The best Netflix shows revealed - this is the TV to stream (March 2023)

Every now and then a piece of pop culture explodes so brightly, you feel you’re missing out if you end up just one episode behind the rest of the people at your office. Stranger Things was one of these cultural grenades back in 2016.

It’s a supernatural mystery that follows a gang of kids teleported (not literally) right from an 80s adventure movie. Stranger Things is drenched in Steven Spielberg charm. It’s also funny, scary and deliciously moreish. The third season of Stranger Things has less mystery – we know a little about The Upside Down and the Mindflayer now – but it's possibly the best season yet, with fantastic acting, tension, just enough horror and a whole load of 80s nostalgia.

A fourth season is streaming now and it's the most cinematic yet. The final two episodes of the show are also now available.

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This fantastic limited series is about an orphaned girl who turns out to be a chess genius. Played with aplomb by Anya Taylor-Joy, it's a brilliant series that looks lavish and is brilliantly acted. Netflix has a surefire hit on its hand with this one.

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While it was originally billed as a lesser Breaking Bad, over the course of three seasons Ozark has proven itself as one of the tensest dramas on Netflix. About a family who must launder millions of money for a drug kingpin, the show goes to places you don’t expect.. Then even further still. It’s mesmerising television.

The entire series of Ozark is now available to watch - that's all four seasons of TV gold!

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Lucifer was originally a Fox production. The show was cancelled. But its horde of “lucifan” followers were so passionate, Netflix was persuaded to give it an all-new afterlife. Well, to take on the fourth season.

Lucifer Morningstar is a free agent who consults with the LAPD. He also happens to be the devil. The series is propelled by a so-slick-it’s-greasy lead performance by Tom Ellis. And for those who like a little weight behind their TV concepts, the character comes from Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed The Sandman comics.

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This latest effort from Ricky Gervais is the perfect vehicle for the British comic’s particular brand of shtick. After his wife dies tragically, a near-suicidal Tony (Gervais) resolves to live without restraint, saying and doing whatever he wants - no matter how painful or offensive that might be to the people around him. You either love or hate Gervais, but a lot of people seem to think After Life is the best thing he’s done since The Office. Season 3 of the show is out now and this marks the end of the story of Tony - and a fitting end it is too.

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There was a lot of trepidation when it was announced that Breaking Bad was getting a prequel, and even more so that it was to be a comedy. It turns out, though, that when Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan started writing the show, it turned into something entirely different. Shot at a glacial pace (especially when compared to Bad), Saul is a superb comedy drama that has the DNA of its meth-infused sibling but is its own thing entirely. The entire cast is top notch, but Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn are mesmerising as the legal eagles who go about things in very different ways.

The sixth and final season of Better Call Saul is streaming now!

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We were hoping for a third season of Manhunter to tie up some loose ends but it’s unlikely we will get this now, as David Fincher has gone on to other things. That doesn’t stop the first two seasons of this show being fantastic television. It’s a brooding, terrifying look at serial killers that rarely shows anything graphic. It’s what’s implied and that is a whole lot worse.

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Based on the hit series of books by ‎Andrzej Sapkowski - which have also spawned a successful series of games - The Witcher is one of the biggest budgeted TV shows on Netflix. Henry Cavill is Geralt, the Witcher, someone who travels the Continent hunting monsters that threaten the world. It's a lot of fun and perfect for those looking for a Game of Thrones replacement. The second season is available to stream now.

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Based on the comic book series by Gabriel Bá and Gerard Way (who once fronted emo band My Chemical Romance, fact fans), The Umbrella Academy is a delightfully off-kilter take on the superhero genre. At its heart is a dysfunctional family of super-powered misfits, who must put their differences aside and come together to avert the impending apocalypse. Any series that features ’90s R&B star Mary J. Blige as a dog mask-wearing assassin has to be worth a look.

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Peaky Blinders may not have started out on Netflix, like many of the Netflix Originals shows on this list, but that's where you can stream all five seasons right now. The show is set in Birmingham and begins in 1919, following the story of the Shelby family or 'Peaky Blinders' gang, a fictional crime family loosely based on a real 19th century urban youth gang of the same name.

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Black Mirror is from the fevered brain of Charlie Brooker and boy does it turn a harsh light on technology and the potential dystopian futures that might only be a few years awa. The first two series were three episodes long and contain some fantastic episodes - including The National Anthem. Season 3 and 4 were boosted to six episodes apiece and if you haven't seen San Junipero then grab the tissues and watch season 3's immaculately told love story. A Christmas special and Bandersnatch, an interactive episode, are also included as is the fifth season, which stars Miley Cyrus as a future pop star. Bizarre, brilliant and sometimes brutal, Black Mirror is as subversive a TV show there is right now.

News is that we will be getting a number of new Black Mirror episodes after a new deal was struck. Here's hoping!

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Now Season 4 of The Crown is here, the series has undergone a time shift, with Claire Foy's queen being replaced by the brilliant Olivia Coleman who is now joined by a young Princess Di (Emma Corrin) and Prince of wales. If you're new to the show, you have two superb seasons to catch up on, which recount the romance between Prince Philip and Elizabeth, and so much more. This is a lavish soap opera that's well worth your time. Although, we still can't get over Gillian Anderson as Thatcher. It, er, makes us rethink everything.

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This German thriller is one of the best sci-fi shows we have seen in years. It starts off as a simple missing person’s tale and balloons into something far more, where everyone is hiding a secret and the truth is continually kept out of reach. A third and final season has been revealed, which should answer some of the (many) questions we have. Brilliant stuff.

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The new season of Sex Education has landed. The series follows a group of young people trying their best to navigate sex, friendships, relationships and their own identities. It's been written with a lot of input from sex and relationship experts and young people, so it feels fresh, genuine and extremely watchable. It's now in its third season and the show keeps getting better and better.

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In these times of unease, a show about bankruptcy doesn’t sound like the easiest watch but this is wonderful TV. If you are looking for something that is easy to watch, packed with lovable characters, and is actually complete, then look beyond the terrible title and you will find something sublime.

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The first three seasons of the Fargo TV show are available to stream (we are sure it won't be long for the fourth and each of them are a masterclass in how to do TV. Taking place in different timelines, they are all standalone but hint at each other throughout. The series is packed with talent, too, with Billy Bob Thornton, Ewan McGregor and Kirsten Dunst all starring. If we had to choose, the second seasons would be our favourite but each is a fantastic take on the Coen Brothers classic movie.

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The Good Place is one of the funniest and cleverest comedies around - four seasons just doesn't feel enough but that's all we got. Set in the afterlife and, well, saying more would be spoiling things. The main ensemble comprises the likes of Kristen Bell and Ted Danson and the whole thing is one big philosophical conversation.

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Unbelievable is based on the true story of Marie Adler. With a cast that includes Toni Collette, Merritt Wever and Kaitlyn Dever, the series tells the tale of a teen accused of making a false rape allegation and the two detectives who chance upon her rape case whilst investigating a new pattern of attacks. It's a gritty, hard-hitting series that will keep you holding on until the very last episode to see how things pan out. It's got the right pace, right cast and carries a truly harrowing message.

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There isn't a better duo than Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate right now - and a recent Emmy nomination proves this. They star in Dead To Me, a brilliant show about a widower (Cardellini) looking for the person who ran over, and killed, her husband. What ensues is not what you think and it's brilliant. There's two seasons on Netflix with a third on the way.

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One of the most striking, original, bizarre, brilliant shows of the year, Squid Game is a Korean thriller based on the premise of a survival game where the participants have to play childhood games all with a violent twist, and all for money. This is the show everyone is talking about now - and for good reason.

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Cobra Kai was originally a YouTube Red show but now it's landed on Netflix, it's a must watch. Following Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, both are now well into middle age and trying find their lives entwined once more when Lawrence decides to set up a Dojo in town once more. With loads of call backs to the original films, this is a brilliant burst of nostalgia that manages to balance both drama and comedy really well. The fifth season of Cobra Kai is available to stream now.

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Initially meant to be a story in two (very long) parts, Money Heist has been shifted into a much more palatable TV format and is continuing to be one of the most intriguing shows on Netflix. It’s premise is essentially the good bit of any heist movie: focusing on some high-octane heists and the people chosen to do them. This Spanish-language show is one of the most frenetic you will watch, and all the better for it. The fifth and final part is out now and expands way beyond the initial heist premise.

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Locke & Key has been in development hell for getting on a decade now, with Fox creating a pilot for the show starring Miranda Otto. That never worked out (for some reason they chose to greenlight Alcatraz instead), but now Netflix has taken a punt and we are so glad they did. Based on Joe Hill's fantastic comic book, Locke & Key is about a family whose father is murdered. They go and live in his old estate and spooky things start to happen. There are two seasons of the show available now.

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Lupin is fantastic television and the most popular thing on Netflix right now. There is a little bit of Sherlock Holmes mixed into the French procedural crime drama that focuses on a bank robber who takes advantage of his place in society to complete his crimes. Also, the fashion in the show is a masterclass - we expect its own clothing range soon! Part 2 of Lupin is currently streaming and it is every bit as good as the original.

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Based on the 1965 series of the same name (which was actually a reimagining of the novel, The Swiss Family Robinson), this modern-day reimagining of the space adventure is a must-watch for science-fiction fans. Sure some of it can feel a little cheesy at times, but it's full of alien adventures, gorgeous visuals of space and lots of edge-of-your-seat tension as the Robinson family battle all of the things space throws at them.

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A four-part limited series based around the Orthodox Jewish religion, Unorthodox, is a show worthy of your attention. Following a 19 year-old woman who flees her arranged marriage in favour of a less restrictive life, the plot sees her husband (and his outlawed cousin) set out to find her and bring her back to their community in Williamsburg, New York. Discovering what life is like outside her insular, NY community, will she be able to start afresh? You'll have to watch to find out.

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A fantastic series that's set around The Troubles in Ireland, but told through the eye of school kids who just want to have fun. The first series is available on Netflix and is a fantastic, hilarious watch - it also manages to handle themes like the IRA and Catholicism with aplomb, not missing a comedy beat.

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The Haunting of Hill House is a ghost story that takes its time. Based on the fantastic novel by Shirley Jackson, the show is masterfully told by director Mike Flanagan. The second series takes on an entirely new story (Edgar Alan Poe's The Haunting of Bly Manor) and isn't quite as successful but it's still an amazing show.

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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia first aired back in 2005, which means it's been running for 17 whole years and is officially the longest-running live action sitcom! If you're looking for a dose of laugh-out-loud comedy we recommend taking a trip to Paddy's Pub in South Philadelphia. Season 15 is streaming now and despite being just eight episodes long, it is the most ambitious season the gang has done yet.

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If you want to watch something light and fun at the moment we don't blame you. That's why it's perfect timing that all six seasons of laugh-out-loud comedy series Community have landed on Netflix. You'll recognise most of the cast as they're all great comedy actors, including Donald Glover and Alison Brie. The show is about life at a community college in the fictional town of Greendale, Colorado.

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GLOW is one of the best shows on Netflix right now. It's a heady mix of spandex and weighty issues. Set in the 80s and loosely based on the true events of the TV show, this is a neon-lit look at what happens when woman start to dominate in what was a men-focused world, with fantastic results. Season 3 saw the action shift to Vegas and while there's a lot more to cover, Covid meant that the show has been cancelled. Boo!

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Sweet Tooth is one of the oddest things that we have ever seen and we can't wait for Season 2! Based on a graphic novel, it's about a post apocalypse where half-human, half-animals have been created. If that sounds strange, wait till you watch the thing!

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Now 12 seasons long, Archer is a fantastic animated series that’s based on the annoyingly good spy Archer and his motley crew at the intelligence agency he works for. Playing to the same beat as Bond, Archer is misogynistic, alcohol-soaked but ultimately a likeable rogue. The show is fantastic in its scope and gets weirder as the seasons go on, parodying other genres and mutating into something quite different.

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Russian Doll takes the classic Groundhog Day conceit and runs with it, not stopping for breath until it crashes into a hip New York party. Natasha Lyonne plays Nadia, a hard-living programmer who finds herself dying and repeating the same day again and again (and again). What could have been tired and formulaic fare turns out to be one of the freshest and funniest shows of recent times. Thankfully, this same energy is maintained for the Quantum Leap-esque second season.

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A stunning western that stars Jeff Daniels and Michelle Dockery, this mini series not only looks fantastic but has some of the best acting we've seen on the screen in years. Frank Griffin (Daniels) is a one-armed outlaw who is out looking for someone who used to be part of his gang. That someone is currently being protected by Alice Fletcher (Dockery). Godless is gritty, violent and well worth a watch.

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Netflix's answer to Downton Abbey is here and it's fantastic fun. Narrated by Julie Andrews, the show centres on Regency era in England, where eight siblings of the Bridgerton family attempt to find love. Now, this is an authentic slab of costume drama - it's pretty ridiculous in places but Shonda Rhimes has created a bawdy hit and the likes of Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls) are superb.

A seconds season of the show is now available.

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The show of the film that wasn’t seen in the UK until recently, as The Weinstein Co decided not to give it a UK release, expands on the mythos of Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s premise: humanity is all-but gone - what’s left is living on a train whizzing through a land ravaged by a second ice age. Turning some of the movie on its head, this is a solid attempt at sci-fi. The third season is now streaming and its ending is an absolute must watch.

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Based on the Archie comic book series, and less so on the 90s TV show Sabrina The Teenage Witch, this Netflix Originals series may look like a kids show, but it's got all the right ingredients to make it a dark and compelling binge watch for all ages. It follows the story of Sabrina Spellman, a half-witch, half-human, who feels like she doesn't quite fit into the devil-worshipping world of her coven or the local high school for humans either. The first season is entertaining, but it isn't until the second season, broken down in parts, that it gets much more unsettling and addictive.

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Midnight Mass is another stunning TV show from Mike Flanagan who has channeled all his love of Stephen King lore into this original series about a religious community on an island. As with all of Flanagan's stuff, the show is a slow burner but stay with it and you will be rewarded with some fantastic, chilling horror.

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It may have taken a while to get to the small screen - or any sized screen - but it is well worth the wait. The Sandman is a fantastic show which transposes the dreamlike images and prose from Neil Gaiman's epic graphic novel majestically. Tom Sturridge makes for a perfect, ethereal Morpheus - a dream-weaver who is out to fix a world that has changed in his long absence. This is sumptuous television and we can't wait to see more, which is good news as a second season is happening.

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Originally airing on Channel 4, Misfits is a fantastic TV show about superheroes that aren't always that super. While Boys (on Amazon Prime) is getting all the accolades for showing off superheroes with flaws, it was done first (and better) in Misfits.

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Maid is the sort of drama that needs to win all the awards. It's a heartbreaking, brilliant look at what happens when you slip through the system in America and are trying to make ends meet, despite everything seemingly against you. Margaret Qually is Alex, someone who has left her abusive husband with her toddler and is trying to live a new life as a maid. There will be tears.

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One of Netflix's real hidden gems, Hidden is a fantastic social commentary on Korea, all put through the lens of 16th Century politics and, well, zombies. Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) is investigating an illness that has overcome his father. While investigating he comes across a building packed with dead bodies. They belong to the person who is treating his father and, the kicker is, they won't stay dead for long.

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Arcane is stunning anime that is based on the hugely successful League of Legends game. You don't have to know the game to watch the show and that's what is so good about this adaptation - just how standalone it is. The animation is beautiful, the voice acting superb (which includes Hailee Steinfeld as Vi) and the way it was released in two episode chunks to coincide with LOL tournaments was a fantastic idea. This is one of the best reviewed Netflix shows of all time, so definitely don't miss.

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Based on a true story, Inventing Ann has two fantastic leads: Julia Garner as Anna Delvy, a German 'heiress' who supposedly swindled a whole load of people out of money; and Anna Chlumsky as Vivian Kent, a journalist who is trying to get to the bottom of the fantastical story. While the episodes are long, this is one engrossing watch.

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Away is a slow burner but stick with it and you are gifted a fantastic, realistic look at what a mission to Mars would do to the people on board the spaceship and the people left behind. Hilary Swank stars and is great as the stoic commander. When things go wrong, and they definitely do, the drama grips but even in its quieter moments, the show is epic.

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A second series has already been greenlit, so it's good to know that Netflix is backing this great slab of dystopia. Based on the Manga of the same name, his is a survival tale, focusing on a group of people trying to survive in a deserted Tokyo (seeing the likes of Shibuya Crossing empty is quite something). They have to tackle a series of puzzles and games to survive, making this the Battle Royal/Saw mashup we have always wanted to see. This is a good one to watch after you devour Squid Game.

A second season is now available and it's even better than the first!

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Described as a tragicomedy, because it's a laugh-out-loud series in many ways, but it also deals with some very big issues, including trauma, drug dependence and depression - this is far from "just a cartoon". It follows the story of Bojack Horseman, who was a big celebrity back in the day but is now feeling tired, washed-up and like he has no real place in the glitz and glamour of showbiz anymore. The show is a huge hit and features the voices of Will Arnett, Aaron Paul and Amy Sedaris.

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Tim Burton directed some episodes of Wednesday and it shows: this is as Burton-eaque show you can get. It's a spin on the Addams Family show, with the focus squarely on Wednesday, played to perfection by Jenna Ortega. Although it's a little slow to start, this is one fun show

Fans of David Lynch will lap up this amazing new limited series. It's a psychological horror where an upcoming director makes her way to LA with the dream of directing her first film but she encounters a world that's as strange as it comes. More of this please, Netflix.

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With a 3rd season coming soon, Titans is a great, violent take on the younger superheroes that DC has to offer. The first season is a lot more cohesive than the second but it's a lot of fun to see the likes of Robin and the rest fight foes that go way beyond the family friendly shows of The CW. The third season is out now and a big improvement on the messy second.

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We have rapper Drake to thank for the resurrection of Top Boy - a show about the goings-on of drug dealers on the streets of London. He financed a new series (with another on the way). Two seasons of this show and the original two series (now called Top Boy: Summerhouse) are available and they're a fantastic watch. Both star Ashley Walters and Kano as two dealers who rule over their estate - until a newcomer comes along and tries to upend things.

A third and final season of Top Boy has been announced.

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With the success of Squid Game, it's no wonder that Netflix is adding more South Korean shows to its service. All Of Us Are Dead is a great zombie-filled ride, about an outbreak in a school where the surviving children and teachers have to find a way out.

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This is superb fantasy. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is the sort of thing Netflix should be doing - expanding on things from our childhood and making them better. Using practical effects and packed with a cast that includes Jason Isaacs, Natalie Dormer, Alicia Vikander, Taron Egerton and Mark Hamill - this is a fantasy prequel story unlike no other and should help you get over your Game of Thrones fix.

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If you are after a dollop of horror and suspence, then Archive 81 is it. Based on the popular podcast, it's about an archivist who, while restoring a fire-damage video tape, is trying to uncover what happened to a filmmaking team.

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A bunch of teenage ghostbusters going on adventures sounds like a recipe for a show that will only appeal to a younger audience. But Lockwood & Co. has the intelligence and charm to keep older viewers hooked. Just keep your cynicism at bay for the first five minutes. This is an adaptation of a YA book series by Jonathan Stroud, and was developed by Joe Cornish. That explains a lot: the two films he directed, The Kid Who Would be King and Attack the Block, also managed to charm scores of folks who might be put off by the films' one-sentence summaries.

Guillermo del Toro is a master of horror and this anthology series from him is a delight. Scares bump into strangeness throughout these expertly crafted tales. Del Toro isn't on directing but script duties. For the direction, he's managed to muster the might of some of the best in the genre, including: Ana Lily Amirpour, Vincenzo Natali and Jennifer Kent.

This one is a qualified recommendation. Netflix cancelled 1899 after a single series, and the show ends on a cliffhanger. Bummer. However, it’s still worth a shot if you enjoy the kind of head-scratching sci-fi infused mystery seen in a show like Dark — which came from the same creative minds. A huge ship is travelling across the Atlantic ocean to the states, at the tail end of the 19th century when this was how immigration happened. A distress call sends the ship off course, and then things start getting very strange.

I Think You Should Leave is a masterclass of uncomfortable comedy. The show paints a rather bleak picture of men in the world, with each skit focusing on trying to get the worst of them to leave but leaves you always laughing as a result. Social norms are pushed, ideas get surreal and at the centre of it all is the fantastic comedian Tim Robinson.

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This TV show, which was sadly cancelled after its third season, has a concept that sounds cooked up by some drunk friends in a bar. Joel and Sheila Hammond are a normal suburban couple, until Sheila becomes a zombie.

Santa Clarita Diet explores the bizarre and frequently hilarious unwinding of this high-concept premise. Drew Barrymore is brilliant in the lead, flesh-munching role. Why was it cancelled if it was so good? Like most shows that end up canned, Santa Clarita Diet just didn’t attract quite enough eyeballs. But it deserves yours.

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We’ve had a fair amount of craziness in our Netflix series round-up so far, but The OA takes the loony biscuit. The first season was an unexpected combination of abduction escapes, mysterious powers, fledgling cults, and thwarted romance - all with a curious supernatural undertone. Part II is set to be no less strange, as we find out where Britt Marling’s quasi-angelic space cadet warped off to during the dizzying Part I finale.

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Well, this one is simply a joy. Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun is a fantastic Australian sketch show. It's based on a group of mates who live together and the best way to describe it is that it's The Mighty Boosh mixed with Flight of Concords with more than a sprinkling of Monty Python. It's a must watch and packs in more jokes per episode than most comedies do in a series.

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