There's one way to "do Netflix wrong" in our book. It's when you spend more time looking for shows and movies than actually watching them. We've been there too. Our job today is to stop that happening so please let the following best Netflix shows list be your guide.
We have a whole host of top Netflix TV show picks for you, from the hot new shows everyone is talking about to Netflix classics you might want to catch up on. Whether you are into the marvellous macabre of Squid Game, the brilliant of Sex Education or the genius of Better Call Saul, we have the best Netflix TV show for pretty much everyone.
That's right: we've chosen a wide selection of Netflix shows that you should be watching right now. There's ones that will make you chuckle (Santa Clarita Diet, RIP), those that will make you scratch your head (The OA, RIP) and shows that, despite flying below the radar, already have a huge fanbase (Lucifer).
Below you'll find the best Netflix TV shows you should all check out, even if it's just for a one-episode taster. Oh, and we haven't added in any documentaries into this list - you can find those in one of our other lists below!
All series are currently available on Netflix UK except where stated. Please check the availability in your country.
New releases: shows on Netflix
Dept. Q
If you’ve been waiting for Netflix’s answer to Apple’s Slow Horses, you’ve found it. Department Q is a place where the police’s rejects end up, left to tackle cold cases. Matthew Goode stars as DCI Carl Morck, who gets moved to Dept. Q after working on a case that left a colleague dead and his own partner paralysed. Sharp writing, good performances and moody vibes make this one well worth a watch.
Adolescence
A young boy is arrested for murder in this show co-written by Jack Thorne and starring the brilliant Stephen Graham. He’s just 13 years old, and stands accused of killing his classmate. Adolescence is a four-part series, in which each episode represents an hour window of time. The show has already picked up a fantastic collection of reviews, and is worth investigating if you’re game for something a little harder-hitting.
More of the best Netflix TV shows
The Queen's Gambit
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.
Stranger Things
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.
Ozark
While it was originally billed as a lesser Breaking Bad, over the course of four 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!
Mindhunter
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.
Peaky Blinders
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.
Better Call Saul
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!
The Umbrella Academy
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 — although its finale was a bit of a let down.
Lucifer
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 The Sandman comics.
Black Mirror
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 —no longer available — are also included as is the fifth season, which stars Miley Cyrus as a future pop star. And a recent sixth season veered even more into sc-fi.
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!
Sex Education
Sex Education was an absolute joy for its first three seasons and couldn't quite muster up the ultimate climax in the fourth. Saying that, it's still a must watch.
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.
The Good Place
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.
The Witcher
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 (for the first three seasons, then Liam Hemsworth replaces him) 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.
Schitt’s Creek
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.
After Life
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.
Dark
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.
The Crown
The Crown charts the royal family through the ages, which means we have different starring roles each season. From Claire Foy's queen being replaced by the brilliant Olivia Coleman each season is soap operatics of the highest order, loosely based on true events. We are big fans, even if we still can't get over Gillian Anderson as Thatcher.
Derry Girls
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.
Arcane
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.
The Haunting of Hill House
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.
Squid Game
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.
The second season was a bit of a damp, er, Squid but let's hop the third and final season can give this cult classic show a send off it deserves.
Money Heist
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 expands way beyond the initial heist premise.
Lupin
Lupin is fantastic television and one of the most popular thing on Netflix, for good reason. 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! Netflix has revealed that Part 4 is in production.
Lost in Space
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.
The Diplomat
Miss the West Wing? You'll enjoy The Diplomat. It centres on a US diplomat in the UK, dealing the the bureaucracy of a foreign country in which she is a stranger. But it's no turgid drama, with plenty of gasp-inducing moments and a smattering of fun ones to release the tension. Give it more than the first episode, at it takes a little while to get going. But after that: lift off. There's two seasons to indulge in and a third on the way.
Cobra Kai
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. And while the final season stretches the who to breaking point, it manages to pull off a fantastic finale.
3 Body Problem
One of the most ambitious TV projects in years, Netflix has taken on the Three-Body Problem trilogy of books, an epic Chinese sci-fi series. It deals in alien invasion, physics and the survival of humanity. 3 Body Problem comes from the folks behind Game of Thrones, and features a few familiar faces from that much-love series including John Bradley and Liam Cunningham.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Horror maestro Mike Flanagan is back with The Fall of the House of Usher. This eight-episode series is part of the same lineage as Midnight Mass, and The Haunting at Hill House, and is based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allen Poe. Members of a rich dynasty, the Ushers, begin to die mysteriously. But why? This is quite probably Flanagan's goriest show yet.
The Gentlemen
Don’t miss The Gentlemen if you miss the glory days of Guy Ritchie’s biggest movies. This is a loud, sweary and violent show packed with dodgy characters, drugs and class clashes. Eddie Horniman inherits a big country estate, only to find there’s an established drug operation running on its grounds. It’s a spin-off of the 2019 movie of the same name, but you don’t need to see the movie to appreciate this one.
Baby Reindeer
Richard Gadd has been an admired figure in UK comedy circles for years, but he’s broken out globally with Baby Reindeer. It’s a limited series based on his theatre show, which in turn was about Gadd’s real-life experience of being stalked. It sounds serious, and it is, but Baby Reindeer is also a dark comedy. It was a viral word-of-mouth hit Netflix subs shouldn’t miss.
