Make sure you are getting the best out of your account with the best Netflix TV series available.
UPDATE: Brand-new Netflix series Ozark has hit our best Netflix TV shows. Not quite the Breaking Bad contender it wants to be, the show – starring Jason Bateman as a ‘numbers man’ for a Mexican cartel – is still a smart, occasionally terrifying watch.
If you are still craving more crime, a new trailer for the third season for Narcos has launched. Scroll down to find out more. It’s spoiler filled, so don’t watch if you haven’t finished off the first two seasons!
And if it’s superheroes you are after, then a new trailer for Inhuman has landed, thanks to Comic-Con San Diego 2017. Given the first one was dreadful, they must have changed/sacked their editor as this one is a vast improvement.
Netflix has come a long way since the first season of House of Cards, its first-ever original piece of programming, as this best series on Netflix list shows.
The streaming giant has bought up, created and curated some fantastic TV gems to make sure the best shows on Netflix are just that, the best available on any platform right now. Netflix
In 2016 alone, it’s estimated that Netflix released 126 bits of original content, from TV shows to movies. That’s a phenomenal amount of things to watch and it’s just the tip of the streaming iceberg as the company also has the streaming rights to hundreds of third-party produced shows.
That’s where this list comes in. There’s a lot of things available on Netflix and not all of it is good, in fact some of it is terrible as our column Not On Our Watch proves. It’s lucky then that we have separated wheat from chaff, silt from gold and come up with a definitive list of 50 shows you really need to watch right now. Not On Our Watch
Whether you are into small-screen superheroes, government cover-ups or meth-making teachers with only months to live, there is something on this best shows on Netflix list for you.
It’s fair to say there’s never been a better time to bag yourself a Netflix subscription and binge watch.
Many of the shows available on the streaming platform are available in 4K and HDR. Where possible we highlight this in the list. And as for placement, this isn’ t a countdown – the shows on here are added in alphabetically.
Also, the streaming service now has a Netflix offline viewing feature, which will allow you to download select shows to watch when you’re away from an internet connection – just head to the downloads section of Netflix on a mobile device to see if what you want to watch is available for offline viewing. offline viewing feature
Finally, if it’s a night in at the movies you want, then we have also compiled the best movies on Netflix UK right now. best movies on Netflix UK
There’s over 100 to choose from and it’s broken down by category, so you should find something you like.
So, click the next slide to see our favourites or keep reading below to find out what we are looking forward to. Check out our in-depth and completely updated Netflix review Netflix review Want to test out the rival? Here’s our Best Amazon Prime Video TV Shows Best Amazon Prime Video TV Shows Want know the best movies on Netflix. Then this is your in-depth guide best movies on Netflix
Netflix shows no sign of slowing down when it comes to creating its own original content. The following shows will be out later in the year and all of them have had A Lot of money spent on them and big stars attached… Out 1 September
We’re not one to offer up spoilers so we’ll just let the trailer speak for itself. But it’s fair to say that it’s all change for Narcos in season 3 – the fantastic Netflix drama that centres on the drug empires of the Seventies and Eighties and the agents whose job it is to track down the bad guys. Out TBA
Comic-Con San Diego has thrown up a ton of new trailers for the comic-book crowd. One that’s causing quite a stir is the new trailer for Inhumans, a new TV show for Netflix. The first trailer wasn’t that well received, with the acting, costumes and effects all looking a little shonky, but the second trailer is a vast improvement. We’re still not 100% convinced but maybe that’s because there’s been a glut of superhero stuff around at the moment. October 27
Stranger Things was a revelation when it first landed on Netflix. A love letter to the horror and sci-fi movies of the ’80s, the show played on nostalgia but also managed to be something original. The second series looks to expand on the mythos behind The Upside Down and promises bigger and scarier monsters. TBA
