The 40 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now
There’s a running joke in my family that I don’t have favorites. It's a living nightmare when someone asks about my favorite Netflix show. A reminder: It’s been—wait for it—17 years Netflix came into our lives. You can imagine why I couldn’t pick a favorite show if my life depended on it… let alone recommend just one thing to watch.
That said, I can recommend a ton of them. Below, we've rounded up the 40 Netflix series that you can stream right now. Are you interested in science fiction? Look no further than 3 Body Problem, a sci-fi doozy, which is adapted from Liu Cixin’s novel of the same name. Are political dramas more your thing? Try The Diplomat, starring Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, and David Gyasi (season 2 is coming soon, people) Looking for a great comedy? This list has you covered with BEEF and Dead to Me. Hopefully, with this many options at your disposal, you’ll find add some new shows for your watchlist.
3 Body Problem
Netflix’s latest sci-fi series, 3 Body Problem, comes from the team behind Game of Thrones—which means you’re in for a treat. (Or not, depending on whether or not you're still upset about the finale.) The series takes viewers on a whirlwind journey that weaves through the past, present, and future and depicts the aftermath of humans learning about a nearby alien civilization. I won’t get into the weeds here, but 3 Body Problem is a perfectly puzzling adventure for anyone craving a good old-fashioned story of first contact.
See the original post on Youtube
Wrestlers
This excellent docuseries spotlights the Ohio Valley Wrestling League, otherwise known as OVW. In each episode, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at professional wrestlers who have built their lives around the sport. Of course, that comes with many challenges—and Wrestlers deftly explores the reality of pro wrestling. It’s not all glitz, glam, and spray tans, people.
See the original post on Youtube
BEEF
In 2023, we called BEEF one of the best Netflix shows of the year—and it bears repeating. This dark comedy stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as two people who get into a road rage incident. Rather than walking away unscathed, they set out on a mission to ruin each other's lives. With themes of race and class expertly woven into the story, BEEF became an instant classic that’s both hilarious and profound.
See the original post on Youtube
Squid Game
How could we discuss the best series on Netflix without mentioning Squid Game? This show was so good that it inspired an equally fantastic reality series with the same premise. In Squid Game, 456 players have the opportunity to win life-changing money. The catch? They have to survive a series of deadly challenges to win the prize.
See the original post on Youtube
Beckham
David Beckham is considered to be one of the best football (that’s soccer to us Americans) players of all time—and now, his story has been immortalized in Beckham. The docuseries tracks his rise to stardom, his courtship of Victoria Beckham, and their cultural impact as international superstars.
See the original post on Youtube
The Witcher
The Witcher—which is based on Andrezj Sapkowski's novel of the same name—follows two characters, Geralt and Ciri, who are destined to cross paths. When they finally do, their romantic entanglement has life-changing implications.
See the original post on Youtube
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Formula 1 is all the rage, but how much do you actually know about the drivers who have turned the sport into an international tour de force? Formula 1: Drive to Survive profiles a group of drivers, along with their family members, managers, and team owners, to provide an inside look at the sport. This docuseries is impossible to look away from as you learn about the sacrifices people make to bring Formula 1 to life.
See the original post on Youtube
The Diplomat
This Keri Russell-led series puts other political dramas to shame. In The Diplomat, Russell stars as Kate Wyler, a political savant who is sent to London amid an international crisis. Her job is to assist the United Kingdom as an American ambassador, but that mission is muddied when she discovers her new coworkers aren’t as pious as they seem. To make matters worse, Kate’s crumbling marriage threatens to undermine her new role.
See the original post on Youtube
Ozark
We’ve seen plenty of drug cartel dramas over the years, but Ozark is the best of them. In this series, Jason Bateman stars as Marty Byrde, a financier who gets himself mixed up in a shoddy money laundering scheme. When the ruse fails (... of course it does), Marty finds himself in debt to a vicious drug lord and moves his family to the Ozarks for safety. Come for the nail-biting drama—and stay for Bateman’s portrayal of the most desperate man you’ve ever seen.
See the original post on Youtube
Painkiller
Depicting the American opioid crisis is no easy feat, but Painkiller manages to do so with grace. The miniseries stars Mathew Broderick as Richard Sackler, the founder of Purdue Pharma. His company is largely credited with introducing OxyContin to the world.
See the original post on Youtube
Lupin
The first French show to break into U.S. Netflix’s Top 10, Lupin follows the adventures of a gentleman burglar with a chip on his shoulder. With all the thrills of a traditional heist show, the backstory and revenge mission of Assane Diop is fueled by true injustice—which gives the series a real heart.
See the original post on Youtube
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
If you’re looking for a light, hilarious show that’ll last you a while, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is four seasons of pure joy. It follows Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), who was kidnapped and kept in a bunker from her adolescence. The series begins as she is rescued in her adulthood and freed in New York City. Totally unsocialized and pure of heart, Kimmy navigates the real world with the help of her new friends (who include Tituss Burgess and Jane Krakowski). Also, we highly recommend the interactive special.
See the original post on Youtube
Blown Away
In the arena of modern reality shows, it seems that the more passion its contestants have, the better. Recreating that Great British Bake Off vibe is difficult, but Blown Away gets very close. Following a group of quirky, artsy glassblowers, each episode comes up with a brief: some specific challenge that requires the artists to turn up the heat, melt down some glass into molten material, and shape it into magical forms. Blown Away is nearly as hypnotic as it is wholesome.
See the original post on Youtube
Bridgerton
Period dramas may not be everyone's thing: we get it. But you have to give this one a shot. Shonda Rhimes's first big flashy Netflix series follow the Bridgerton family through trials of love, loss, and everything in between. Also, did we mention there's some voice work from Julie Andrews?
See the original post on Youtube
The Queen's Gambit
The Netflix adaptation of Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel was talk of the (digital) town in 2020, and for good reason. The engrossing miniseries follows orphan Beth Harmon’s journey to become the world’s best chess player.
See the original post on Youtube
Cobra Kai
A nostalgia-fueled dive back into the world of the Karate Kid, Netflix's Cobra Kai brings back Johnny Lawrence to reopen the Cobra Kai dojo. There, he finds himself back at odds with his old rival, Daniel LaRusso.
See the original post on Youtube
The Great British Baking Show
Truly, the world's gentlest reality show. The music. The muted drama. The kind words each baker offers to one another, no matter how their bake turned out. The Great British Baking Show is the pinnacle of soft-core television that works as a salve for our often conflict-afflicted psyches.
See the original post on Youtube
Outlander
This critically acclaimed historical drama (based on books by the same name) originally premiered on Starz in 2014, but now all five seasons are available to binge on Netflix. It follows the adventures of former World War II nurse Claire Randall, who pinballs between her current life in the 1940s and the world of 1740s Scotland, where she lands thanks to a time travel mishap. Time travel, tragedy, Scottish accents, romance, war, spies— literally what more could you ask for?
See the original post on Youtube
Love on the Spectrum
Netflix has been on a roll with its reality shows, including this unique dating adventure that got a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows seven young adults on the autism spectrum as they dive into the world of dating, love, and relationships. Not only is it truly heartwarming to watch, but it also offers important insight into an experience that many people may not consider or understand. The first season is full of awkward encounters and beautiful moments that will have you absolutely wanting to see these journeys through.
See the original post on Youtube
Russian Doll
Perhaps the greatest time-loop series ever made, Russian Doll stars Natasha Lyonne as a bitter New York woman who is hit by a cab on her birthday and lives the same day over and over again. In eight breezy episodes, season 1 finds heart and hilarity in reliving the same 24 hours. Sweet birthday baybee!
See the original post on Youtube
Better Call Saul
Finished all five genius and intense seasons of Breaking Bad? Well, we have a gift for you. Vince Gilligan's prequel series shows the origin story of the shady lawyer Saul Goodman, played by the incredible Bob Odenkirk.
See the original post on Youtube
Never Have I Ever
In this touching dramedy dreamed up by Mindy Kaling, high school sophomore Devi returns to school after the death of her father and a fleeting grief-induced paralysis, determined to turn over a new leaf by losing her virginity to a popular boy. While struggling to balance friendships with romance, Devi also navigates a complicated relationship with her mother and interrogates her Indian-American upbringing. Deeply funny and unexpectedly moving, Never Have I Ever is among Netflix’s most standout offerings.
See the original post on Youtube
Time to Eat
Starring Nadiya Hussain, the fan-favorite winner of The Great British Baking Show, Time to Eat is a refreshing departure from the elitism of so many cooking shows. In her colorful, crush-worthy kitchen, Hussain serves up easy recipes characterized by pantry shortcuts, cost-cutting measures, and time-saving hacks. She also travels the United Kingdom to glimpse the behind-the-scenes process of bringing her favorite products to the grocery store, from Scottish salmon to Vegemite. You’ll haul off the couch and into the kitchen in no time.
See the original post on Youtube
Tiger King
This is the bizarro docuseries to beat them all. The eight-part series follows a man by the moniker of Joe Exotic, as he stays embroiled in the near-absurdist world of captive big cats. His grandiose lifestyle entangles him in a bitter rivalry with a fellow big cat owner, a throuple marriage that ends tragically, and a conviction that lands one of the parties in jail for years (no spoilers!). Oh, and there are some incredible music videos to be taken in, too.
