The best shows to binge-watch on Netflix right now
Christmas has arrived at last. But how will you spend your precious time off? There are only so many hours in a day. Fortunately, bingeing shows is a great way to fill the time, whether you’re flying solo or spending the holidays with friends and loved ones.
Netflix has an unmatched lineup of original series and shows created for other networks. That’s why there’s something here for almost everyone, no matter what your tastes may be. To give you a head start on your enjoyment, we’ve already put together a list of the best TV shows that you can stream on Netflix right now.
Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the best movies on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Disney+.
The Repair Shop
If you’re looking for a feel-good show, The Repair Shop’s third season has arrived on Netflix. Each episode, Jay Blades and his team are given the task to faithfully restore family heirlooms that have more sentimental value than monetary value. More importantly, these experts don’t charge for their restorations, and it’s a lot of fun to watch them put their skills to work in the shop. They really know what they’re doing.
Created by: Ben Borland
Cast: Jay Blades, Will Kirk, Steve Fletcher
Number of seasons: 3
X-Men
Rest assured, you won’t find this show on Disney+! About a decade ago, Marvel teamed up with animators in Japan to create four anime series based on their comic book heroes. X-Men was the third Marvel Anime, and it featured the team fractured in the wake of Jean Grey’s death. However, an emergency in Japan brings Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and the rest back together to face familiar adversaries and new threats as well. The Wolverine anime is also on Netflix, but Blade and Iron Man are currently not available.
Created by: Toshiki Inoue
Cast: Scott Porter, Steve Blum, Cam Clarke
Number of seasons: 1
Song Exploder
Have you ever wondered what it took to create some of your favorite songs? Hrishikesh Hirway’s popular podcast, Song Exploder, gets the answers straight from the artists themselves. The TV incarnation of the show is back for a new season on Netflix, with episodes focusing on The Killers, Nine Inch Nails, Dua Lipa, and Natalia Lafourcade. Naturally, the first season is also available, with spotlight episodes for R.E.M., Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ty Dolla $ign.
Created by: Hrishikesh Hirway
Cast: Hrishikesh Hirway
Number of seasons: 2
The Ripper
If the cold weather hasn’t chilled you to the bone, then perhaps Netflix’s latest true crime sensation will. The Ripper is a British import documentary that tackles the infamous Yorkshire Ripper, a serial killer whose reign of terror began in 1975 and ran through 1980. Survivors, investigators, journalists, and even family members of the victims share their tales about this horrific episode in their lives, and what it took to bring the killer to justice.
Created by: Jesse Vile, Ellena Wood
Cast: N/A
Number of seasons: 1
Manhunt: Deadly Games
Manhunt: Deadly Games is the follow up to Manhunter: Unabomber with an all-new cast and another ripped from the headlines true crime story. Cameron Britton stars as Richard Jewell, an unassuming security guard at the 1996 Olympics who discovers a bomb before it went off. However, Jewell’s heroics are turned against him when the FBI and the media come to assume that he was the bomber. Meanwhile, the real bomber, Eric Rudolph (Jack Huston), continues his reign of terror as the FBI attempts to find the truth and put Rudolph away.
Created by: Andrew Sodroski, Jim Clemente, Tony Gittelson
Cast: Cameron Britton, Jack Huston, Judith Light, Carla Gugino
Number of seasons: 1
Alice in Borderland
Haro Aso’s hit manga series, Alice in Borderland, now has a high profile live-action adaptation launching globally on Netflix. Kento Yamazaki stars as Ryohei Arisu, a high school student who is more concerned with playing video games than passing his exams. But the games become very real for Ryoshei when he and his friends are transported to a parallel world. There, an enigmatic young woman, Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), warns them that they have to play a series of deadly games in order to survive.
Created by: Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu
Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Nijirō Murakami
Number of seasons: 1
The Holiday Movies That Made Us
No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is Will Ferrell in Elf, one of the two movies profiled in the abbreviated two-episode season of The Holiday Movies That Made Us. A spinoff of The Movies That Made Us, the show serves as a short documentary that chronicles the production of director Jon Favreau’s cult classic. Like any good documentary, it features interviews with the cast and crew, providing a closer look at one of the most unexpected Christmas blockbusters of all time. The second episode spotlights The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton’s stop-motion classic, which, unsurprisingly, has become a fan favorite throughout the year.
Created by: Benjamin J. Frost, Brian Volk-Weiss
Cast: Donald Ian Black
Number of seasons: 1
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays
The latest season of The Great British Baking Show — aka, The Great British Bake Off — may have just ended, but the beloved baking competition is already back with a new special just in time for Christmas. In The Great British Baking Show: Holidays, hosts Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith welcome back a few competitors from previous seasons, giving them another shot to woo them with an onslaught of holiday-themed treats … and lots of chocolate, butter, and sugar. If you’re not hungry yet, you will be.
Created by: Anna Beattie
Cast: Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith
Number of seasons: 3
Alien Worlds
When is a documentary not a documentary? When it’s Alien Worlds, a new sci-fi series produced in a documentary style. The show explores four fictional planets and uses input from real scientists to create dramatizations of how life and evolution would play out in those wildly different environments. The creatures and landscapes are all created with CGI, but they are convincing enough that you can almost buy into the illusion that the show is a glimpse of places that have their own rules and reality.
