From chess dramas to fantasy epics and workplace comedies, these are the best of the best shows on Netflix right now.
Last Updated: December 23rd There are plenty of binge-worthy TV series on Netflix. Too many, in fact. It’s a good problem to have but if mindlessly scrolling through streaming platforms is taking up too much of your time these days, well, we’re here to help. We’ve curated over 65 of the best shows on Netflix right now (including some of the best Netflix original series) and we’ll be updating them regularly, adding new seasons, removing expired titles, and dropping the latest offerings you’ll want to add to your queue. If the goal is to constantly be binge-watching great TV, you’re in the right place. Related: The Best Movies On Netflix Right Now 1 season,9 episodes| IMDb: 8.3/10 This Korean thriller has quickly become the streaming platform’s best performing series and there’s a good reason why. The show’s morbidly fascinating premise — hundreds of in-debt players accept a mysterious invitation to play a series of children’s games in the hope of winning a huge cash prize — combines the best of horror, drama, and weirdly, game-show competition genres to deliver an addictive format. Each episode sees the number of players dwindle — when you lose these games, you die — adding real stakes for fans but there’s an emotional hook as well. None of these people are bad, they’re just unlucky in life and drowning in debt. Do they deserve to die for that? Someone sure thinks so. 1 season,7 episodes| IMDb: 7.8/10 Mike Flanagan is quickly becoming one of the best genre visionaries in the game and he delivers another win for horror fans with this deeply moving, deeply unsettling story about a small island community plagued by their own religious prejudice. Zach Gilford plays Riley, the prodigal son returning home after a terrible tragedy causes him to question his purpose in life. Flanagan favorite Kate Siegel plays Erin, his high school sweetheart, also dealing with trauma from her past, As the two bond, the rest of the community welcomes a mysterious new figure to its church, a priest with a dark secret and troubling plans for his parishioners. Everyone is on their A-game here, especially Samantha Sloyan as the pious nun Bev Keane and Hamish Linklater as tortured Father Paul. 9 seasons,171 episodes| IMDb: 8.9/10 For a show about nothing, Seinfeld has left a cultural imprint that few shows can boast of achieving. Back before shows about neurotic people were the latest trend, Jerry Seinfeld blended his own neuroses with his stand-up act, creating a New York landscape that many could relate to. With stories based on the minutiae of relationships and everyday living, Seinfeld embedded itself in the cultural zeitgeist like few shows have done. Even if you’ve never seen an episode, you still know about the Soup Nazi and Newman. Plus, Veep fans will enjoy seeing a pre-presidential Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the hilariously frazzled Elaine Benes. 3 seasons,30 episodes| IMDb: 8.7/10 Even if you didn’t catch the original films, you’ll probably still enjoy this series which picks up 30-something years after that infamous Karate Tournament with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) deciding his path to redemption involves opening up a dojo, reigniting his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). It’s much better than it has any right to be. Add To Netflix Queue 3 seasons,25 episodes| IMDb: 8.3/10 Intimate, funny, warm, and kind, Master of None confidently tackles issues of sex and race from a perspective original to mainstream television. Creator, writer, and star Aziz Ansari loads the sitcom with smart observations and wry humor, and when it comes to dating as a thirty-something, Ansari just gets it. Sweet, sentimental, but never sappy, the mold-breaking Master of None may be the most thoughtful and well-considered dating sitcom on television. Add To Netflix Queue 1 season,8 episodes| IMDb: 7.4/10 The first creation to come from Netflix’s partnership with prolific TV show creator Shonda Rhimes is this Regency Era romance series that flouts tradition and goes all-in on sex, fashion, and instrumental covers of today’s biggest pop hits. It’s a bit campy, but the talent of its fairly unheard-of cast (especially leads Rege-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor) and the refreshing diversity of its characters more than makes up for it. Warning: You will binge this thing in one sitting. Set aside the appropriate amount of time now. Add To Netflix Queue 6 season,52 episodes| IMDb: 8.7/10 In the early 2010s, you couldn’t have a conversation about favorite TV shows without someone in your friend group mentioning Downton Abbey. The British series about the inner workings of an aristocratic English family and their manner full of servants became the biggest thing to invade America from across the pond since The Beatles. Watching the crusty Crawley family navigate historic events like the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War while their servants dealt in gossip, intrigue, and scandal below stairs was as