See the original post on Youtube
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Yes, this is a cartoon, and no, that's not an error. Avatar: The Last Airbender was just adapted into a live-action series for the streamer, but the Nickelodeon show has a huge following. Don't mistake the animated series as a children's program—The Last Airbender has been lauded for simplifying complex themes like authoritarianism, feminism, and genocide into digestible episodes that pack an emotional punch, yet are suitable for children. That's talent.
See the original post on Youtube
Dead to Me
Dead to Me is Netflix's answer to a soapy dark comedy that you can binge on a rainy afternoon. The Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini-led series is part murder mystery, part comedy, and a whole lot of messed-up emotional trauma.
See the original post on Youtube
Black Mirror
The Twilight Zone of our era, this techno-thriller anthology series has predicted many real-world horrors that have come to pass. Each different story in Black Mirror shows how technology that is supposed to benefit human lives has a dark side.
See the original post on Youtube
When They See Us
This limited series, which was helmed by Ava DuVernay, focuses on the real-life story of the Exonerated Five. When a woman is brutally attacked in Central Park, five teenage boys from Harlem are falsely accused and tormented by the judicial system. The drama was a stalwart on the awards circuit, but more importantly, it brought attention to an oft-overlooked side of the story.
See the original post on Youtube
Sex Education
In Sex Education, Awkward, shy Otis reluctantly starts an underground sex therapy clinic at his high school when a few classmates learn his mother is a sex therapist. Otis quickly becomes an expert on the subject. Not only is the show funny and entertaining, but it also shed light on how poor public school sex education really can be.
See the original post on Youtube
Unbelievable
Unbelievable, which is a limited series based on a true story, follows two different timelines: one about Marie, a teen who was sexually assaulted in her home. She goes to the police before eventually recanting her statement after police call her a liar. Another plot follows two detectives hunting down a serial rapist, who is presumed to be the same man who attacked Marie.
See the original post on Youtube
The Good Place
In The Good Place, Kristen Bell plays Eleanor, a self-absorbed woman who dies and goes to the afterlife. When she realizes she’s there only because she’s been mistaken for someone else, she attempts to become a better person in order to stay. By the end of the series, the Michael Schur creation becomes a whole new series entirely.
See the original post on Youtube
Stranger Things
One of the first shows to put Netflix original series on the map, Stranger Things shows how a small town in Indiana in the '80s affected by paranormal and supernatural life. Season 5 has been confirmed, so binge now to be totally caught up in time. In the meantime, light a candle for Eddie.
See the original post on Youtube
Breaking Bad
Knowing his terminal cancer diagnosis will financially destroy his family, high school chemistry teacher Walter White uses his scientific expertise and the help of a former student to create and sell crystal meth out of an RV. The whole series is available to stream—and yes, it's mandatory viewing.
See the original post on Youtube
Mindhunter
In the 1970s, two FBI agents attempt to understand and catch serial killers by diving in and studying their psychology. Their work even helps to begin the development of modern serial-killer profiling along the way. Sadly, Netflix cancelled Mindhunter far too early—we still miss the heck out of it.
See the original post on Youtube
Peaky Blinders
The notorious gangsters of Peaky Blinders make up one of the most powerful gangs of 1919 England. Its leader, Tommy Shelby, returns from war a hero and sets his sights higher than running the streets.
See the original post on Youtube
YOU
In YOU, a crush between a bookstore manager and writer quickly takes a dark turn when Joe (Penn Badgley) becomes obsessed with his new girlfriend—and he's determined to get close to her at the expense of everyone who gets in the way.
See the original post on Youtube
Queer Eye
A reboot of the early 2000s series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Netflix’s spin takes the same basic formula of five gay men transforming other peoples’ (mostly straight men) lives, teaching them everything from grooming tips to how to find confidence in themselves.
See the original post on Youtube
Cheer
The docuseries that took Netflix viewers by storm in early 2020 follows Navarro College’s elite competitive cheer squad as they prepare to win yet another national title.
See the original post on Youtube
BoJack Horseman
In this animated Netflix original, Will Arnett plays BoJack, a middle-aged, washed-up sitcom star from the '90s, who happens to be a horse. The underrated comedy offered some of the most insightful commentary on mental health and substance abuse on television. Yes, really.
See the original post on Youtube
GLOW
This story about the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling—which is set in 1980s LA—follows a group of misfit actresses that turns into a story that explores female friendships and competition. Come for the inventive concept. Stay for Betty Gilpin and Allison Brie's powerhouse performances.
See the original post on Youtube
You Might Also Like