Created by: Tim Lambert, Jeremy Dear
Cast: Sophie Okonedo
Number of seasons: 1
Broadchurch
For anyone in search of a gripping mystery with darkly emotional overtones, Broadchurch is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. It’s centered on the small English town of Broadchurch, which is rocked by the senseless murder of an 11-year-old boy named Danny. Police detectives DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) are on the case, but they each have secrets of their own. The search for Danny’s killer takes a high toll on both Hardy and Miller, as well as the entire town. But even when the murderer stands revealed, the story is just beginning.
Created by: Chris Chibnall
Cast: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker
Number of seasons: 3
Stargate SG-1
The Stargate movie didn’t quite become the blockbuster that the studio wanted it to be. However, the franchise was reinvigorated by its TV spinoff, Stargate SG-1. Although the show is a direct sequel to the film, Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks took over their respective roles as Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson. The series also added Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter and Christopher Judge’s Teal’c to round out the SG-1 team.
Over the course of its long run, Stargate SG-1 pushed the franchise’s mythology in new and interesting ways. And now, all 10 seasons are coming to Netflix!
Created by: Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner
Cast: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge
Number of seasons: 10
Big Mouth
Netflix tends to take chances on animated series that other outlets wouldn’t touch. Case in point: Big Mouth, an animated comedy show that relentlessly tackles taboo topics of sexuality. The show explores the coming of age and sexual development of young teenagers Nick Birch and Andrew Glouberman, as well as their friends. Almost all of the boys and girls are haunted by literal hormone monsters as they make their way through puberty. It’s a wild show, and it’s going even further now that the fourth season has hit Netflix.
Created by: Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett
Cast: Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jason Mantzoukas
Number of seasons: 4
Selena: The Series
The late Selena Quintanilla-Pérez had only a relatively short life, but her legend has endured for over two decades. As Selena, Quintanilla-Pérez became the “Queen of Tejano music” and one of the most influential Mexican-American singers and celebrities. The Walking Dead’s Christian Serratos is stepping into the role of Quintanilla-Pérez in Selena: The Series, Netflix’s newest original series. On this show, viewers will see a dramatization of Selena’s childhood rise to fame, struggles, and ultimately her untimely demise.
Created by: Moisés Zamora
Cast: Christian Serratos, Ricardo Chavira, Seidy Lopez
Number of seasons: 1
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
These days, we could all use a good laugh. Fortunately, Monty Python’s Flying Circus excels at creating laughter. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam created their legends with this surreal comedy sketch show that refused to obey any rules except its own. The Pythons had such a unique sense of humor that it took a while for American fans to catch on to the British sensation. Now, the series is a classic, and it’s always ready for a new generation to discover it.
Created by: Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman
Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Number of seasons: 4
Challenger: The Final Flight
In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed shortly after takeoff, as a stunned nation watched on TV. The entire crew — Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe — lost their lives in the accident. The Challenger disaster was also a major setback for NASA, but this was a tragedy that could have been prevented. Challenger: The Final Flight examines everything that led up to the failed launch, as well as the fallout that came after. It’s not always easy to watch, but this is a story that needs to be told.
Created by: Steven Leckart, Glen Zipper
Cast: N/A
Number of seasons: 1
The Queen’s Gambit
A compelling chess drama wasn’t on our 2020 bingo card, but Netflix’s skillfully made adaptation of Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit has given us the series we didn’t know we needed. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as chess prodigy Beth Harmon, a young woman who is driven to become the very best in the world. Beth’s ability to visualize chess movies in her mind brings the game to life in unexpected ways. However, Beth’s inner demons may stand in the way of her ambition.
Created by: Scott Frank, Allan Scott
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram
Number of seasons: 1
Mars
Mars represents a unique blend of science fact and science fiction. Real scientists and experts like Neil deGrasse Tyson offer their perspective of what life might be like on the Red Planet if humanity makes it that far, and in the fictional part of the series, a crew of astronauts launches the first-ever manned mission to Mars, while facing several complications along the way.
Although Mars only had two seasons, it lasted long enough to show us what the first colony might look like. It’s an intriguing glimpse of a world that we can’t quite get to … at least not yet.
Created by: Ben Young Mason, Justin Wilkes
Cast: Ben Cotton, Alberto Ammann, Anamaria Marinca
Number of seasons: 2
The Liberator
Leave it to Netflix to try something new. The Liberator is an ambitious animated series that uses a new kind of rotoscope technology to tell the true story of the 157th Infantry Regiment during the waning days of World War II. Commander Felix “Shotgun” Sparks (Bradley James) and his diverse unit of soldiers march into the conflict that will take them through some of Europe’s darkest days. There’s triumph and tragedy alike, as the soldiers face the true cost of war and genocide. Visually, it’s one of the most interesting new series of the year, but it may take some getting used to for a few viewers.
