If you’re looking for a new show to binge on Netflix, but find yourself overwhelmed by all of the choices the streamer has to offer, no need to fret! Below, we’ve streamlined your choices so you don’t have to, spotlighting only the best of the best that the site has to offer.
Whether you’re craving a classic sitcom, a horror show to get your blood pumping, a steamy medical drama or a thought-provoking anthology series, we’ve made sure that this list has something for everyone. So what are you waiting for? Dive right into the best shows on Netflix and get started on your newest streaming obsession today!
New Girl
One of the most comforting, heart-warming watches out there, “New Girl” revolves around a teacher named Jess (Zooey Deschanel), who moves into a Los Angeles apartment with three guys: Nick (Jake Johnson), Winston (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris). Throughout the seven-season series, Jess and the boys’ friendships develop, while the loveable goof Jess (portrayed wonderfully by even more loveable goof Deschanel) experiences her fair share of hilarious learning moments and faux pas.
Wednesday
Based on the popular “Addams Family” franchise, “Wednesday,” directed by Tim Burton, has been the talk of the town as of late. The show, which follows the delightfully pessimistic Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) as she navigates her new school, brought in a whopping 341.2 million hours viewed within its first week of streaming, making it Netflix’s most-viewed series within a seven-day period.
And it’s totally worth the hype. Burton comes in strong with his signature spooky style, which fits in perfectly with the franchise. The show is the perfect mix of scary and sweet, with the cherry on top being a marvelously chilling performance from up-and-coming star Ortega.
Emily in Paris
Ever dreamed of dropping everything and moving to Paris? Well, now you can, (kind of), by watching rom-com TV series “Emily in Paris,” which follows Emily (Lily Collins), a young woman who moves to the City of Light to fulfill her dreams of becoming a marketing executive. The show is light, fluffy, fun, and will undoubtedly have you googling where Emily goes clothing shopping within the first couple of episodes.
The Walking Dead
Since its 2010 debut, “The Walking Dead” has consistently remained one of the most popular series out there. Spanning eleven seasons, the show takes place in a world that has been overtaken by zombies, or “walkers,” and follows a group of people attempting to survive in this hostile, post-apocalyptic environment.
Understandably, the show can get kinda gross sometimes – but don’t worry! If you’re not into blood and guts, “The Walking Dead” has much more to offer than just that. Throughout its run, the show sees its fair share of romance, familial drama, and fan-favorite characters. And as a bonus, if you end up loving it, there are plenty of spinoffs you can binge once you’re done, including popular prequel series “Fear the Walking Dead,” new anthology series “Tales of the Walking Dead,” and “The Walking Dead: World Beyond.”
Dark
If you like to have your mind bent and twisted by the show you’re binging, drop everything and start “Dark.” Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, this German-language thriller series follows the mysterious disappearance of a young boy and its harrowing aftermath.
But “Dark” is far from just a missing-person mystery. Before long, it transforms into one of the most thought-provoking inquiries into time travel out there. The show consists of three seasons in total, each more gripping and knotty than the last.
Bloodline
It’s hard to think of a show with a more gripping cold-open than Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman’s “Bloodline.” The opening scene sees John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler) dragging a body down a beach. At first, it looks like he’s trying to get the lifeless figure help. But then he puts it on a boat that subsequently explodes. Roll credits.
The show follows the Rayburn siblings: John, Danny (Ben Mendelsohn), Meg (Linda Cardellini), and Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz), as they confront their troubled childhoods. The show consistently kindles the mystery of the opening scene, making it essentially impossible to stop binging until you get to the bottom of what happened on that boat.
You
Have you ever watched something that’s so creepy that you just can’t seem to look away? That’s exactly what you’ll experience with “You”: a show that centers around Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a handsome young man with an affinity for… stalking women. Yep, you read that right.
Over three seasons, Joe develops different love interests, and subsequently gets really creepy with them. The show is wildly entertaining, and delves into a disturbed man’s psyche while still offering plenty of humor, drama, and romance to go around. As a bonus, “You” has been renewed for a fourth season, which is slated to hit Netflix in February 2023.