They said they would meet 10 years later and they’ve only gone and bloody done it. While the last Wet Hot American Summer show was a prequel to the movie, this is a sequel – showing what happened to the gang a decade after summer camp. It looks like they’ve got most of the team back together, including Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Rudd. 25 September
eStar Trek Discovery has been a long time coming. Show-runner Bryan Fuller delayed the show as he was working on American Gods but now we finally have a release date. It will be shown in the UK on Netflix from 25 September, with a new episode to air weekly. Although the show is 15 episodes long only eight are being released initially with the rest coming in the new year. This is to help with pre-production, apparently. This was a trick The Get Down used – it’s unknown how many actually came back to watch the second batch of episode of the now-cancelled show. Discovery stars The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green and is set 10 years before Kirk and his crew boldly went through space and beyond. Out TBA
We may soon have a new must-have watch in our best shows on Netflix guide! Do you remember Dark Crystal, the fantasy, puppet-filled adventure from the brilliant mind of Muppet creator Jim Henson? It’s set to make a comeback as an all-new prequel TV series thanks to Netflix. It’s vaguely slated to be “coming soon” to the service, but you can get a sneak peek in the trailer. Out November
The Punisher was meant to just play a bit part in Netflix’s Marvel world. But Jon Bernthal’s depiction of Frank Castle, the vigilante war veteran was so good in Daredevil: Season 2 he’s been given his own show. The plot is still shrouded in mystery but don’t expect this one to be a laugh-fest. The character of the Punisher is one of the most tortured around, so the atmosphere for this show is going to be dark, dark.
Sometime in 2018
Krysten Ritter recently revealed that Jessica Jones: Season 2 will be more ‘bingeable’ than season one. Quite what that means we don’t know but it does point to a faster-paced than the first fun but stretched instalment. Alongside Ritter, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) is back and the action takes place after The Defenders show, which debuts in August. Out 18th August
It’s been a mixed bag for Netflix TV shows. It all started off so promisingly, however. Daredevil and Jessica Jones were superb dramas with the right amount of action, gravitas and fun. It slipped slightly with Daredevil Season 2 – it went way too dark, but did give us a great Punisher. Luke Cage was fantastic to start with and trailed off and Iron Fist was just a bit meh. The new Defenders trailer is superb though, bringing all of the characters together Avengers style – but this time with swears.
Oh, and another Marvel antihero – Punisher – is also getting his very own – probably very gory – series. getting his very own Out October
David Fincher is no stranger to Netflix, he’s heavily involved in House of Cards as producer and directed the first episode, but Mindhunter is Fincher going full Fincher. It’s based on John Douglas’ book of the same name and charts the life of an FBI profiler whose job it is to track serial killers. Out Winter 2017
If you are at a loss after watching Stranger Things, the Dark is for you. It’s the first German-language series Netflix has made and the lot is about two missing children – but it’s not just about that as there’s supernatural elements and sci-fi twists galore.
The Jim Carey movie of the stories by Lemony Snicket was passable. But given there are 13 books on the exploits of Count Olaf and the Baudelaire children -Violet, Klaus, and Sunny – it made sense that Netflix would want to make a show out of it. Focusing on the first four books, the series nails the dour atmosphere of the books, with Patrick Wharburton popping up as Snicket to berate the viewer, much like the books. But it’s because of Neil Patrick Harris’ evil Count Olaf that the show really shines. He’s not as hammy as Carey but manages to be menacing while still having a blast.
Seasons on Netflix: 1
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Pub quiz time: what does Downton Abbey and Archer have in common? Yup, that’s right, ISIS. Both shows had to magically rid themselves of the ISIS name – Downton’s dog was named ISIS, while Archer’s secret spy organisation had the name as its acronym. In Archer, the show does great at referencing just why the name disappears but that’s the beauty of Archer. It’s a show that is all-knowing and hilarious with it. Now in its seventh season, Archer has slightly rejigged its animation and kept itself completely relevant, cementing itself as one of the best ‘adult’ animations around.