Created by: Jeb Stuart
Cast: Bradley James, Jose Miguel Vasquez, Martin Sensmeier
Number of seasons: 1
Our Planet
Occasionally, we could all use a reminder of just how beautiful our world is, and how close we are to potentially losing the best things about it. Netflix’s original documentary miniseries, Our Planet, reunites the team behind Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and The Blue Planet for a fresh look at biodiversity around the globe. The miniseries was filmed in 50 countries and showcases spectacular wildlife imagery, while firmly establishing how climate change is affecting these creatures, and, in turn, everyone on Earth. Heed the warning while you can.
Created by: Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey,
Cast: David Attenborough
Number of seasons: 1
Blood of Zeus
Netflix’s investment in original anime continues to pay off with Blood of Zeus, one of the most visually dazzling animated shows on the streaming service. The series dives into a re-envisioned Greek mythology by focusing on a young man named Heron. One day, Heron discovers that he is literally the son of Zeus, and possibly the only hero who can save both the heavens and the Earth. Fair warning, it’s not for the faint of heart, and the series has moments of graphic violence. But it also has an impressive voice cast and a story that keeps us coming back for more.
Created by: Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides
Cast: Derek Phillips, Jason O’Mara, Claudia Christian
Number of seasons: 1
Away
Sadly, Netflix has already canceled Away after a single season. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. It’s an aspirational sci-fi series about humanity’s first manned mission to Mars. Hillary Swank leads the cast as Emma Green, the NASA commander in charge of the mission. But to take the mission of a lifetime, Emma had to leave her husband, Matt (Josh Charles), and daughter behind on Earth. Emma’s other major complication comes when she fails to rise to the occasion during an early crisis, which shakes the crew’s faith in her. Regardless, the Atlas and her crew need all hands to be ready for what lies ahead.
Created by: Andrew Hinderaker
Cast: Hilary Swank, Josh Charles, Vivian Wu
Number of seasons: 1
Dawson’s Creek
Ah, Dawson’s Creek. It’s the quintessential teenage romance/drama that launched James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, and Michelle Williams into stardom. It also launched some pretty memorable memes. Cry Dawson, cry! All six seasons of the soapy series are hitting Netflix this month. That means it’s a good opportunity to revisit the life and times of Dawson Leery and his friends in the surprisingly eventful town of Capeside. If you’re looking for a fun nostalgic rewatch, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.
Created by: Kevin Williamson
Cast: James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes
Number of seasons: 6
Available on Netflix beginning November 1
Cursed
Arthurian lore goes back centuries, but it’s never quite been like this before. Cursed is based on Frank Miller’s illustrated novel that takes the spotlight off of Arthur (Devon Terrell) and puts the focus squarely on the Lady of the Lake. Or rather, the lady she was before. Nimue (Katherine Langford) is a young Fey girl who has to overcome her personal tragedy after she and her family are attacked by zealots. Nimue is also entrusted with the Sword of Power, which is cursed to corrupt anyone who wields it, including Nimue herself. Several familiar faces from the legend of King Arthur appear in new roles, and the show offers plenty of surprises along the way. Nimue’s story is very rewarding as it unfolds, and it’s not over yet.
Created by: Frank Miller, Tom Wheeler
Cast: Katherine Langford, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgård
Number of seasons: 1
Unsolved Mysteries
The original Unsolved Mysteries had a long run on network television as it tackled possible paranormal activity and very real cold cases. Incredibly, that show also led to some of those cases being solved. Netflix’s reboot doesn’t have the same track record yet, but it does offer a compelling mix of new cases and stories. Unsolved Mysteries’ reboot has also eschewed the idea of using a host, because who could ever replace the incomparable Robert Stack? Regardless, the documentary-style approach suits the new show well. Keep watching, and maybe you can solve the mystery.
Created by: John Cosgrove, Terry Dunn Meurer.
Cast: N/A
Number of seasons: 2
Ratched
American Horror Story and American Crime Story standout, Sarah Paulson, takes the lead in Ratched, a series inspired by One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Paulson portrays Nurse Mildred Ratched in a prequel to the famous novel and film. And if you thought that Ratched was monstrous before, then the series is going to be an eye-opener. The series takes place in 1947, as Ratched worms her way into a prestigious mental health institute. On the surface, Ratched is a model nurse and a paragon for others to admire. But beneath the surface, Ratched ruthlessly pursues her own agenda, regardless of who she has to hurt or kill. There are several twists to be found, and even a monster like Ratched can find love in unexpected places.
Created by: Evan Romansky
Cast: Sarah Paulson, Finn Wittrock, Cynthia Nixon
Number of seasons: 1
The Haunting of Bly Manor
First things first: The Haunting of Bly Manor is not the second season of The Haunting of Hill House, despite both being creations of Mike Flanagan. Instead of a sequel to Hill House, Flanagan has envisioned Bly Manor as its own separate story, which was inspired by Henry James’ classic novel, The Turn of the Screw. Victoria Pedretti headlines the series as Dani, a young governess who has been hired to watch over “two very unusual children.” Pedretti’s fellow Hill House veterans, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas, and Kate Siegel, will also be back in new roles unconnected to the previous series. The only thing that we can guarantee is that fresh scares are on the way. And it might be a good idea to watch this new show with the lights on.