Stranger Things
For the past six or so years, it’s been next to impossible to escape conversations about “Stranger Things.” The show, which follows a group of kids attempting to protect their small town of Hawkins, Indiana, against various grisly monsters, skyrocketed to extreme popularity pretty much as soon as it premiered in 2016. Since then, it has received a number of accolades, as well as the coveted position of most streamed show in one week ever, according to Nielsen data. And if that’s not a testament to why you should watch it, then I must say I don’t know what will be.
The Crown
It’s hard to think of a more beloved period piece TV show than “The Crown.” Created by Peter Morgan, the five-season series follows the rule of Queen Elizabeth II from her 1947 marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to her 21st Century reign.
Not only is “The Crown” prime material for the period piece-lover, with dazzling, era-accurate costumes and sets abound, but it also boasts an epic amount of drama and romance, as well as outstanding performances from its impressive ensemble cast, which includes actors like Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, and Elizbeth Debicki.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
When a piece of media is created by Tina Fey, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a laugh riot – and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is certainly no exception. Premiering in 2015, the show follows Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), a young woman who escapes a doomsday cult and decides to move to New York and take the world by storm. Not only does “Kimmy” have Fey’s undeniable hilarious touch, but it is also wildly inspiring and full of heart.
How to Get Away With Murder
The premise of “How to Get Away With Murder” alone makes it uniquely bingeable. The show follows a defense attorney named Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), who implicates five interns in a nail-biting murder plot. The show ran for a total of six seasons and 90 episodes, each more nerve-wracking than the last. Start your binge today, but be warned – once you get started, it’s pretty much impossible to stop!
Black Mirror
“Black Mirror” is one of the most addicting shows out there – that is, if you can handle it. Created by Charlie Brooker, this anthology series presents a number of different dystopian scenarios that sometimes ring a little too close to home. From a world where you can purchase an identical copy of your dead loved one, to a universe where you can play back all of your memories like a movie, and another where you have the power to “block” people in real life, the show’s creators have an eerie knack for holding up a mirror to our own complex and sometimes frightening relationship to technology. And if you watch all five seasons and are still yearning for more, you’ll be happy to hear that a sixth is currently in the works.
Shameless
What better show to shamelessly binge than “Shameless”? The wildly popular remake of the British series of the same name follows Fiona Gallagher (Emmy Rossum), a young woman struggling to raise her five siblings on the South Side of Chicago in the place of her dead-beat parents.
The 11-season show has basically everything you could ask for: from romance to hilarious side-characters, (I’m looking at you, Kev and V.), and wild, high-stress situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And as a bonus, at the core of it all, “Shameless” is a truly heartwarming tale about the importance of family.
Seinfeld
It’s hard to think of a more classic binge-watch than iconic 90s sitcom “Seinfeld.” The show, which follows a hilarious group of pals including comedian Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld), his best friend George Constanza (Jason Alexander), his ex Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyful), and his neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), ran for nine seasons, and is often considered one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. Head to Netflix today to find out why.
Ozark
One of the tensest, most thrilling dramas to come out in the past couple of years, “Ozark” stars Jason Bateman as a financial advisor named Marty Byrde who is forced to move his family to the Ozarks to set up a major money laundering scheme for a group of threatening criminals. The show was instantly beloved following its 2017 release, and currently holds high audience and critical scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Do yourself a favor and get started on this wild, four-season ride ASAP!
The Haunting of Hill House
If you’re a horror fanatic, “The Haunting of Hill House” is the show for you. Created by Mike Flanagan, this miniseries is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by horror-master Shirley Jackson. It follows a family attempting to grapple with the troubled past they shared at their childhood home, and is chock-full of jump scares, spooky practical effects, and psychological torment.
And if you are itching for even more frights once you’re done, you’ll be pleased to learn that “Hill House” is actually the first part of Flanagan’s “Haunting” anthology series, and was followed by the equally chilling “Haunting of Bly Manor.”
Friday Night Lights
One of the best feel-good shows out there, Peter Berg’s “Friday Night Lights” follows a high-school football team in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, and is loosely based on H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger’s 1990 non-fiction book “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream,” which chronicles a high-school football team as they strive to make the Texas State Championships.