Seasons on Netflix: 7
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To celebrate the upcoming launch of the eight series of Archer, a great film noir trailer has been released.
If it wasn’t for Netflix, Arrested Development would have stayed as a three-season wonder. The streaming giant decided to take a gamble and fund a fourth season of Mitchell Hurwitz’s brilliant family comedy and we are glad it did. While splitting the family up for most of the season meant some of the spark had disappeared – this was done to fit in with the actors’ busy schedules – the fourth season proved that there was still a lot to like about the dysfunctional Bluth family. Filled with season-long in-jokes, perfect site gags and spot-on wordplay, Arrested Development is a comedy that needs to be watched on repeat – and even then you will find something new to laugh at.
Seasons on Netflix: 4
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Written by the folks behind Peep Show – Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong – and helped into the world by Danny Boyle, who directed the first feature-long episode, Babylon is a searing satire of the British constabulary. Seen through the eyes of US PR machine Liz Garvey – a fantastic Brit Marling – the show charts a variety of people in the police force, from the ones on the street to those in the executive suites. Brazen in its mix of comedy and drama, Babylon is that rare, intelligent TV series that doesn’t shirk on showing the ineptitude that happens in a world governed by bureaucracy.
Seasons on Netflix: 1
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Freddie Highmore was one of the sweetest child actors around in his younger years, playing cherubic children in the likes of Finding Neverland and the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Now he’s a fully fledged adult he’s taken a much darker turn as future Psycho psycho Norman Bates in the show Bate Motel. A prequel of sorts to the Psycho movies, Bates Motel is a fantastic spin on the horror tale, ramping up the relationship Bates has with his mother – a cold and calculating Vera Farmiga – and sprinkling breadcrumbs along the way that point to how he became who he became.
Seasons on Netflix: 3
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As far as dystopian fiction goes, Black Mirror is up there with the very best. Penned by Charlie Brooker, who before this was disassembling and decimating the news in his show NewsWipe, Black Mirror is a handful of caustic tales about the perils of technology, shady governments and human nature as a whole.
Not only has Netflix nabbed the original seven episodes of the show to stream, comprising two series and a Christmas special, but it also funded a further six. The episode’s themes are not too far from issues facing us all today: social media highs and embarrassing lows, technology going awry and new games that start to feel all-too real. Fantastic stuff.
Seasons on Netflix: 3
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Any series that has Coach from Friday Night Lights in it will be watched by TechRadar – thankfully Bloodline has enough intrigue and plot development to make us keep watching, even when Kyle Chandler isn’t on the screen. Yes it meanders but if you can forgive the slow pace this dark tale of a Florida family really delivers in its final episodes of the first series and the whole of the second.
The third and final season of Bloodline will be on Netflix from May 26, when all 10 episodes will air. To celebrate that fact, a brooding trailer has been released.
Seasons on Netflix: 2
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Vince Gilligan made no secret of the fact he wanted to re-visit the world of Breaking Bad and, while many were apprehensive that it was ‘too soon’, we shouldn’t have been worried. Yes, there was always a fear that Better Call Saul would turn out to be what Joey was to Friends but it has thankfully more Frasier to Cheers. This all thanks to Bob Odenkirk’s portrayal of Jimmy McGill, the lawyer who – despite the world he is in – has his heart is in the right place, even if he is consistently in the wrong place. The second season is just as masterful as the first, upping the tension between the Saul and his brother and more groundwork is laid for him becoming Saul Goodman. But that’s the brilliance of this show – you come expecting Saul Goodman but what Gilligan has done is offered up a fantastically flawed character study of a man on the constantly on the brink of being good.
Season 3 has finally begun! Netflix will be drip feeding episodes weekly – you know, like in the old days. Season 3 brings Saul closer than ever to the Breaking Bad universe, with the introduction of Gus Fring!