Created by: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Number of seasons: 1
Schitt’s Creek
Even Netflix couldn’t have predicted that the final season of Schitt’s Creek would sweep the Emmy Awards for comedy in 2020. But this little Canadian comedy has turned into a TV powerhouse, thanks in part to Netflix itself. The father-and-son duo of Eugene and Dan Levy created and starred in Schitt’s Creek for six seasons. The show follows the formerly wealthy Rose family after they lose their fortune and circumstances force them to move to a small town they once purchased as a joke. On the surface, that may sound shallow. But this is a comedy that has a lot of heart to go with its side-splitting moments and unique characters. The final episode even nailed the landing for the series, which is always a rarity. This month, Netflix is adding the sixth season, which completes the show’s run. But now it’s ready to be discovered by a new audience.
Created by: Eugene Levy, Dan Levy
Cast: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy
Number of seasons: 6
The Umbrella Academy
Based on the comic book series of the same name by Gerard Way, this superhero series follows the lives of seven of 43 children born to women who mysteriously never knew they were pregnant until they went into labor. It turns out they are superheroes, and when these seven children are adopted by an eccentric billionaire, he turns the siblings into a superhero team called The Umbrella Academy. Later, however, the children become estranged from one another and their father. But when they discover he has passed away, they reconnect for his funeral. Warnings of a pending apocalypse prompt them to band together again to stop it, though it isn’t without clashing personalities and plenty of familial dysfunction.
Created by: Steve Blackman
Cast: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castaneda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Mary J. Blige
Number of seasons: 2
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
It’s four seasons, plus a fun choose-your-own-adventure-style interactive special, full of silly hilarity. The sitcom takes a serious premise — a teenage girl is kidnapped and kept in an underground bunker for 15 years until finally being rescued — and makes it funny. Now 29, Kimmy has been completely cut off from the real world and still has the attitude of a 15-year-old girl living in the ’90s. But despite emerging to a world filled with negativity and stress, she is determined to live life to the fullest and make every moment count, which prompts her to move to The Big Apple in hopes of fulfilling her dreams … whatever they may be. While Kimmy, played by Ellie Kemper, is the title character, the real star of the series is arguably her lazy, effeminate, eccentric, and judgmental roommate and friend Tituss (Tituss Burgess). With a cast that also includes comedic icons like Carol Kane and Jane Krakowski, along with Jon Hamm in a recurring role, it’s an unconventional, sugary-sweet, and uplifting comedy full of color and old pop-culture references that will make you smile.
Created by: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock
Cast: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane, Jane Krakowski
Number of seasons: 4
Russian Doll
Natasha Lyonne brings her signature comedic stylings to this comedy-drama as Nadia, a woman stuck in a time loop who keeps reliving the same day over and over again, each time dying in increasingly freakish ways. She eventually discovers another man going through the same thing, and together, they try to figure out how to get out of the recurring nightmare. Earning four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, the mind-bending series will keep you puzzled and have you guessing all the way through. It’s the kind of series with lots of water-cooler-chatter potential by the end.
Created by: Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler
Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Greta Lee, Yul Vazquez, Charlie Barnett, Elizabeth Ashley
Number of seasons: 1
The Baby-Sitters Club
Just released in summer 2020, this television adaptation of the popular children’s novel series of the same name by Ann M. Martin has become an instant hit, with a 100% approval rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes and critics calling it “sweet, sincere, and full of hope.” Like the books, the series follows five middle-school girls who start their own babysitting business in Connecticut, and their adventures as they do so. Each girl has her own unique passion and personality, and a different job in the club, from Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), the president who makes it a point to call out social injustices, to the shy Mary Anne (Malia Baker), who serves as secretary. It’s a great show that pre-teens and young teens will love, and nostalgic parents who might have read the book series when they were kids will appreciate, too.
Created by: Rachel Shukert
Cast: Sophie Grace, Momona Tamada, Shay Rudolph, Malia Baker, Alicia Silverstone, Mark Feuerstein, Xochitl Gomez
Number of seasons: 1
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever is a coming-of-age dramedy about a young woman who, after the death of her father, decides she wants to change her life and elevate her social status. However, Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), an Indian girl raised in America, finds that her family and friends aren’t fully on board with this renaissance. Considered a standout in a crowded field of coming-of-age dramedies on Netflix, Never Have I Ever delightfully balances the traditional perils of high school like teen romance and popularity with the challenges of grief, being a first-generation American, and finding yourself in a crowd of loved ones.
Created by: Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher
Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jaren Lewison
Number of seasons: 1
Avatar: The Last Airbender
When it comes to animated series, few rival Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. The beloved series continues to garner a following more than 15 years after its initial debut, likely due to the way it deftly balances child-friendly themes with more sophisticated narratives, ones that revolve around war and the oft-ambiguous line between good and evil. The show is centered on the titular Aang, a master of the elements, and four nations, each of which is named after a different element (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water). The main story follows Aang and his companions in their effort to quell unrest and an ongoing feud with the Fire Nation, but the show’s detailed world-building and character development extend well beyond the scope of any one individual. To this day, it’s still considered a masterclass in storytelling, and considering Netflix is currently working on a live-action adaptation, there’s no better time to watch than now. The sequel series, The Legend of Korra, is also on Netflix now.
Created by: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko
Cast: Zach Tyler Eisen, Mako Iwamatsu, Mae Whitman
Number of seasons: 3
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
In the ‘80s, She-Ra was He-Man’s sister and the star of her own animated series and toy line. Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power isn’t as interested in selling toys as it is building upon relationships. The series completely reimagined the story to center around Adora and Catra, a pair of orphans raised by the evil Horde army. When Adora finds her power through She-Ra’s magic sword, it sets her against her best friend, Catra, who also happens to be the person she loves the most. This series broke new ground for animated LGBT themes and characters and carved out a place for itself in the hearts of fans.
Created by: Noelle Stevenson
Cast: Aimee Carrero, AJ Michalka, Karen Fukuhara
Number of seasons: 5
Orange Is the New Black
One of Netflix’s first breakout original series is still one of its most powerful shows to date. Orange Is the New Black started out as a story about Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman who was locked up in prison over some bad choices she made over a decade before the series. But over seven seasons, it became a much richer story about the large cast behind bars as they came together and grew apart. It’s also a scathing indictment of the prison industrial complex that works equally well as both a comedy and a drama. This one is for the ages.
Created by: Jenji Kohan
Cast: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew
Number of seasons: 7
Community
NBC never quite knew what to make of Community, but the series found a devoted audience that embraced its hilarious blend of pop culture comedy. Future Marvel directors Joe and Anthony Russo helmed several memorable episodes that earned them a chance to hit the big screen. But this show belongs to its mismatched study group as portrayed by Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, and Chevy Chase. Despite several personality clashes, the group becomes a makeshift family. Ken Jeong and Jim Rash also steal a lot of scenes as Dean Pelton and Ben Chang. We’re still waiting for a Community movie, but all six seasons are on Netflix.
Created by: Dan Harmon
Cast: Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Donald Glover
Number of seasons: 6
Halt and Catch Fire
How does one of the best shows of the decade get lost on a network? By contending with The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men, Halt and Catch Fire carved out its own identity in this ‘80s period piece that chronicled the rise of personal computing, video games, and the internet. If you’ll pardon the expression, the series really catches fire in the second season when Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis) and Donna Clark (Kerry Bishé) launch their own gaming company. Meanwhile, Donna’s husband, Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), and the enigmatic Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) had compelling stories of their own. This is a show that deserves a second chance to find its audience.
Created by: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers
Cast: Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis
Number of seasons: 4
Ozark
In Ozark, the Byrde family has a knack for getting into overwhelming trouble. Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) had a scheme to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. And when that goes wrong, Marty packs up his wife, Wendy (Laura Linney), and their kids for an abrupt move to the Ozarks — where he proceeds to set up an even more dangerous money laundering operation. In addition to starring in the series, Bateman has made a name for himself behind the camera as an Emmy-winning director. There’s only one more season to come, so now is the right time to catch up on Ozark’s twists and turns.
Created by: Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams
Cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz
Number of seasons: 3
American Crime Story
The real-life legal saga of O.J. Simpson was both a circus and the trial of the century. The first season of American Crime Story dived into that tale full throttle with The People v. O. J. Simpson. Amazingly, the series offered a very grounded, human take on all of its principal figures. That’s especially true of Sarah Paulson’s Marcia Clark and Sterling K. Brown’s Christopher Darden, the prosecutors assigned to put O.J. Simpson (Cuba Gooding Jr.) behind bars. The second season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace, is also on Netflix. But the two stories have been separated, so you’ll have to click here for that season.
Created by: Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Tom Rob Smith
Cast: Sterling K. Brown, Cuba Gooding Jr. Sarah Paulson
Number of seasons: 2
Lucifer
Tom Ellis is quite literally the devil in this loose adaptation of the Lucifer comic book series. After leaving Hell behind to chart a new path in his life, Lucifer encounters Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) and quickly falls for her. To remain a part of Chloe’s life, Lucifer helps her solve murders in Los Angeles with his talent for making suspects give up his secrets. No one can say that Lucifer isn’t open about who and what he is. But it takes a while for Chloe to realize that she really has partnered up with the original Fallen Angel.
Created by: Tom Kapinos
Cast: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro
Number of seasons: 5
The Midnight Gospel
Comedian Duncan Trussell and Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward teamed up for one of the most bizarre animated series on Netflix. The Midnight Gospel is partially inspired by Trussell’s podcast, and he stars in the series as a spacecaster named Clancy Gilroy who interviews guests as their worlds undergo an apocalyptic event by using a universal simulation machine. There are few topics that are out of bounds, and the comedy goes to some very strange and dark places. That’s par for the course for a series that ends almost every episode with an extinction-level disaster. And yet, it’s still really fun.
Created by: Pendleton Ward, Duncan Trussell
Cast: Duncan Trussell
Number of seasons: 1
Pose
Pose is one of the rare TV dramas that fully embraces its LGBTQ cast, which is essential to the period and premise of the show. The series begins in the late ‘80s and chronicles the lives of several gay and gender-nonconforming dancers in the ballroom culture scene. But the series also takes a hard look at the HIV and AIDS epidemic, which hits the community hard just when the subculture begins to go mainstream in the early ‘90s. It’s truly a TV show like no other.
Created by: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals
Cast: Evan Peters, Kate Mara, James Van Der Beek
Number of seasons: 2
Chef’s Table BBQ
The Chef’s Table documentary series may be the spiritual follow up to Jiro Dreams of Sushi, but it’s quickly taken on a life of its own. After six seasons on Netflix, creator David Gelb has added a spinoff: Chef’s Table BBQ. Only one season of the new show is currently on Netflix, but it retains the cinematic stylings that made the original Chef’s Table so compelling. Get ready to feel hungry as the show profiles pitmasters from the United States, Mexico, and Australia.
Created by: David Gelb
Cast: N/A
Number of seasons: 1
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai is a rare sequel that re-contextualizes the original story. In the classic ‘80s film The Karate Kid, the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) was fairly straightforward. But their relationship is far more complicated when Cobra Kai picks up decades later. Daniel’s lost his sense of perspective, while Johnny’s been in a downward spiral for years.
Johnny largely takes the center stage in this series, and he reclaims some measure of control of his life by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo. In response, Daniel opens up a karate dojo of his own, which reignites their long-standing adversity and passes their feud to a new generation of students. There’s a third season of Cobra Kai coming to Netflix in 2021, but you can catch the first two seasons right now.
Created by: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz. Hayden Schlossberg
Cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler
Number of seasons: 2
High Score
How well do you know the story of video games? From the rise and fall of Atari to the emergence of Nintendo and beyond, Netflix’s High Score proves that there are still surprises to be found in the history of gaming. Throughout the first season, High Score tracks the beginning of the medium and interviews some of the pivotal figures who shaped gaming as we know it, many of whom remain unknown outside of gaming circles.
High Score also takes a deep dive into the console wars of the ‘90s, as well as the roleplaying and fighting genres, before examining the advent of 3D graphics. It doesn’t quite take us to the era of modern gaming, but the series is just getting started.
Created by: France Costrel
Cast: Charles Martinet
Number of seasons: 1
The Haunting of Hill House
One dark and ominous night, Hugh Crain (Henry Thomas) gathers his children and flees their vast, gothic mansion, leaving his wife, Olivia (Carla Gugino), behind. Olivia dies that night, her death ruled a suicide, and the tabloids run wild with stories of the haunted Hill House. The five Crain children — Steven, Shirley, Theo, Nell, and Luke — all grow up dealing with their trauma in varying ways, whether writing a successful memoir about the haunting of Hill House (Steven), or abusing drugs to numb the pain (Luke). As adults, the Crain siblings are barely on speaking terms, until a tragedy forces them all back together, and back to Hill House. Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House is a character-driven story, delving into the psychological problems of its many protagonists. It’s no mere family drama, though. In addition to their personal demons, there are some very real ghosts haunting the Crains, and Flanagan orchestrates some intense scares in the first episode alone, building tension but also knowing when to bust out a jump scare.
Created by: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel
Number of seasons: 1
Peaky Blinders
Set in the aftermath of World War I, Peaky Blinders is a crime drama about a British crime family, the Shelbys. After Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) returns from the war, he sets about trying to expand the family’s control of Birmingham, stealing a shipment of guns to give his gang an edge in the world of crime. The show follows Tommy and his family as they move up in the world, butting heads with other crime families and the British government. Peaky Blinders is gorgeously shot, and the story it tells is one of complicated people and muddy morality.
Created by: Steven Knight
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory
Number of seasons: 7
Breaking Bad
Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a high-school chemistry teacher diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer. To secure his family’s finances before he dies, White uses his chemistry background to cook and deal premium blue meth. His partner is a former student and burnout named Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Breaking Bad is teeming with moral consequences and family issues, and fittingly, it’s as addicting as the crystal meth White produces in his beat-up van in the desert.
Created by: Vince Gilligan
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn
Number of seasons: 5
Better Call Saul
Starring Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul takes fans of Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad back to the New Mexico desert for a look at Saul Goodman’s origin story. Before Goodman became the quirky, crooked lawyer Walter White played like a fiddle, he was Jimmy McGill, an aspiring lawyer who just couldn’t seem to keep his hands clean. The show is set six years prior to the events of Breaking Bad and throws out the convention that a spinoff must pale in comparison to its source material. It also proves Gilligan and company remain at the top of their game.
Created by: Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks
Number of seasons: 5
Rectify
How would you handle readjusting to life after being wrongfully imprisoned for 19 years of your life? Sundance TV’s Rectify addresses this quandary as it follows the life of Daniel Holden. Convicted and sent to death row as a teenager for the rape and murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend, new evidence sets the stage for his return home to Paulie, Georgia. Now in his late 30s, Holden attempts to rekindle relationships with his family and friends, something not easily accomplished for someone whose name had been denounced for so long.
Created by: Ray McKinnon
Cast: Aden Young, Abigail Spencer, J. Smith-Cameron
Number of seasons: 4
The Crown
Britain’s current and longest-reigning monarch is also one of its most unassuming. Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in the aftermath of World War II, at a time when the monarchy had ceded much of its power to Parliament and the Prime Minister. Despite a lack of governmental power, the Queen remains one of the most important heads of state in the world, and civic duties abound. Netflix’s The Crown traces Elizabeth’s (Claire Foy) life from her marriage to Prince Philip (Matt Smith) in 1947 to the present day, digging into the web of agendas and alliances the Queen must navigate. Heavy on political intrigue, The Crown is sure to satisfy viewers who appreciate Machiavellian television, as well as those who love the decor of TV shows like Downton Abbey. However, the show also has a deeply intimate side, in that it examines Elizabeth’s personal relationships and the toll exacted by her duties as Queen.
Created by: Peter Morgan
Cast: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Matt Smith
Number of seasons: 5
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness
The “crazy true crime” documentary has become the iconic genre of the streaming age, and Tiger King might be the Platonic ideal. The setup is simple enough: Director Eric Goode is making a documentary about a snake dealer in Florida, stumbling from there into the world of big cat owners, and the eponymous “Tiger King” in particular: Joe Exotic, the grandiose owner of a big cat zoo (and country musician) who was convicted in 2019 of trying to put a hit on animal rights activist Carole Baskin. From the moment he appears on screen, Exotic is an outlandish figure, and the story only gets wilder from there.
Created by: Eric Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin
Cast: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin
Number of seasons: 1
The Good Place
Bureaucratic mix-ups can be a nightmare — just ask anyone who has needed to apply for a passport — but on occasion, they can work out in your favor. Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) finds herself on the good side of a paperwork snafu when, after dying, she ends up in the Good Place, a serene afterlife neighborhood built by a cosmic architect named Michael (Ted Danson). In reality, Eleanor was an abrasive person who only looked out for herself. Now, in order to avoid being discovered and sent to the Bad Place, she must learn how to behave like a nice person. The Good Place is an upbeat comedy whose unique setting and surprising plot set it a notch above most sitcoms.
Created by: Michael Schur
Cast: Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil
Number of seasons: 4
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Musicals are in short supply on television — perhaps because audiences just find song-and-dance a bit too corny. That same drought makes Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s lavish musical numbers all the more striking, however. The titular ex is Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), a tightly strung lawyer who abandons her career in New York and moves to West Covina, California, to reconnect with her first crush, Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III). The premise seems like typical rom-com fare, but Crazy Ex-Girlfriend rises above by embracing absurdity. The musical numbers, of which there are many, are funny and bombastic, paying homage to various genres of music and classic films.
Created by: Rachel Bloom, Aline Brosh McKenna
Cast: Rachel Bloom, Donna Lynne Champlin, Vincent Rodriguez III
Number of seasons: 4
Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy
The original Transformers animated series was, admittedly, a cool way to sell kids toy robots that could turn into vehicles. There have been several subsequent Transformers animated series, but Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy is the first one to truly embrace the pathos behind the struggle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The gorgeous CGI animation retains the look and feel of the Generation 1 Transformers, and it also adds moments of genuine awe in Cybertron and the return of some unexpected heroes and villains.
But the most impressive part of this series is the way that it allows both Autobots and Decepticons to question their place in the war, as well as the morality of their leaders, Optimus Prime and Megatron. The line between the good and evil robots is no longer cut and dried. This incarnation of Transformers is an unexpectedly rich drama with terrific writing and performances. It’s the show we always wanted it to be.
Created by: F. J. DeSanto, George Krstic
Cast: Jake Foushee, Jason Marnocha, Joe Zieja
Number of seasons: 1
BoJack Horseman
Netflix’s original animated show features voices from some of the brightest stars on TV today (i.e., Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul). Comedian Amy Sedaris also lends her voice to this raucous show about a washed-up celebrity horse who attempts to reignite his stagnant career. Ridiculous in all aspects, BoJack Horseman is good for some hearty laughs at the expense of the commonplace celebrity lifestyle. Season 1 starts off goofy, but by the first season finale, the show evolves into a shockingly sad, yet still hilarious examination of depression and pop-culture into the second season.
Created by: Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Cast: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie
Number of seasons: 6
New Girl
Zooey Deschanel plays the quirky Jess in this Fox comedy about a woman who moves into a loft in L.A. with three guys she meets online. While Jake Johnson’s Nick character serves as the second lead behind Deschanel, it’s performances from Max Greenfield (Schmidt) and Lamorne Morris (Winston) that steal the show. This single-camera sitcom perfectly blends elements of drama into its comedic writing and remains one of the wittiest shows on TV. To top things off, it even created its own drinking game called “True American.” What other show has that on its résumé?
Created by: Elizabeth Meriwether
Cast: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield
Number of seasons: 7
GLOW
The job market isn’t great for aspiring actors, so when Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) answers a call for “unconventional women,” she ends up trying out for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, an all-female wrestling league overseen by washed-up director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron). Wilder’s former friend Debbie Gilpin (Betty Gilpin) also tries out, and Sylvia decides to make the two the center of the league’s story: Gilpin the heroic “Liberty Belle,” and Wilder as the villain “Zoya the Destroya.” What follows is a raucous story of misfits chasing their dreams, complete with a melange of ’80s tropes, including cocaine-fueled parties and hokey montages. One scene even busts out Stan Bush’s Dare, which, if you haven’t seen The Transformers: The Movie, is an absolute gem.