entertaining and juicy as any good British drama should be. 1 season,7 episodes| IMDb: 8.8/10 You don’t need to love chess to get obsessed with this drama from Scott Frank. That’s because the board game is just the setting, the battlefield where all the real maneuverings and suspense take place. Anya-Taylor Joy and her mesmerizing stare are front and center here as she plays Beth Harmon, an orphan and chess prodigy whose quest for greatness is only eclipsed by her life-destroying addictions. It’s a coming-of-age story wrapped disguised behind pawns and Sicilian defense tactics and it’s one of the most captivating, thrilling series to land on the streamer in a long time. 1 season,10 episodes| IMDb: 8.2/10 Even though this sports-centric docuseries was just released earlier this year, it already feels like a defining entry into the genre. That’s because over the course of 10 episodes, this show peers behind the curtain of one of the biggest sports dynasties in history: The Chicago Bulls, but it doesn’t take the path you might expect. The battles off the court, the complicated player relationships, the media’s influence, and the backdoor dealings of executives within the organization all come into play here, but the most gripping part of this series is how it humanizes a God-like figure in basketball for the generations that grew up in his shadow. 2 seasons,12 episodes| IMDb: 7.4/10 Netflix is giving this true-crime series a reboot which is good news for all the murder mystery junkies out there. UFOs, missing husbands, and a murderous French count still on the run are the highlights of the show’s first six episodes. Get your sleuth hats ready. 1 season,8 episodes| IMDb: 8.2/10 James Brolin narrates this surprisingly heartfelt DC comic adaptation from Robert Downey Jr.’s producing team. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world where human hybrids are being born and no one really knows why. Of course, that makes them targets and we follow one little boy’s journey, a half-human, half-deer hybrid named Gus as he tries to uncover the truth about his past. Add To Netflix Queue 6 seasons,110 episodes| IMDb: 8.5/10 Has there ever been a sitcom as downright clever as Community? Aside from the gas leak year, Community was quicker than nearly every other comedy out there, with jokes flying fast but also taking seasons to reach a punchline. After getting caught with a phony degree, former lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) heads to Greendale Community College to get a legitimate degree. There he gets into increasingly hilarious hijinks with his Spanish study group. Between paintball wars, zombie outbreaks, and the increasingly ridiculous presence of Senor Chang (Ken Jeong), Community is never, ever boring. Quit living in the darkest timeline and get to watching. 1 season,6 episodes| IMDb: 7.5/10 Comedian Mae Martin stars in this feel-good dramedy series about a stand-up performer (named Mae), who falls for a young woman named George. Mae’s a recovering addict; George has just emerged from the closet. Sparks fly between the two, but Mae’s past drug use and George’s reluctance to come out to her friends and family threatens to break them up. 2 seasons,13 episodes| IMDb: 7.6/10 There are stories too bizarre, too mind-boggling to be true… and then there’s this seven-part docuseries. Cults, queer romance, exotic cats — this true-crime binge has it all. Is Joe Exotic, a gay, gun-loving conman running an exotic zoo out of his home in Oklahoma, a criminal or an American hero? Did animal rights activist Carole Baskin murder her husband and feed him to her tigers? Why are so many zoo employees missing limbs? These are just a few of the questions you’ll ask while watching this train wreck. Have fun, kids. 3 seasons,30 episodes| IMDb: 8.4/10 Good news: Narcos is back. Even better news: Mexico is basically an entirely revamped show, which means you don’t need to be familiar with past installments to enjoy the wild ride. Diego Luna plays the new big bad, a drug lord looking to expand his reach, while Michael Pena plays the fed tasked with busting his operation. Luna looks to be thoroughly enjoying playing the sleazeball gangster-type, and since this installment is set in the 1980s, expect plenty of decadence, a killer soundtrack, and a ton of cocaine. 2 seasons,16 episodes| IMDb: 8.5/10 Henry Cavill leads this fantasy epic based on a best-selling series of books and a popular video game franchise. The expectations are high, but they’re more than exceeded by Cavill, who plays a mutated monster hunter named Geralt. Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich laid out for us the changes she made from page to screen, introducing key characters like the sorceress Yennefer and the destined princess Ciri early on, changes that take this show to the next level. It’s a cross between a police procedural and a Lord Of The Rings -style adventure. You’ll love it. 1 season,8 episodes| IMDb: 7.3/10 The only thing better than a series starring Paul Rudd is a show starring two Paul Rudds. The funnyman leads this new original series while playing a man named Miles, who seems pretty dissatisfied with his life so far. After agreeing to participate in a mysterious spa treatment that promises a better, more successful life, Miles is left with a practically perfect doppelganger intent on taking his life from him. It’s dark and weird, and did we mention the two Paul Rudds? 