Streaming service Netflix has been a fantastic destination for binge-worthy shows for a long time now, and it’s only getting better. Along with a massive library of new and classic series, the Netflix library offers subscribers a long list of award-winning, critically acclaimed shows that you can only find there. The collection of series available on Netflix is so large, in fact, that it can be tough to make a decision when it’s time for a new show to binge. That’s why we created this list of the best shows currently available to stream on Netflix.
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+.
30 Rock (2006) new
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski
Seasons
7
Tina Fey turned her time as head writer on Saturday Night Live into this ridiculously popular sitcom that satirized, well … working on a live sketch-comedy show. Across 30 Rock‘s seven award-winning seasons, Fey portrayed Liz Lemon, head writer and showrunner on the fictional series The Girlie Show (later TGS with Tracy Jordan) as she navigates behind-the-scenes chaos, overbearing executives, and other troubling elements as she attempts to keep the show — and her career — rolling along. A recurring Primetime Emmy Award winner, 30 Rock teamed Fey with an impressive supporting cast led by Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and Jane Krakowski, among others.
The Umbrella Academy (2019)
Genre
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Cast
Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castaneda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Mary J. Blige
Seasons
2
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 died, 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.
American Crime Story (2016)
Genre
Biography, Crime, Drama
Cast
Sterling K. Brown, Cuba Gooding Jr., Sarah Paulson
Seasons
2
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.
Friday Night Lights (2006) new
Genre
Drama, Sport
Cast
Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton
Seasons
5
H.G. Bissinger’s nonfiction novel about a small Texas town’s high school football team inspired this five-season series that cast Kyle Chandler as the local school’s coach and chronicled the drama of rural life in the show’s fictional town. A hit with critics and audiences alike, the series was developed by Peter Berg and earned both a Peabody Award and multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its cast and creative team. Chandler was joined in the cast by Connie Britton Adrianne Palicki, Taylor Kitsch, Michael B. Jordan, Jurnee Smollett, Jesse Plemons, and other familiar faces.
Unsolved Mysteries (2020)
Seasons
2
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.
The Lost Pirate Kingdom (2021)
Genre
Documentary, Adventure, Drama
Cast
James Oliver Wheatley, Sam Callis, Tom Padley
Seasons
1
This six-episode original documentary series explores the people, personalities, and events that shaped the golden age of piracy in the early 18th century — particularly in and around Nassau, Bahamas, where pirates briefly formed their own republic after the War of Spanish Succession. Using a combination of historians’ accounts and surprisingly well-acted (and occasionally quite graphic) dramatizations, the series depicts the rise and fall of such noted pirates as Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, Anne Bonny, and Henry Jennings, among other infamous figures. For anyone interested in the real history behind pirates’ adventures, this show hits the sweet spot between history and drama in all the right ways.
Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (2020)
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Cast
Jake Foushee, Jason Marnocha, Joe Zieja
Seasons
3
The Transformers: War For Cybertron trilogy gives fans of the long-running franchise a more mature take on the “robots in disguise.” The CGI animated series is essentially a prequel to the saga, as the Autobots and Decepticons battle for the soul of their home world, Cybertron. The soldiers on both sides of the war have never seemed more human as they find themselves questioning whether their respective causes are even worth fighting for. The third and final season of the series arrived on Netflix in July, completing this particular story in the Transformers saga.
American Vandal (2017)
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Cast
Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck
Seasons
2
This clever mockumentary series puts a new spin on true crime documentaries, with each season following a pair of high-school friends investigating a crime that isn’t as simple as it initially appears. The first season has friends Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam Ecklund (Griffin Gluck) attempting to get to the bottom of a prank that left crude phallic images painted on faculty members’ cars, while the second season brings the pair to a prestigious private school after an incident of mass diarrhea is perpetrated by a sinister criminal known only as “Turd Burglar.” It sounds ridiculous, but American Vandal also manages to offer compelling storytelling, blending the silliness of the crimes it explores with increasing tension and impressively scripted drama.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
Genre
Drama, Horror, Mystery
Cast
Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Seasons
1
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.