Created by: Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch
Cast: Alison Brie, Marc Maron, Betty Gilpin
Number of seasons: 4
Altered Carbon
An adaptation of a popular cyberpunk novel by Richard K. Morgan, Altered Carbon is set a few hundred years in the future, by which point humanity has developed the technology to download a person’s consciousness into computers. People can now transfer themselves into new bodies, called “sleeves,” effectively making themselves immortal — provided they have the money. Into this world steps Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), a former soldier who has spent the last 250 years in cold storage. He is back, in a new sleeve, courtesy of Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), a wealthy man who wants Takeshi to find the man who killed Bancroft’s previous body. Altered Carbon draws on classic noir elements, as Takeshi explores a grimy city where everyone seems to have a hidden agenda.
Created by: Laeta Kalogridis
Cast: Chris Conner, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Joel Kinnaman
Number of seasons: 2
Black Mirror
Each episode of Black Mirror tells a single story, with a theme of modern and near-future technology running through each unnerving tale. It’s often compared to The Twilight Zone for its episodic nature, and just like that classic, some of the stories will leave you sitting and staring at a blank television, wondering what you just watched. Beyond all of the thought-provoking, mind-bending, and world-building, the acting and aesthetic is smart and nuanced and will leave even the best spoiler guessers out there reeling from the sharp twists and turns in every episode.
Created by: Charlie Brooker
Cast: Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen, Michaela Coel
Number of seasons: 5
The Witcher
A lone swordsman rides into town, a grotesque beast slung over his horse. The townsfolk cast scornful glances, although he’s slain the monster that plagued them. He’ll get no thanks; at best, the bounty he was promised in full. Such is the life of a witcher. Based on the popular fantasy series, Netflix’s The Witcher follows Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a monster hunter with magical powers: A witcher, to use the parlance of his world. Over decades, Geralt hunts monsters for gold, crossing paths with the cunning sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and the refugee princess Ciri (Freya Allen), whose fate is bound tightly to his own. Bloody battles, complicated characters, and memorable songs — courtesy of the bard Jaskier (Joey Batey) — are just some of the charms this dark fantasy series has to offer.
Created by: Lauren Schmidt
Cast: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra
Number of seasons: 2
The Last Dance
In the fall of 1997, the Chicago Bulls had won five of the last seven NBA championships and were primed to earn their second three-peat of the ’90s. Nonetheless, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Jerry Krause seemed fully prepared to fire coach Phil Jackson and begin rebuilding the franchise after the 1997-98 season, despite the opposition of the world’s greatest player, Michael Jordan. That fall, the Bulls allowed a film crew to follow them as they embarked upon what Jackson deemed “The Last Dance.” This 10-part docuseries chronicles that season and contextualizes it in Michael Jordan’s remarkable, world-changing career. Following Jordan from being cut from his high school basketball team, through his illustrious college career and battles with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, all the way to his iconic game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals, The Last Dance is one of the most immersive and exciting sports documentaries of recent memory, even though Jordan’s production company had the final editorial say. The series doesn’t shed much light on the many controversies that followed Jordan throughout his career, but it does help solidify just what an enormous, transcendent icon Jordan really was.
Created by: Jason Hehir
Cast: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Phil Jackson
Number of seasons: 1
Stranger Things
The opening sequence of Stranger Things lays out the TV show’s sci-fi aspirations clearly: A scientist flees down an empty hallway, pursued by some unseen force that eventually nabs him as he waits for elevator doors to close; it then cuts to a group of kids playing D&D in a suburban basement. From Alien to E.T. in a matter of seconds. The show is a stew made of various influences from the ‘80s. A mysterious creature and a secret government agency, a group of kids having adventures around their rural town, teens experimenting with sex, drugs, and peer pressure.
There are pieces of Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, and John Hughes strewn throughout Stranger Things, and the result is a show that will feel immediately familiar to people who grew up with that source material. The show is not shallow in its emulation, either. The acting and direction are superb, giving even the most derivative scenes some heft.
Created by: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder
Number of seasons: 3
The Twilight Zone
One of the most influential television series of all time, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone is an anthology series, with each episode telling a unique story in the realms of sci-fi, horror, or some mix thereof. Each story followed characters caught up in strange, often cruel circumstances beyond their comprehension. Written during a particularly hot part of the Cold War, many episodes — particularly those written by Serling — serve as parables, exploring social and political issues of the 20th century. Take, for example, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, set on a cozy, suburban block where the power mysteriously goes out one night, causing the neighbors to turn on each other. Or It’s a Good Life, about a small town cut off from the world, whose inhabitants must bow to each and every whim of a tyrannical tyke. Don’t let the archaic props and special effects deter you — The Twilight Zone is every bit as brilliant today as it was when it first aired.
Created by: Rod Serling
Cast: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts
Number of seasons: 5
Twin Peaks
This cult classic of the early ’90s came from the mind of director David Lynch. After homecoming queen Laura Palmer is murdered, FBI agent Dale Cooper arrives in the small Washington town to investigate. Weirdness ensues, with everything from homicidal demons and cryptic dreams to doppelgängers of dead people and an FBI agent who really likes cherry pie and a “damn fine cup of coffee.” Twin Peaks was a revelatory series in its heyday, and it still holds up thanks to its uniquely eccentric characters and memorable moments, even if the murder mystery fizzles out eventually.
Created by: Mark Frost, David Lynch
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick
Number of seasons: 2
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