But “Friday Night Lights” isn’t just about football. The show also takes a deep dive into the personal lives of the players and their loved ones, and as a result has plenty of totally compelling romance and familial drama to offer along the way.
Better Call Saul
It’s a rare thing when a spinoff of a beloved TV show is as good as – or even better than – the original, and “Better Call Saul” is one of those rarities. The show follows the beloved criminal lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), who first appeared in Vince Gilligan’s critically acclaimed “Breaking Bad.” Also helmed by Gilligan, “Saul” explores Saul’s wild backstory with the perfect mix of humor, drama, and action. And while the show is filled with plenty of cheeky “Breaking Bad” easter eggs, you don’t even have to have watched it to fall in love with “Saul.”
Breaking Bad
You didn’t really think we weren’t going to include “Breaking Bad” itself on this list, did you? Premiering in 2009, this crime drama is often considered one of the best – if not the best – shows of all time. It follows a disillusioned, overqualified high school teacher named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) who decides to secretly start cooking meth to provide for his family after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Things quickly get out of hand when drug lords start to realize that Walter is really, really good at cooking crystal, and the science teacher unwittingly skyrockets to kingpin status. With five seasons in total, “Breaking Bad” is filled with nail-biting cliffhangers, adrenaline-pinching storylines, familial drama, and hilarious characters. Head to Netflix now to see why it tops so many peoples’ bests-of lists.
Dead to Me
One of the most binge-worthy series to come out in recent years, “Dead to Me” tells the story of two women, Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), who meet in a grieving support group and end up unwittingly getting twisted up in a stranger-than-fiction murder plot. All three seasons are bound to keep you on the edge of your seat, with almost every episode ending with a cliff-hanger more thrilling than the last.
Arrested Development
One of the most beloved American sitcoms, “Arrested Development” follows the Bluths: a family struggling to keep afloat after losing all of their wealth. The show is uproariously funny for the duration of its five seasons, which is largely due to its all-star comedic cast, which includes Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michel Cera, Tony Hale, David Cross and Jeffrey Tambor. Head to Netflix to indulge in some seriously side-splitting laughs.
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Grey’s Anatomy
The medical series genre is filled to the brim with bingeable gems. From the classic “ER,” to the delightfully quirky “House,” and the hilarious sitcom “Scrubs,” there seems to be no end to what the category has to offer.
Perhaps the most beloved entry into the genre is “Grey’s Anatomy,” which follows Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as she makes her way through a fast-paced career as a surgeon. The show boasts 19 seasons and 406 episodes – and counting! Its popularity can be attributed to its steamy romance, dreamy doctors (Patrick Dempsey, I’m looking at you), and thrilling medical plotlines. Get started on your “Grey’s” marathon today, but be warned – once you start, it’s pretty darn hard to stop!
The Good Place
Picture this: you die and are sent to heaven, and shortly after realize that you were sent there by mistake because you were actually a pretty lousy person while on earth. Such is the premise of Michael Shur’s “The Good Place,” which sinks its hooks in you from its very first episode with its hilarious premise and creative characters, and keeps you guessing throughout its four-season run with some of the most unexpected twists and turns you could possibly dream up.
The Watcher
What’s scarier than a scary story? A scary story that’s totally true. Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s TV show “The Watcher” is based on a truly unnerving article from The Cut about a suburban family who are being mysteriously stalked and terrorized by someone – they just don’t know who. On top of its undeniably spooky atmosphere, “The Watcher” also thrives from its all-star cast, which includes Naomi Watts, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Coolidge, and Mia Farrow. Head to Netflix to watch Season 1 now – but be sure to lock your doors before you press play!
Orange is the New Black
Based on a memoir by Piper Kerman, “Orange Is the New Black” follows a woman named Piper (Taylor Schilling) who is sentenced to prison for money laundering. There’s no denying that this is heavy subject matter, but “Orange” is as dark and dramatic as it is hilarious and romantic. The show ran for six seasons, and in the process was nominated for multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Awards, (and deservedly so!)
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