Seasons on Netflix: 3 (new episodes weekly)
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A comedy about a failed ’90s sitcom star doesn’t sound like the most enticing premise for a cartoon. But when that failed star is a horse and is voiced by the brilliant Will Arnett, it turns out to be comedy gold. It takes a handful of episodes for the show to ease into itself, but once it does it doesn’t let up with the cutting comedic cynicism centred around Hollywood and its, well, bleakness.
The second season manages to pack more laughs into each scene but also shines a light on more serious issues such as mental illness. Yup, this isn’t your normal cartoon.
The third season has also landed, continuing the levels of absurdity and cementing the show as one of the best around.
Seasons on Netflix: 3
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More addictive than the meth pushed by Walt and Jessie (apparently, ahem) , Breaking Bad is brilliant binge-watching television. The initial plot is simple: a straight-laced teacher is told he has cancer and to make sure he leaves his family with the best possible life, he turns to drug making and dealing. There’s method to his madness as he ends up being pretty good at it. Creator Vince Gilligan has created such a good group of characters, he is currently mining the same world again with Better Call Saul. But that has some way to go reach the highest highs that Breaking Bad offers.
Seasons on Netflix: 5
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Is The Crown Netflix’s crowning glory? Not quite, but it is a sumptuous look at one of the world’s most famous families: the Royal family. Charting the early years of the relationship between the Queen (Claire Foy) and Prince Philip (former Doctor Who Matt Smith) , the show was written by Peter Morgan and, at £100 million, is one of the most expensive TV series ever made. Which means there’s enough pomp and ceremony to keep those pining for a Downton Abbey replacement happy.
Seasons on Netflix: 1
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When it comes to superhero movies, Marvel are bossing DC thanks to the rich tapestry it has weaved with its cinematic universe. Its TV shows, as fun as Agents Of S. H. I. E. L. D and Agent Carter are, haven’t had the same success as DC’s The Arrow or The Flash. Thankfully Daredevil has come along to change all this. Released in one binge-watching dose, Daredevil is superb television, regardless if you are a superhero fan or not. Matt Murdoch’s (Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox) rise from blind lawyer to vigilante is brutal and steeped in realism. The reason it works so well is that it doesn’t shy away from being violent – each crack and crunch is a world away from Ben Affleck’s terrible movie version. And special mention has to go to Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, his best role since the tortured Private Pyle.
Daredevil season two is out now and adds Elektra and Punisher into the mix. With new showrunners on board, the show has shifted slightly tonally but the brutality of the fight scenes are still there – you just need to check out Episode 3 to see what we mean.
Seasons on Netflix: 2
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Mackenzie Crook was one of the breakout stars from The Office, swapping his brilliant performance as the hapless Gareth for Hollywood roles in Pirates of the Caribbean and Game of Thrones. But it’s on home soil where he fares best.
The Detectorists, written by and starring Mackenzie, is a warm, brilliant comedy. Based around the lives of a group of metal detectorists, it features brilliant writing, acting and characters – in any given episode, you will either be in tears of laughter or poignancy.
Seasons on Netflix: 2
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Following in the footsteps of fellow ‘mumblecore’ members the Duplass brothers – whose brilliant Creep was a Netflix exclusive – Joe Swamberg has hit Netflix with a candid and considered look at sex and relationships.
Easy is an eight-episode look at relationships in Chicago. There’s a different subject for each episode, although each life portrayed eventually overlaps in the show in some way.
Cast-wise, Easy has some surprisingly big names. Malin Akerman and Orlando Bloom star in one vignette, while the likes of Emily Ratajkowski, Marc Maron and Dave Franco also make an appearance.
Don’t go into Easy expecting explosive drama or high-tense action, but as a realistic look at other people’s love lives it’s a great, if slightly meandering watch.
Seasons on Netflix: 1
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There was a collective groan by Coen Brothers fans the world over when Fargo the television show was announced. But what could have been darn tootin’ awful ended up being fantastic, thanks to the casting of Billy Bob Thornton who is both funny and psychotic – well, his character is anyway.
