The best shows on Netflix In September expand to include HBO’s Band of Brothers and the new docueseries Wrestlers, as well as One Piece, Suits, and more.
It is deeply weird when some of the best shows on Netflix come directly from HBO, but these are strange times. During the summer, Insecure and Ballers were two of the first HBO series to migrate to Netflix. Now, Band of Brothers has arrived as well, and it was our pick for the best show you need to watch on Netflix in September. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks co-created and executive produced this World War II miniseries, and it’s an unforgettable experience.
Also on tap for this week is the new docuseries Wrestlers, which takes a look at one of the most prominent developmental territories in the industry. But if you need more action and adventure, the anime adaptation One Piece is still one of the 10 most popular shows on Netflix. And now it’s officially getting a second season.
Do you find that there are too many shows to watch on Netflix? Volume can be a good problem to have, but it can also be overwhelming. The good news is that we evaluate new titles each week when updating our list of the best shows on Netflix. It’s a combination of the top-tier shows and the latest additions, so you never have to go far to get the scoop on what Netflix has to offer.
We’ve also rounded up all the best movies on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Disney+ because we take our streaming seriously. Watching while traveling abroad? Use a Netflix VPN to access your country’s catalog from anywhere in the world.New this weekBand of Brothers
War is hell, and Band of Brothers never lets the viewers forget the high price that it takes on the men who fought through the darkest days of World War II. This epic miniseries is a dramatization about the real-life exploits of Easy Company, one of the army’s Parachute Infantry Regiments, during the war. Easy Company’s story begins in 1942, and flows through the invasion of Normandy and other European battles before the focus shifts to the Pacific and a potential campaign in Japan.
Billions’ Damian Lewis has a starring role as Major Richard “Dick” Winters, and you’ll see a lot of familiar faces in this miniseries. But don’t get too attached to anyone. Not everyone in Easy Company will make it through to the other side of the war.
Genre: Drama
Stars: Damian Lewis, Kirk Acevedo, Eion Bailey, Michael Cudlitz, Dale Dye, Rick Gomez, Scott Grimes, Frank John Hughes
Seasons: 1Wrestlers
In the world of professional wrestling, very few start out on top. Netflix’s Wrestlers is a seven-episode docuseries that takes a behind-the-scenes look at Ohio Valley Wrestling, a small wrestling promotion that was once a developmental territory for the WWE that trained superstars like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s Dave Bautista on their journey toward becoming some of the biggest names in sports entertainment.
Not everyone will achieve that kind of success. In fact, few do. And the physical toll of performing high-impact moves may not always be worth it for the men and women who dream of making it in WWE or AEW. Regardless, we wouldn’t be too shocked if someone from the cast of Wrestlers eventually reaches that goal. After all, no one ever made it in wrestling without reaching for the stars.
Genre: Documentary
Stars: Al Snow
Seasons: 1DramaDear Child
At first glance, Dear Child appears to be a lot like the movie Room, as Lena (Kim Riedle) escapes from captivity alongside her daughter, Hannah (Naila Schuberth). Lena disappeared over a decade ago, but her parents, Matthias (Justus von Dohnányi) and Karin Beck (Julika Jenkins), are adamant that she isn’t their daughter. And yet Hannah is almost the spitting image of their missing daughter.
It falls to police investigator Aida Kurt (Haley Louise Jones) to sort out this mystery. What Aida finds is that there was much more to Lena’s abduction than she could have guessed, and she may be able to keep history from repeating itself.
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Stars: Kim Riedle, Naila Schuberth, Sammy Schrein, Hans Löw, Haley Louise Jones
Seasons: 1Who is Erin Carter?
Who is Erin Carter? You will find out very quickly in Netflix’s new crime thriller, as an unassuming teacher living in Spain, Erin Carter (Evin Ahmad), breaks up a robbery with shocking skill and speed. Unfortunately for Erin, that means people are going to be asking some very uncomfortable questions about how she could do any of that. Erin’s daughter, Harper (Indica Watson), and her husband, Jordi (Sean Teale), want to know about her past as well.
More alarmingly, the surviving robber seems to have recognized Erin from a life she left behind. And now that Erin has exposed her hidden skill set, she can’t hide in plain sight any longer.
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Stars: Evin Ahmad, Sean Teale, Indica Watson, Denise Gough, Douglas Henshall
Seasons: 1Ragnarok
Superhero fans are so used to seeing Thor in Marvel’s movies that it’s easy to forget that these myths and legends existed long before the comic books came along. Netflix’s Ragnarok offers a new take on the concept as a local high school student in Norway, Magne Seier (David Stakston), discovers that he is the reincarnation of Thor. And some of Thor’s enemies are living in his town as the wealthy Jutul family — and they are the ones who are severely polluting the city and making it unlivable.
In the third season, Magne has to continue fighting the Jutul without his hammer, and he’s on the verge of alienating the allies he’s made along the way. But Ragnarok looms for the reborn Norse gods as the series heads toward its conclusion.
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Stars: Adam Price, Simen Alsvik, Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten, Christian Gamst Miller-Harris
Seasons: 3Painkiller
You may notice some similarities between Netflix’s Painkiller and Hulu’s Dopesick, but that’s because they are essentially telling the same story. Painkiller is a dramatization of the rise of OxyContin and the subsequent opioid crisis that still has its grip on this country. Uzo Aduba stars as Edie Flowers, a U.S. Attorney who has been tasked with taking down Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick), the owner of Purdue and one of the men personally responsible for this mess.
Broderick’s performance is particularly notable because he portrays Sackler as a man without even a trace of humanity. He simply doesn’t care about anyone else. But viewers may find themselves caught up in the stories of addicts like Glen Kryger (Taylor Kitsch), and the real-life testimonials of families who have lost someone to opioids.
Genre: Drama
Stars: Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Sam Anderson, Taylor Kitsch, Carolina Bartczak
Seasons: 1The Lincoln Lawyer
The Lincoln Lawyer season 2 began with Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) taking a brutal beating, and that’s also where part 1 of the season left us. Season 2 part 2 picks up from there as Mickey finds himself in quite a bind. His new client Lisa Trammell (Lana Parrilla) is facing murder charges that may land her in prison for life. And the evidence that she may have done it keeps piling up.
To make matters worse for Mickey, he’s falling hard for Lisa. But a true crime podcaster named Henry Dahl (Matt Angel) seems determined to get between them so he can exploit Lisa’s story for his own gain.
Genre: Drama
Stars: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson
Seasons: 2Heartstopper
In the first season of Heartstopper, Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) found himself drawn to his fellow student, the popular and athletic Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), even though all outward indicators made Charlie believe that Nick was straight. But it turns out that Charlie’s instincts were right all along.
Season 2 picks up with Charlie and Nick in a relationship even though the latter is having some extreme difficulty coming out to his friends and teammates. And more challenges lie ahead for the couple from the toxic people who are still in their lives.
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy
Stars: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney
Seasons: 2The Witcher
Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) now know who’s been pulling their strings in the Continent, but that knowledge might not be enough to save them as The Witcher returns with the final three episodes of season 3.
With Geralt waylaid and fighting for his life, Ciri (Freya Allan) is off on an adventure of her own that may prove to be a transformative experience. But all roads lead back to Geralt as the series faces a turning point and a very, very long wait until the fourth season arrives.
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Drama
Stars: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Eamon Farren
Seasons: 3Suits
It says a lot about Suits’ enduring popularity that the show has been at the top of Netflix’s most-watched charts despite ending four years ago. The series follows the unlikely partnership between prominent attorney Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), and a brilliant con man, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). Harvey is so impressed by Mike’s legal knowledge that he hires him on the spot to be his associate despite knowing full well that he never went to law school.
Harvey and Mike’s efforts help the firm win several high-profile cases, even as Mike’s secret threatens to emerge. Meanwhile, Mike catches the eye of Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle), an ambitious paralegal with her own plans to advance in the legal world.
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Gina Torres
Seasons: 9Sweet Magnolias
There’s not much serenity in Serenity, South Carolina in the new season of Sweet Magnolias. The three women at the heart of the show, Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott), and Helen Decatur (Heather Headley), share a special friendship with each other. This season, those bonds are tested as the trio pulls away from each other in anger. But what will it take to bring them back together?
Genre: Romance, Drama
Stars: JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott, Heather Headley, Logan Allen
Seasons: 3The Surrogacy
Get ready for some soapy thrills in The Surrogacy, the latest Mexican telenovela to arrive on Netflix. The series stars Shani Lozano as Yeni, a young woman who is blackmailed by a powerful couple, Julia (Marcela Guirado) and Carlos (Luis Ernesto Franco), to become their surrogate in defiance of Mexican law.
Over time, Yeni and Carlos start to develop feelings for each other, but when the day of the birth arrives, Yeni is surprised when she is left alone with her disabled son and unaware that her daughter has been kept by the couple. That’s a secret that Julia will do anything to protect.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Stars: Marcela Guirado, Leticia Calderón, Luis Ernesto Franco, Fernanda Borches
Seasons: 1`Black Mirror
The dark sci-fi anthology series, Black Mirror, is back on Netflix for another twisted season. Each episode has a self-contained story, and the first installment of the sixth season actually targets Netflix itself! Schitt’s Creek‘s Annie Murphy stars as Joan, a woman who discovers that the Netflix of her world, Streamberry, is essentially stealing her life in real-time with Salma Hayek portraying Joan’s fictional self in the original series, Joan is Awful.
But that’s only one of the five new episodes waiting for fans. As with the previous seasons, series creator Charlie Brooker has attracted a lot of big-name performers to share the small screen in his stories. And each episode of Black Mirror is a mind-bending experience.
Genre: Sci-fi, Drama
Stars: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Zazie Beetz
Seasons: 6Manifest
Manifest fans, take a bow. This series would have been a casualty of a network TV cancellation if the fans hadn’t streamed the show in huge numbers on Netflix. Thanks to those efforts, the fourth and final season is now complete on Netflix. And this time, the story has a proper conclusion.
The show follows the passengers on Montego Air Flight 828, whose turbulent journey somehow kept them from landing until over half a decade had passed. Soon after, the passengers band together as they realize that their disappearance and return have a purpose. But every single one of the passengers has a death date, and their time is limited as they attempt to find out why they came back and what they are supposed to do.
For related content, please read Manifest Season 4, part 1 ending explained and Manifest Season 4, part 2 ending explained.
