The 50 best TV shows to watch on Netflix in December: 'Wednesday' is for the Addams Family

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Every month Netflix giveth, and every month Netflix taketh away.

The streaming giant regularly updates its vast library, adding TV shows and films for your binge-watching pleasure and removing those it no longer has the rights to stream. Mix in the huge number of original series and films Netflix debuts each weekend, and there's a ton of programming to sort through if you're just looking for something new to offer distraction and calm amid a crazy world.

We have curated the best of the TV shows Netflix has available to stream as of December 2022 (in alphabetical order), from its smart new originals to absolute TV classics.

1. “Alias Grace”

Starring Sarah Gadon and Anna Paquin, this dizzyingly beautiful adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel about a historical murderess is haunting in its storytelling. The miniseries far outpaces, in both style and substance, the more famous Atwood adaptation on Hulu. 

2. “American Crime Story”

Between “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology has delivered narratives that lack the seedy exploitation so often associated with the genre. Instead, each season is a historical reckoning with huge cultural moments, portrayed with impeccable acting and writing.2.

3. “American Vandal”

A hilarious mockumentary poking at true-crime documentaries like Netflix’s own “Making a Murderer,” this series treats teen problems with the gravitas of a murder investigation. And considering most emotions and dramas feel like life or death in adolescence, “Vandal” is deeply moving in how it brings high school to life.

Legend of Korra
Legend of Korra

4. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and "The Legend of Korra"

A Nickelodeon animated series with a devoted adult following, “Airbender” is a fantasy epic in kid's clothing with drama to rival “Game of Thrones.” The gorgeously drawn series takes place in a world torn apart by war and genocide, where a pint-size chosen one might be able to save lives, if he can train hard enough and face his greatest fears. A follow-up series set a generation in the future and aimed at an older audience, "Korra," surpasses its source material in maturity and storytelling complexity, becoming a modern classic.

5. "The Baby-Sitters Club"

Netflix's heartwarming and sweet family series, based on the novels by Ann M. Martin, was canceled too soon after just two seasons. The series, about a group of middle school girls who form a babysitting business, is full of life lessons, great acting and humor for all ages. "Baby-Sitters" was one of the best shows on TV.

6. “Better Call Saul”

A rare spin-off to nearly outpace its source material in quality and complexity, Bob Odenkirk’s “Breaking Bad” prequel continues to reach new heights in every season and has long since stepped out of its parent show’s shadow.

7. "Big Mouth"

Nick Kroll's animated celebration of preteen debauchery is one of the most reliably funny series on TV (and definitely the most cringeworthy). The animated middle schoolers navigate first periods, crushes and every other pubescent nightmare, along with actual Hormone Monsters (and a monstress) causing problems along the way. No series will make you happier that you've already lived through adolescence. Season 6 debuts Oct. 28.

Glassblowers compete on Netflix's "Blown Away."
Glassblowers compete on Netflix's "Blown Away."

8. “Blown Away”

Netflix’s little reality series about competitive glass blowing is mesmerizing to watch, as its highly talented contestants stretch molten materials into stunning works of art. Breezy, funny and surprising, it’s a supremely satisfying series to binge-watch. Season 3 of the dazzling competition arrives July 22.

9. “BoJack Horseman”

A misanthropic Hollywood horse (Will Arnett) leads this animated satire series that is deeper, more clever and more thought-provoking than most live-action series even aspire to be.

10. "Breaking Bad"

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul give unforgettable performances in this AMC series that ranks on the list of the greatest TV shows of all time. The tragedy of high school science teacher Walter White (Cranston) who turned into a meth-dealing kingpin over the series' run is epic and heartbreaking. It's an anti-hero story infinitely copied in other series but never better than it is here.

Regé-Jean Page is the Duke of Hastings and Phoebe Dynevor is Daphne Bridgerton in Netflix's "Bridgerton."
Regé-Jean Page is the Duke of Hastings and Phoebe Dynevor is Daphne Bridgerton in Netflix's "Bridgerton."

11. "Bridgerton" 

A bodice ripper taken seriously by its writers and stars, "Bridgerton" is a marvelous first entry in power producer Shonda Rhimes' Netflix deal. The series follows a group of pretty upper-class Brits navigating the marriage market in Regency-era England. The resplendent series is an expensive, glossy manifesto for the weightiness of the romance genre: a story that deals with love, class, race and a host of other topics while expertly landing every choreographed ballroom dance. Season 2, which focuses on eldest son Anthony, lived up to the hype of the first.

12. “Call the Midwife”

This British period drama, set among nurse midwives serving poor families in 1950s London, is like an epidural injecting joy, tears and adorable babies into your life. Although it gets a little repetitive in later seasons, its raw emotion and British sensibility make it a must-watch for the “Downton Abbey” crowd.

More: The 40 best TV shows to watch on Paramount+ right now, from 'The Good Fight' to 'The Real World'

13. "Cobra Kai"

The fantastic revival of "The Karate Kid" franchise, featuring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka in their original roles, is one of the smartest ways to bring a kids' story into adulthood. It picks up three decades after the All Valley Karate Tournament, with Zabka's Johnny Lawrence a gentler hero and Macchio's Daniel LaRusso playing the villain.

14. “Community”

Wacky, weird and often wonderful, NBC’s comedy about a diverse group of friends at a community college defies genre and label in its first few excellent seasons to create engrossing television. The later seasons are fine but never as good as the first three.

15. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

A magnificent mélange of musical might, the four-season CW series ambitiously put original song and dance on network TV week after week. Anchored by creator/star Rachel Bloom as struggling heroine Rebecca Bunch, “Crazy Ex” mixed earworms with one of the best depictions of a mental health journey ever on TV.

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II (left) and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (right) in The Crown, Season 5.
Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II (left) and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (right) in The Crown, Season 5.

16. “The Crown”

For devoted anglophiles and royal rejecters alike, Netflix’s dramatization of the reign of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II makes a juicy soap out of the royal family, in a prestigious, Emmy-winning package. Season 5, the first to air after the death of the queen, arrives Nov. 9 with a new cast including Imelda Staunton as Elizabeth, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Dominic West as Prince Charles, all playing the royals in the 1990s.

17. "DC's Legends of Tomorrow"

This under-the-radar CW series aired what turned out to be its final season this year.  Over the years, the show featured developed characters who fit into the show’s unique tone: super fun, bouncy yet sophisticated science fiction with plenty of romance and comedy thrown in. It’s hard to say a series that ran for seven seasons was canceled too soon, but “Legends” was so superb at reinventing itself that it could have run for many more years.

18. "Deaf U"

This smart, addictive reality series follows college kids at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing. In addition to illuminating the deaf and hard of hearing community, the show is incredible at creating relationship drama and comedy out of the lives of the students it follows, and it has the rare reality ensemble that pops off the screen with charm.

19. “Dear White People”

Stronger and more self-assured than the movie on which it’s based, this series, about Black students at an elite university full of microaggressions and outright racism, is whip-smart and often hilarious.

Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), Orla (Louisa Harland) and James (Dylan Llewellyn) in Season 2 of "Derry Girls."
Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), Orla (Louisa Harland) and James (Dylan Llewellyn) in Season 2 of "Derry Girls."

20. “Derry Girls”

You may have to watch with subtitles to parse the strong Irish accents, but this series about Catholic teen girls in Northern Ireland during the 1990s portion of the “Troubles,” the violent religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, is one of the funniest shows on TV, even for Americans unfamiliar with the history. The long-awaited third season streams Oct. 7.

21. "Elite"

One of the many stellar foreign-language offerings on Netflix, "Elite" is a captivating and thrilling teen drama from Spain. Set in a prestigious high school, the series follows three students enrolled on scholarships and some of their wealthy classmates. While it owes something to "Gossip Girl," "Big Little Lies" and "The O.C.," the series never feels derivative or tired. The chemistry of the cast and mystery elements make "Elite" an easy and addictive binge-watch. Season 5 arrives April 8.best tv

22. "Evil"

"The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight" creators Robert and Michelle King bring their cutting dialogue and timely stories to this superb CBS series. "Evil" follows a psychologist (Katja Herbers), a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a tech specialist (Aasif Mandvi) as they investigate alleged demon possessions, miracles and other phenomenon. How much evil is really out there? Season 2 is available on Paramount+.

23. “Friday Night Lights”

The drama on NBC's acclaimed high school football series undeniably makes it one of the best shows to binge-watch, equally entertaining for teens and adults. They don’t make high school dramas like this anymore. (The drama is available on Peacock and Hulu as well.)

24. "Girlfriends"

Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White and Jill Marie Jones anchored this hilarious and affecting 2000-2008 UPN sitcom about the love lives and friendships of four Black women in Los Angeles.

25. “The Good Place”

NBC's afterlife sitcom feels like a dose of palliative care with its bright colors, puns and visual gags. Underneath its appealing aesthetics, "Place" has great performances, great writing and some sincere thoughts about ethics and philosophy.

'Grace and Frankie': Our protagonists (Lily Tomlin, left, and Jane Fonda) are still coping with the fallout of their husbands having married each other.
'Grace and Frankie': Our protagonists (Lily Tomlin, left, and Jane Fonda) are still coping with the fallout of their husbands having married each other.

26. “Grace and Frankie”

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are a magnetic duo in this sitcom from the “Friends” creators. The actresses play the eponymous retirees who learn their husbands are leaving them (for each other). The sometimes raunchy series proves it’s never too late to start over. The seventh and final season premieres on April 29.

27. “The Great British Baking Show”

Warm, friendly, full of soggy bottoms, underproofed loaves and decent people doing their best, this British import is one of the happiest TV series ever made.

28. “Grey’s Anatomy”

Shonda Rhimes' seminal hospital drama is still on the air after so many seasons for a reason. Sure, the series crossed over from soapy to full-on soap opera early in its tenure, but amid its constant barrage of tragedy and medical grotesquery are compelling relationship dramas that are emotionally honest.

29. “Halt and Catch Fire”

This short but impactful drama started as a “Mad Men” knockoff about the 1980s computer industry, but greatly improved on a so-so first season. “Halt” evolved into a complex story about communication, connection and women's struggles to achieve power at home and work.

30. "Heartstopper"

Elation is the best way to describe how you’ll feel after watching Netflix’s young-adult rom-com about two teen British boys who fall head over heels for each other. Based on the graphic novels by Alice Oseman (and adapted by the author), “Heartstopper” brilliantly portrays the struggles of being a queer teenager, opting not for despair but for jubilant hope. It uses animated imagery from the comics that adds to the feeling that “Heartstopper” is part reality, part fantasy. Its positive take on the story of coming out and falling in love feels essential.

31. “Jane the Virgin”

The telenovela-style story of a virgin who's artificially inseminated by accident started strong and rode high for five excellent seasons. Although the moving series isn't a laugh-out-loud sitcom, its moments of joy and levity are plentiful.

32. Ken Burns documentaries

This one is a cheat, because there are just so many great documentaries from the legendary filmmaker. But if you want to be educated, entertained and potentially shocked all at once, try some of the great ones available on Netflix: “Prohibition,” “The Civil War,” “The West” and “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.”

33. “Lovesick”

If you like a sweet (but not too saccharine) romantic comedy, this short British series is a good choice. The story starts with a man diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease reaching out to his former flames and morphs into a touching and surprising will they/won’t they love story.

34. “The Magicians”

Like an R-rated mashup of “Game of Thrones,” "Harry Potter" and "The Chronicles of Narnia," the superb fantasy series follows a group of adult magicians who discover a fictional world from popular children's books is real – and deathly dangerous.

35. “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”

There are comedy classics, and then there are the genre’s very foundations. If you are a fan of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” but have never seen the hysterical, groundbreaking sketch TV show from comedians Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin that came first, now is the time to correct that error.

36. “Nailed It!”

Netflix's empathetic and riotously funny baking competition celebrates the failures of amateur cooks even more than their successes, and might just make you feel better about whatever you just pulled out of the oven. Season 7 arrives Oct. 5.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi and Darren Barnet as Paxton Hall-Yoshida in Season 3 of "Never Have I Ever."
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi and Darren Barnet as Paxton Hall-Yoshida in Season 3 of "Never Have I Ever."

37. “Never Have I Ever”

Mindy Kaling's teen sitcom is a breath of honest, awkward fresh air. Loosely based on Kaling's experiences, the series follows Devi (sparkling new talent Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), an Indian American teen fumbling her way through an angry, frustrating adolescence. Season 3 of the acclaimed comedy arrives Aug. 12.

38. “One Day at a Time”

Like Norman Lear's original, which premiered in 1975, this family sitcom reboot, about a Cuban American family in Los Angeles, is expert at combining frank discussion of social issues with hilarity. A shortened fourth season is available on Paramount+, but the first three wonderful years are still streaming on their original home.

39. “Orange Is the New Black”

Netflix’s groundbreaking series had ups and downs over its run, but especially its first three seasons are exquisite character portraits in a space we’ve rarely seen: the inside of a women’s prison.

40. “Pose”

The LGBTQ drama, set in 1980s ballroom culture, is ambitious, tragic and complex. It’s gorgeously filmed with especially strong performances from Emmy winner Billy Porter as Pray Tell, Mj Rodriguez as Blanca and Indya Moore as Angel.

Marielle Heller as Alma Wheatley and Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon in "The Queen's Gambit."
Marielle Heller as Alma Wheatley and Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon in "The Queen's Gambit."

41. "The Queen's Gambit"

The story of a fictional 1960s chess prodigy (Anya Taylor-Joy, at her absolute best) battling addiction as she rises through the ranks of the chess elite is far more engrossing than it sounds. The miniseries, from the writer of "Logan," manages to make its chess matches as epic as any football game and features a superb cast.

42. “Queer Eye”

Inspiration, triumph, overcoming obstacles: All those heartwarming attributes are here when the Fab Five swoop into someone's life to offer as much help as they can in a week.

43. “Sense8”

Sometimes logically lacking nonsensical but never emotionally insincere, the Wachowski siblings’ sprawling sci-fi series is a celebration of LGBTQ+ pride and love in many forms.

44. "Seinfeld"

If you've never seen Jerry Seinfeld's landmark NBC sitcom (previously streaming on Hulu), now is a good time to start. Famously a show about "nothing," "Seinfeld" is one of the comedies that (mostly) stands the test of time, from its hilarious and talented cast (also including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards), to its enduring jokes and even its own created holiday (a Festivus for "the rest of us").

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in the fourth season of "Stranger Things."
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in the fourth season of "Stranger Things."

45. “Stranger Things”

The nostalgic and paranormal series became one of Netflix’s first real sensations, and it almost lives up to all that hype. With fantastic kid actors, terrifying horror homages and all the 1980s pop culture references you can handle, the seasons of “Stranger” are compelling and alluring. Season 4 is now streaming in its entirety, and there is just one season left to tell the full story of the Upside Down.

46. “Unbelievable”

Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning ProPublica article, "Unbelievable" is both infuriating and triumphant, highlighting the deep flaws in our criminal justice system while also celebrating justice eventually done. With a stellar cast, “Unbelievable” tells the story of a rape victim (Kaitlyn Dever) who isn’t believed by police and the two detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) who bring her attacker to justice years later – after he raped several more women.

47. “Unorthodox”

This slightly under-the-radar miniseries is based on the true story of a woman who escapes an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York and runs away to Germany. Often using Yiddish dialogue and authentic costuming, the series is an immersive, addictive journey.

Jenna Ortega learned how to play cello, Wednesday Addams' musical instrument of choice, for "Wednesday."
Jenna Ortega learned how to play cello, Wednesday Addams' musical instrument of choice, for "Wednesday."

48. "Wednesday"

Jenna Ortega steps into Wednesday Addams' uncomfortable loafers in this new teen supernatural drama, which combines elements of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Harriet the Spy."  Ortega walks the fine line between stoic and robotic, making Wednesday a girl with a tough exterior and hidden depths. She is fully committed to her version of the character, a teen detective at a boarding school for supernatural "outcasts," even if that is perhaps a little softer than what we're used to seeing.

49. “When They See Us”

Ava DuVernay’s striking miniseries gives voice to the so-called Central Park Five, a group of five Black and Latino boys wrongly convicted of assault in the 1980s. With a talented group of rising stars as the falsely accused adolescents – Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome and Marquis Rodriguez – “Us” brings history to the screen as a brutal, unrelenting tragedy.

50. “You”

The soapy stalker thriller starring Penn Badgley was a pleasant surprise in its original home on Lifetime and became a sensation once it moved to Netflix. Of all the current series that traffic in bad men doing bad things, “You” remains one of the few that asks interesting questions about its bad guy.

Contributing: Edward Segarra

Have a different streaming service? Here are the shows worth checking out:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 50 top Netflix shows in December 2022: 'Wednesday' Addams