Don’t F**k With Cats (2019)
Genre
Documentary, True Crime
Cast
Various
Seasons
1
The title of this 2019 docuseries references one of the unwritten rules of the internet, and it was the violation of that rule that kicked off a far-reaching investigation by amateur sleuths chronicled in the series. After a shocking homemade video depicting animal cruelty began making the rounds online, a small group of self-described “internet nerds” made it their mission to identify the culprit and bring them to justice. Their investigation soon took on a life of its own, drawing them into an even darker story than they anticipated as their efforts brought the authorities — and their own lives — closer to a killer. As fascinating as it is disturbing, Don’t F**k With Cats is a lesson in the power of crowd-sourced investigations and the dangers they pose.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Cast
Chris Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lena Hadley, Mark Hamill
Seasons
2
The classic 1980s cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe gets the revival treatment in this animated series developed by Clerks filmmaker and geek auteur Kevin Smith that picks up where the original animated show left off and tells a new, darker tale set in the magical land of Eternia. Not only does the series feature modern animation and most of the classic characters from the show (and toy line) that made it so popular, it also assembles an impressive (to put it mildly) cast of voice talent, with Mark Hamill as Skeletor and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela. They’re joined in the cast by Game of Thrones actors Liam Cunningham and Lena Headey, as well as Diedrich Bader, Alicia Silverstone, Stephen Root, Henry Rollins, Jason Mewes, Justin Long, Tony Todd, and Dennis Haysbert, among other familiar faces (or in this case, voices).
Digital Trends Streaming Roundup
Never Have I Ever (2020)
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Jaren Lewison
Seasons
2
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.
Alien Worlds (2020)
Genre
Documentary, Animation, Sci-Fi
Cast
Sophie Okonedo, Leigh Joel Scott, Vahe Alaverdian
Seasons
1
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.
New Girl (2011)
Genre
Comedy, Sitcom
Cast
Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield
Seasons
7
Zooey Deschanel plays the quirky Jess in this Fox comedy about a woman who moves into a loft in LA 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?
Atypical (2017)
Genre
Coming-of-age story, Comedy-Drama
Cast
Keir Gilchrist, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Michael Rapaport
Seasons
4
Keir Gilchrist portrays autistic teenager Sam Gardner in this Netflix original series that follows Sam’s journey through high school and — in later seasons — college, navigating the complicated social situations he’s presented with at school and home. After a shaky first season, Atypical found its groove in its second season and followed that up with a third, critically acclaimed season that saw Sam begin college and deal with an entirely new set of challenges. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rapaport play Sam’s mother and father, respectively, while Brigette Lundy-Paine plays Sam’s talented and protective sister. The series wrapped up with its fourth and final season, and all four seasons are now available on Netflix.
Peaky Blinders (2013)
Genre
Drama, Crime, Historical Fiction
Cast
Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory
Seasons
7
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.
Song Exploder (2020)
Genre
Documentary, Music
Cast
Hrishikesh Hirway
Seasons
2
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 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.
Hilda (2018)
Genre
Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Cast
Bella Ramsey
Seasons
2
This clever, all-ages animated series follows the adventures of Hilda, a young girl who — along with her adorable “deerfox” named Twig — explores the world in and around the city of Trolberg, where all manner of fantastic creatures keeps things interesting for her and her pals. A collaboration between American, British, and Canadian studios and based on Luke Pearson’s popular series of graphic novels, the show earned heaps of praise (and quite a few awards) when it premiered in 2018, and it received a second season that premiered in late 2020. Infectiously optimistic and loaded with childlike wonder, Hilda is the sort of series that will bring a smile to the faces of both kids and adults.
Orange Is the New Black (2013)
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Cast
Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Samira Wiley
Seasons
7
One of Netflix’s first breakout original series is still one of its most powerful shows to date. Orange Is the New Black started 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 started. 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.
Chef's Table BBQ (2020)
Genre
Documentary
Seasons
1
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.
Big Mouth (2017)
Genre
Animation, Comedy
Cast
Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, Jordan Peele
Seasons
5
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 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.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969)
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Seasons
4
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.
Alone (2019)
Genre
Competition, Reality TV
Seasons
1
Alone is a reality show that could probably be called “Real Survivor.” Unlike CBS’s Survivor, Alone sends its contestants into the wilderness with the bare minimum of survival tools and little or no human interaction. It’s up to the players to get themselves through the ordeal — or decide that they need to quit because of medical or other reasons. There have been seven seasons to date, but Netflix only has season 7, which was filmed at the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada.
GLOW
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Sport
Cast
Alison Brie, Marc Maron, Betty Gilpin
Seasons
4
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 Eagan (Betty Gilpin) also tries out, and Sylvia decides to make the two the center of the league’s story: Eagan 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 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.