1 season,4 episodes| IMDb: 9/10 Director Ava DuVernay’s limited series about the wrongfully accused men in the Central Park Five case is an emotionally heavy reimagining of a truly tragic event in our history. The series sheds light on racial profiling and corruption in the NYPD as a group of young Black men are targeted for a heinous crime and put on trial with little evidence. It’s a gripping, heartbreaking retelling, but one that feels sadly relevant. 2 seasons,12 episodes| IMDb: 7.8/10 Saturday Night Live and Detroiters alum Tim Robinson creates and stars in this 15-minute sketch comedy series that is perfectly happy to offer up a few irreverent laughs without all of the post-comedy commentary that weighs down other funny shows in 2019. It’s a mixed bag of unconnected stories about toddler pageants and old men out for revenge and how Instagram has warped our social interactions in hilariously bizarre ways. What each of these skits has in common is Robinson’s particular brand of comedy and his unrivaled ability to make you laugh. Add To Netflix Queue 1 season,10 episodes| IMDb: 7.4/10 Ali Wong and Tiffany Haddish voice the stars of this animated comedy from BoJack Horseman artist Lisa Hanawalt. Wong plays Bertie, a 30-something songbird thrush with debilitating anxiety, a knack for baking, and a truly toxic work environment. Haddish plays her best friend Tuca, a loud-mouthed toucan who loves to party and hates the thought of settling down. The friends try to hold on to their single days, even as Bertie takes the next step in her long-term relationship and Tuca struggles to find her place in the world. It’s a more colorful, comforting world than BoJack, but it’s got the same great humor and surprisingly-thoughtful musings. 2 seasons,20 episodes| IMDb: 8.1/10 Christina Applegate returns to TV with this grief-com about a woman trying to pick up the pieces after her husband is murdered in a horrible hit-and-run accident. Applegate plays the angry, grieving widow with equal parts humor and empathy while Linda Cardellini plays her sunny, optimistic best friend. The two meet in a grief group and navigate the challenges of moving on after loss while also solving a murder mystery. There’s no way you’ll know what to expect here, which is half the fun of watching and the show dispelled any worries that it couldn’t keep up its cliffhanger-heavy intrigue with a second season that saw Applegate and Cardellini involved in a new, just-as-illegal cover-up. Add To Netflix Queue 1 season,8 episodes| IMDb: 7.9/10 Natasha Lyonne stars in this Groundhog Day -from-hell remake about a woman who’s forced to relive the last day of her life over and over again. It’s been done before, but this series stands out thanks to its mix of dark humor and a tinge of the supernatural. Lyonne is one of the often-overlooked OITNB stars, but it looks like this series is giving her a chance to show off her comedic chops as her character, Nadia, endures a constant loop of partying, dying, then waking up to do it all over again. As bleak as the premise is, Lyonne manages to find a silver lining, a universal message that basically read, “The world is sh*t, let’s help each other out if we can.” Add To Netflix Queue 2 seasons,20 episodes| IMDb: 8/10 Superhero team-ups are a dime a dozen, but the TV adaptation of this award-winning comic series created by Gerard Way — yes, the lead singer of My Chemical Romance — feels wholly unique and thus, totally refreshing. The show follows the story of seven kids, all born on the same day to mothers who didn’t even know they were pregnant. They’re adopted by a mysterious billionaire and trained to use their supernatural abilities to fight evil in the world, but when they grow up, their dysfunctional upbringing catches up with them, and they’re left struggling to live normal lives. In season two, that means time-jumping to the 60s, starting doomsday cults, and seriously f*cking with the assassination of JFK. It’s all kinds of weird, which is exactly what the genre needs right now. Add To Netflix Queue 1 season,6 episodes| IMDb: 8.2/10 The UK’s most popular new drama has made its way across the pond. The procedural thriller stars Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden as David Budd, a military vet turned police officer tasked with protecting a high-profile politician during a, particularly dicey time. There’s plenty of suspense and action to string you along, coupled with a vulnerable performance by Madden, who ditches his King of the North swagger to play a man conflicted by his past and his present duty to his country. 1 season,10 episodes| IMDb: 8.7/10 Mike Flanagan knows how to do horror, and The Haunting of Hill House is proof of that. The show, like the book off which it’s based, follows the fractured Crain family as they try to make peace with their dark and twisted path.