Russian Doll
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.
GLOW
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!
Blue Eye Samurai
Here's something completely different. Blue Eye Samurai is an animated show that follows the adventures of a samurai in Edo-era Japan. But in a switch of traditional expectations, this sword master is a woman. She is on a mission of vengeance, hunting down four men who have wronged her. In another unusual move, this is a Japanese-style show where the original language is English.
Ripley
Seen the Talented Mr Ripley, the 1999 film? This is a limited series adaptation of that story, originally a novel by Patricia Highsmith. Andrew Scott stars as Tom Ripley, a sociopathic con-man who is hired to bring a rich man’s son, Dickie, back from Europe to America. He creates a web of lies that let him insinuate himself into the lives of Dickie and Marge.
Heartstopper
Heartstopper became a bit of a word-of-mouth hit when its second season landed in 2023. It's the coming-of-age tale of a pair of gay teenagers, finding their way in the world. Heartstopper strikes that crucial balance between emotional and schmaltzy, resulting in a satisfying slice of pure televisual loveliness. Give this one a watch if you're game for some feels.
One Day
In each of One Day's 14 episodes we get a look into the developing relationship of Emma and Dexter each year. It's based on a 2009 novel by David Nicholls, and is an all-round superior romcom. This is no perfect romance, though, which makes it feel all the more real. Each episode is around half an hour long. It's prime binge material.
One Piece
One Piece is the longest-running manga ever, and it spawned one of the longest-running anime series too, with upwards of 1070 episodes at the time of writing. This big-budget Netflix live action version has been called one of the best anime adaptations to date.
There's no chance of getting 1000-plus episodes out of this one, when they reportedly cost $17 million each to make. But that only makes it all this pirate adventure more approachable for newcomers.
Supacell
This is proof superhero series don’t need to be tired and played out. In Supacell, a bunch of black Londoners gain superpowers. It’s a fresh and vital watch that still manages to scratch that superhero action itch. And all without capes and costumes. Season one is comprised of six episodes, and we’re hoping for more in the future. Supacell comes from the maker of the brilliant Blue Story, Rapman.
A Man on the Inside
Ted Danson is at the peak of his charming powers in A Man on the Inside, an espionage thriller-inspired comedy set in a retirement home. Danson is Charles, a recently retired professor who is hired by a private investigator to infiltrate the home and gather intel on a case of stolen jewellery. It received terrific reviews at its release, and its appeal has less to do with mystery than it does the affecting, heartwarming interactions of the characters.
Terminator Zero
Hot take: Terminator spinoffs are often better than the mainline movies. Has there been a truly great Terminator film since T2, after all? Terminator Zero is the best thing in the franchise in years, and tells a Terminator tale through the medium of Japanese animation. It comes from the studio that made Ghost in the Shell — it’s no mere stylistic flourish. A solider is sent back in time to protect a scientist working on an AI to counter Skynet.
Black Doves
Ben Whishaw and Keira Knightley star in this spy thriller, a twisty six-part story. Knightley is Helen, a spy who has been passing on secrets from her husband’s (the Secretary of State for Defence) work for years. When her on-the-side lover is killed she teams up with Whishaw’s Sam to get to the bottom of the mystery. This is an enjoyably schlocky thriller for those happy to indulge in the sillier end of the spectrum.
The Night Agent
Some of the most compelling watches aren’t the real worthy stuff, as proved by megahit The Night Agent. The first season of this spy conspiracy show is firmly lodged in the top 10 English language Netflix series of all time, thanks to the sheer binge-ready virality it had. It has plenty of twists that come at a pace. Gabriel Basso stars as agent Peter Sutherland.
The second season was aimless at times, but still worth watching and there is a third on its way.
American Primeval
This western series focuses on the bleakness and brutality of the early years of the United States. It’s set in Utah in the 1850s, and sees settlers clash with Native Americans, Mormons and the army. We focus on a mother and son, trying to make a new life in this harsh land. It’s a six-part series.
Zero Day
Robert De Niro plays a former President of the US in Zero Day, a pulpy thriller about a massive cyberattack on the country. De Niro’s George Mullen comes out of retirement to get to the bottom of a crisis that took down entire parts of the country’s infrastructure. It’s timely, but very much focuses on bringing the thrills and twists of a good plot rather than having a slavish adherence to realism.
The Sandman
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 the 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.
Wednesday
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 and a second season is on the way.
Sweet Tooth
Sweet Tooth is one of the oddest things that we have ever seen! 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!
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
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.
Midnight Mass
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
Archer
Lasting for a massive 14 seasons, 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.
Bridgerton
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.
Maid
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.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
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.
Kingdom
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.
Alice in Borderland
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. Also, the second season is even better than the first!
Bojack Horseman
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.
Inventing Anna
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.
The OA
We’ve had a fair amount of craziness in our Netflix series round-up so far, but The OA takes the loony biscuit. It's an unexpected combination of abduction escapes, mysterious powers, fledgling cults, and thwarted romance - all with a curious supernatural undertone. Frustratingly, Britt Marling’s quasi-angelic space cadet doesn't get the finale it deserves but this is still essential.
Santa Clarita Diet
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.
Top Boy
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.
The third and final season is a fantastic ending to what is a pristine show.
All Of Us Are Dead
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.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities
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.
For all your other Netflix needs head to the following guides:
