The 100 Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now
Here's some good news: there's no shortage of great entertainment on Netflix to stream from the couch. If watching television shows helps you relax and destress, look no further than our list of the very best shows you can watch on Netflix right now.
We know scrolling through the massive selection on the streaming service can be daunting, so we've rounded up the best of what's on. We've included selections for audiences of all ages, with something for all tastes. There are family-friendly TV shows to enjoy with the kids, classic comedies and prestigious dramas, faith-based shows, Hallmark comfort food, thought-provoking science fiction, illuminating documentaries, addictive reality shows, scary horror programming, and so much more. This list covers Netflix original series and network/cable imports.
This list is regularly updated as shows come and go from Netflix's library.
Here are the 100 best TV shows now streaming on Netflix for binge-watching.
Best shows on Netflix right now
1. Bridgerton
Shondaland's period drama follows the lives and loves of eight Regency era siblings of a powerful clan. From its Christmas 2020 premiere, Bridgerton was an instant hit, Netflix's most-watched series ever, in fact. Season two hit in 2022.
2. The Queen's Gambit
One of the best dramas of 2020. Emma and The Witch star Anya Taylor-Joy gives an awards-ready performance as a drug-addicted, orphaned chess prodigy with designs on becoming world champ. Cold War-era period design and brilliant characterizations make this adaptation of Walter Tevis' 1983 novel a new jewel in Netflix's crown.
3. Arrested Development
Despite critical acclaim, Fox's serialized dysfunctional-family comedy starring Jason Bateman was canceled in 2006. Netflix revived the show in 2013. All five seasons are now steaming.
4. Breaking Bad
Is this the best television drama of all time? Grip your armrest and settle in for all five heart-pounding seasons of Vince Gilligan's masterpiece about a terminally ill teacher (Bryan Cranston) who starts cooking and dealing meth. Netflix's original film sequel El Camino premiered fall 2019.
5. Schitt's Creek
All seasons of Dan Levy's uproariously funny comedy centered on the formerly wealthy Rose family are now streaming on Netflix. Schitt's Creek swept the Emmys 2020 with nine wins, beating the all-time record for most wins in a single season by a comedy.
6. Bojack Horseman
The popular, well-reviewed animated sitcom stars the voice of Will Arnett as a washed-up, self-loathing alcoholic 1990s TV star. All six seasons are now streaming.
Related: Best Christmas Movies on Netflix
7. The Good Place
Starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, NBC's Peabody Award-winning fantasy opens in a Heaven-like utopia. All four seasons are now streaming on Netflix.
8. Big Mouth
If you're looking to laugh til it hurts, a great choice is this raunchy animated (it's a cartoon but it's definitely not for little kids!) comedy about teenagers...and their hormones. Starring the vocal talents of Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Jordan Peele and more, Big Mouth is the most comically horny show on television. The fourth season hit Netflix Dec. 4, 2020.
9. Stranger Things
It isn't hyperbolic at all to call the Duffer Brothers' nostalgia-heavy, kid-centered sci-fi/horror/mystery hybrid one of the most popular television shows of the modern era. After stumbling a bit in season two, the confident, relentlessly entertaining season three broke Netflix viewership records and left fans yearning for more. Season four is now streaming.
10. New Girl
Fox's "Simply Adorkable" sitcom follows a thirtysomething teacher (Zooey Deschanel) and her three male roommates in L.A. Nominated for five Emmys over seven seasons, New Girl launched the careers of breakout stars Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris and Max Greenfield.
11. Gilmore Girls
Years before she swept the Emmys with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amy Sherman-Palladino created the WB's (and later the CW's) beloved drama centered on a mother (Lauren Graham) and daughter (Alexis Bledel) in Connecticut. Melissa McCarthy costarred (Gilmore Girls' initial run wrapped up in 2007, about five years before she became one of the most bankable stars on this planet). All seven seasons of the show, as well as Netflix followup Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, are now streaming on Netflix.
12. Grey's Anatomy
Initially aired as a mid-season replacement on ABC (hard to believe now), Shonda Rhimes' diverse medical drama starring Ellen Pompeo is now the longest-running scripted primetime show on the network.
13. Shameless
Nine seasons of the longest-running original scripted show in Showtime history, starring William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum, are on Netflix. Why has this show endured and stayed so popular across the country? Is it the sex and skin on display? The drugs? Shameless is so popular because, at its best, the comedic drama is one of the most accurate TV depictions of what's actually going on in American families' houses.
