerry Seinfeld, John McEnroe, Patty Smyth, Diana Ross, Diane Sawyer, Alex Rodriguez, Bill Ackman, Glenn Close, and Tony Randall.
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And Howard Samuel who ran for Governor unsuccessfully 3 times.
..and Allan Funt, Red Buttons, Isaac Stern, Beverly Sills, and undoubtedly many other celebrities.
Two UWS references in one story: Beresford and Dakota.
ha!