History of Swear Words (2021)
Genre
Documentary, Comedy
Cast
Nicolas Cage
Seasons
1
Regardless of whether you actually use them, swear words are an indelible part of our daily discourse. Plus, it can be fun to cut loose with a couple of expletives. Netflix not only realizes this, but it also embraces it with a six-part documentary series, History of Swear Words. Nicolas Cage is the perfect host for this show, as he examines the backstory and cultural impact of dick, damn, and a couple of words that we can’t actually repeat here. Actual linguistics experts also chime in for historical notes, while comedians like Sarah Silverman, Nick Offerman, Jim Jefferies, Nikki Glaser, and more also get in on the bleeping bleep-bleep.
When They See Us (2019)
Genre
Biography, Crime, Data
Cast
Jharrel Jerome, Asante Blackk, Jovan Adepo, Michael K. Williams
Seasons
1
Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us tells the story of Kevin Richardson (Asante Blackk), Antron McCray (Caleel Harris), Yusef Salaam (Ethan Herisse), Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome), and Raymond Santana (Marquis Rodriguez): Five young Black men who were falsely accused of rape and sexual assault in the infamous Central Park Five case. After serving years in prison, they became known as The Exonerated Five when the real rapist was caught. But the injustices suffered by these men and their families extended far beyond prison walls. It’s a difficult story to relive, but it’s also one that needs to be told.
Sweet Tooth (2021)
Genre
Action, Adventure, Drama
Cast
Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie
Seasons
1
This adaptation of Jeff Lemire’s comic book series of the same name is a dark fantasy set in a world where a terrible virus is quickly whittling down the remnants of human society. The show follows a half-human, half-deer boy as he embarks on a cross-country journey to find his mother, accompanied by a mysterious loner who saved him from violent poachers. The series balances the naivety and wonder of its title character, portrayed by Christian Convery, with the harsh world outside the only home he’s ever known.
Kim’s Convenience (2016)
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Sun-Hyung Lee, Jean Yoon, Andrea Bang, Simu Liu
Seasons
5
One of the most popular Canadian sitcoms of all time, Kim’s Convenience premiered in 2016 and concluded its award-winning, five-season run in 2021. The show depicts the trials and tribulations of a Korean-Canadian family that runs a convenience store in Toronto and follows the lives and loves of both the family members and various members of their social and professional circles. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon play the family’s father and mother, respectively, while Andrea Ban plays their live-in daughter and Simu Liu plays their estranged son. Heartwarming, hilarious, and surprisingly poignant at times, the series is an ode to the importance of family — both the families we’re born into and the ones we create for ourselves.
Outlander (2014)
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Cast
Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan
Seasons
4
Outlander is Starz’s breakout adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s sweeping romantic novels, but the first four seasons are now available on Netflix. Within this series, World War II nurse Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) finds herself transported from 1945 to the Scottish highlands in 1743. She quickly meets and marries Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). Their love spans the centuries and even expands into the early days of the American Revolution.
Dawson’s Creek (1998)
Genre
Drama, Romance
Cast
James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes
Seasons
6
Not only was Dawson’s Creek the quintessential romance/drama that launched James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Michelle Williams, and Joshua Jackson into stardom, but it also launched some pretty memorable memes. Cry, Dawson, cry! All six seasons of the soapy series are currently available on Netflix, offering the 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.
Waffles + Mochi (2021)
Genre
Children's Television, Family
Cast
Michelle Zamora, Piotr Michael, Michelle Obama
Seasons
1
When good friends Waffles and Mochi decide to leave their frozen home to learn about foods that aren’t served on ice, they find a new home full of friendly people at a supermarket run by former first lady Michelle Obama. The pair work at the supermarket while also traveling around the world on adventures that teach them all about the origins and importance of various foods. As adorable as it is educational, the kid-friendly Waffles + Mochi also features an impressive list of guests from across the spectrum of famous chefs, foodies, and celebrity food experts.
Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020)
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Cast
Paul-Mikél Williams, Sean Giambrone, Kausar Mohammed, Jenna Ortega
Seasons
3
Dinosaur-loving kids who are a little too young for the Jurassic World franchise don’t have to miss out on all of the gasping, screaming, and roaring with this animated series that manages to be entertaining for all ages. Camp Cretaceous maintains some continuity with the Jurassic films as it follows Darius Bowman (Paul-Mikél Williams) and five other kids who win a trip to visit Camp Cretaceous on Isla Nublar. Naturally, things go awry, and a dinosaur jailbreak leaves the teens stranded on the island and forced to rely on each other for their own survival. Certain scenes may be a little intense for younger viewers, but it’s still a family-friendly adventure.
Spycraft (2021)
Genre
Documentary
Cast
Dylan Berry
Seasons
1
Hollywood has glamorized spies for decades, but films and television shows aren’t known for their accurate depictions of real spies. Netflix’s Spycraft aims to change that by taking a documentary approach to its subject matter while breaking down how modern spies conduct their business. Episodes are dedicated to drone warfare, poisons, covert ops, recruitment, and even “sexspionage.” In some ways, being a spy hasn’t changed much at all. But the tools of the trade are only getting more advanced.
Castlevania (2017)
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Cast
Richard Armitage, James Callis, Graham McTavish, Alejandra Reynoso
Seasons
4
Adaptations of video games don’t have a great history, but Netflix struck gold with Castlevania, its animated series based on Konami’s game franchise of the same name. The series is penned by acclaimed comic book writer and novelist Warren Ellis and follows the trio of vampire hunter Trevor Belmont, half-vampire Alucard, and sorcerer Sypha Belnades as they attempt to stop the legendary Vlad Dracula Țepeș from destroying humanity with an army of monsters. Ellis’ compelling script, combined with the series’s beautiful, stylized Japanese animation and a voice cast led by Richard Armitage (Trevor), James Callis (Alucard), Graham McTavish (Dracula), and Alejandra Reynoso (Sypha), make Castlevania a unique, fascinating saga told over four critically-praised seasons.
Pretend It’s a City (2021)
Genre
Social & Cultural Docs, Biographical Documentary
Cast
Fran Lebowitz, Martin Scorsese
Seasons
1
Pretend It’s a City is not the first documentary that Martin Scorsese has made about writer and humorist Fran Lebowitz. The first documentary, Public Speaking, came out about a decade ago. Pretend It’s a City takes things even further with a bigger spotlight on Lebowitz herself. Although Scorsese often engages in conversations with his subject, Lebowitz carries most of the spotlight with her occasionally unconventional opinions. She can be a lot to take in, but Lebowitz never shies away from expressing herself.
This Is a Robbery (2021)
Genre
Documentary, Crime, History
Seasons
1
The March 18, 1990, robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston is the largest art heist of all time to remain unsolved, with the culprits behind the robbery — which is estimated to involve more than $500 million in stolen works of art — still unknown, with no arrests made and none of the stolen art recovered. The details surrounding the infamous heist are chronicled in this four-part documentary series directed by Colin Barnicle and co-produced by Barnicle and his brother, Nick. Filmed over a seven-year period, the series features interviews with just about everyone involved with the event in one way or another, from the security guards who let the robbers into the museum to the FBI investigators put on the case, offering a fascinating account of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of both the art world and the world of high-stakes crime.
Firefly Lane (1888)
Genre
Drama, Romance
Cast
Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, Ben Lawson, Beau Garrett
Seasons
1
Firefly Lane is the latest sensation from Netflix that features two lead actresses, Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, as lifelong friends Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey. In the present, Tully is a wildly successful TV talk show host, while Kate is a divorced housewife who wants to rebuild her life. Tully and Kate have pulled each other through some tough times before, and they’ll do it again. We even get to see Tully (Ali Skovbye) and Kate (Roan Curtis) as their friendship grows.
Altered Carbon (2018)
Genre
Science fiction, Cyberpunk, Drama
Cast
Joel Kinnaman, Anthony Mackie, Chris Conner, Renée Elise Goldsberry,
Seasons
2
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.
Alice in Borderland (2020)
Genre
Action, Fantasy, Mystery
Cast
Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Yūki Morinaga, Keita Machida
Seasons
1
This Japanese series based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso follows an aimless gamer named Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) who suddenly finds himself and his two best friends transported to an eerily empty Tokyo where they’re forced to compete in deadly games to survive. A mix of Battle Royale and The Hunger Games with a fascinating mystery and a talented cast, Alice in Borderland earned praise from critics and general audiences alike for its clever first season and was renewed for a second season just two weeks after the show’s Netflix. Its underlying premise will keep you guessing, and so will the sense of creeping dread as key characters are killed off — sometimes in gruesome fashion — from one episode to the next.
Halt and Catch Fire (2014)
Genre
Drama
Cast
Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Davis
Seasons
4
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.
Ozark (2017)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cast
Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz
Seasons
3
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.
Black Mirror (2011)
Genre
Sci-fi, Psychological Thriller, Dystopia
Cast
Daniel Kaluuya, Wyatt Russell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Daniel Lapaine
Seasons
5
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 are smart and nuanced and will leave even the best spoiler guessers out there reeling from the sharp twists and turns in every episode.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020)
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Cast
Karen Fukuhara, Sydney Mikayla, Coy Stewart, Deon Cole
Seasons
3
This brilliant animated series that premiered in January 2020 defied expectations in many ways, including the decision to release all three 10-episode seasons in the same year. Created by Radford Sechrist and produced by DreamWorks Animation, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is set in a post-apocalyptic world where giant, mutated animals rule the surface of Earth while humans are forced to live underground to survive. When a young girl named Kipo decides to leave her underground shelter to search for her father, it kicks off an amazing adventure filled with action, emotion, humor, and one of the best soundtracks you’ll hear in an animated series. (A pair of scholarly wolves voiced by GZA and John Hodgman, rapping about the creation of the universe? It’s in there.) Smart, inclusive, and full of cheer-worthy moments, Kipo is the sort of series children and adults can genuinely enjoy together.
Broadchurch (2013)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Cast
David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker
Seasons
3
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.
Russian Doll (2019)
Genre
Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Cast
Natasha Lyonne, Greta Lee, Yul Vazquez, Charlie Barnett, Elizabeth Ashley
Seasons
1
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.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Genre
Action, Comedy, Drama
Cast
Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler
Seasons
3
YouTube’s loss is Netflix’s gain! Cobra Kai is the sequel series to the original Karate Kid films, with William Zabka and Ralph Macchio reprising their respective roles as Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. Three decades earlier, Daniel and Johnny were rivals. Now, their rivalry has extended to the next generation. The third season forces Johnny and Daniel to pay the price and even reintroduces a few characters from The Karate Kid Part 2. But even if the kids of the Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do dojos can move past the enmity of the past, John Kreese (Martin Kove) is ready to escalate things even further.
Schitt’s Creek (2015)
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy
Seasons
6
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.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre
Animation, Action, Adventure
Cast
Aimee Carrero, AJ Michalka, Karen Fukuhara
Seasons
5
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.
Community (2009)
Genre
Comedy
Cast
Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Donald Glover
Seasons
6
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.
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (2019)
Genre
Documentary, Action, Adventure
Cast
Masayoshi Haneda, Masami Kosaka, Hideaki Itô, Hayate Masao
Seasons
1
At times, this docuseries about the warring clans of 16th-century Japan feels more like an edgy action film than a traditional documentary, but the six-part series does a masterful job of exploring the political drama and intrigue of the Sengoku period — one of the most tumultuous eras of feudal Japan’s history. The series follows the rise (and, often, violent fall) of several prominent historical figures whose paths shaped the nation at a time when samurai, warlords, and powerful families were engaged in a near-constant civil war, and does so with a combination of historical (and graphic) reenactments and expert commentary. History lessons this deep have rarely been this intense, or compelling.
Stranger Things (2016)
Genre
Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Cast
Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder
Seasons
3
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.
The Witcher (2019)
Genre
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Cast
Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra
Seasons
1
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.
Lupin (2021)
Genre
Action, Crime, Drama
Cast
Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme
Seasons
1
Sometimes, finding the best TV shows means going international. For example, the French series Lupin is an exciting update on Maurice Leblanc’s legendary gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin. In a clever twist, the Lupin stories exist within the world of this show, and they inspire a man named Assane Diop (Omar Sy) to adopt the Lupin persona as his own to avenge his wrongfully accused father. Assane certainly has the skills of a master thief, but pursuing his revenge turns out to be far more dangerous and complicated than he anticipated.
The Great British Bake Off/The Great British Baking Show (2010)
Genre
Reality-TV
Cast
Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins, Sandi Toksvig, Noel Fielding, Matt Lucas
Seasons
8
There are many cooking reality competition shows, but there’s only one Great British Bake Off. Although Netflix calls it The Great British Baking Show, it’s the same lovely program that has run for 11 seasons. However, only a selection of episodes from eight seasons are currently available. Regardless, the show still captures the quest of amateur bakers to impress the judges and out-bake each other to win the show’s final prize.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
Genre
Drama
Cast
Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram
Seasons
1
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.
Our Planet (2019)
Genre
Documentary
Cast
David Attenborough
Seasons
1
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.
Pose (2018)
Genre
Drama
Cast
Evan Peters, Kate Mara, James Van Der Beek
Seasons
2
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.
Better Call Saul (2015)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Cast
Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks
Seasons
4
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 before 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.
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness (2020)
Genre
Biography, Documentary, Crime
Cast
Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin
Seasons
1
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.
The Good Place (2016)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Cast
Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil
Seasons
4
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, 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.
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