14. Sex Education
Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson star in the critical and commercial hit about a socially awkward teen and his mother—who's also his sex therapist. Two seasons are now streaming, a third has been greenlit.
15. Chappelle's Show
Dave Chappelle got paid (after publicly complaining on SNL) and one of the funniest sketch/variety shows is back on the streaming service. From Rick James to Samuel L. Jackson, all the iconic impersonations are here.
16. Fuller House
The second half of the fifth and final season of the Tanner family's wholesome continued adventures aired in 2020. Every episode is streaming now.
17. Better Call Saul
Four seasons of AMC's brilliant satiric crime prequel to Breaking Bad are now streaming on Netflix. Bob Odenkirk stars in the Peabody award-winning show that lives up to its iconic predecessor.
18. Peaky Blinders
Steven Knight's popular British series follows the exploits of the criminal Shelby family in Birmingham, bookended by two World Wars. Five seasons of what's said to be a seven-season, ongoing series, are now on Netflix.
19. The Great British Baking Show
Best of luck not falling head-over-heels for the personalities and confections on display in the search for Britain's best amateur baker.
20. Elite
Lots of sex, cutting-edge themes and even murder are among the hooks of this popular Spanish teen thriller soap opera centered on prep school students.
21. House of Cards
Based on the 1990s British series and Michael Dobbs' book of the same name, this D.C.-set political thriller is the first web-only series in history to receive major Emmy nominations. When star Kevin Spacey was disgraced in light of the #MeToo movement, his character was killed off between seasons, and the focus shifted to his wife (Robin Wright).
22. The Witcher
Based on the Polish book series of the same name, this medieval-inspired adult fantasy proved to be a big hit in its first season. With plenty of gore, some sex and nudity, The Witcher is highly entertaining schlock, and a committed performance from star Henry Cavill elevates all of it. Season two premiered in December 2021.
23. I Am Not Okay with This
It star Sophia Lillis has received glowing critical praise for her turn in this coming-of-age dramedy series, based on the comic book of the same name by Charles Forsman. With themes of teen sexuality, school pressures and superpowers, I Am Not Okay with This is one of Netflix's bona fide 2020 hits.
24. Selena: The Series
A hit with audiences, not so much with critics, this new Netflix original follows the life, success and untimely death of Selena Quintanilla. It's no match for the 1997 movie with Jennifer Lopez, but it's worth a watch in memory of a mega-talent gone too soon.
Realted: The Best Jennifer Lopez Movies, Ranked
25. Good Witch
Good news, Goodies! Five seasons of the fantasy dramedy are here to be binged. Catherine Bell reprises the role of Cassie Nightingale in the series based on Hallmark's made-for-TV movies.
26. Emily in Paris
Lily Collins stars in the hit Netflix original in the spirit of Sex & the City (from that series' creator Darren Star), about an American transplant in the City of Lights. A second season just debuted.
27. All of Us Are Dead
Energetic, violent South Korean drama focuses on high school students who must break out of their school after it becomes the base of a zombie virus outbreak.
28. Squid Game
Analysts say this blockbuster Korean success could potentially become the biggest hit in Netflix history; it's so popular international internet surges and other issues are being reported. Squid Game centers on cash-strapped people competing in a deadly series of children's games. It lives up to the hype.
29. Grace and Frankie
Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda star in this popular comedy about friends who become close after their husbands marry each other. All six seasons are streaming now; a seventh and final season is in production.
30. Narcos
Set and filmed in Colombia, this hit drama centers on the drug trade, specifically the rise and fall of kingpin Pablo Escobar.
31. Maid
One of the streaming service's biggest hits of the pandemic era stars a never-better Margaret Qualley as a single mother who turns to housecleaning to escape homelessness and an abusive relationship—and to support her young child. Co-starring Nick Robinson and Qualley's real-life mother Andie MacDowell.
32. Altered Carbon
Based on the 2002 book of the same name, this cyberpunk sci-fi series is set in a world where consciousness can be transferred to different bodies. A second season premiered in 2020, with an anime film stitching it to season one.
33. Supernatural
'The scary, long-running drama centered on demon hunters Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, respectively) recently aired its series finale on the CW'. All 15 seasons are now on Netflix.
34. Trailer Park Boys
Netflix is host to 12 seasons of the raunchy, irreverent Canadian mockumentary series, as well as several supplemental specials. Trailer Park Boys centers on the residents of a mobile home community in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
35. The Crown
Peter Morgan's historical drama about Queen Elizabeth II is one of Netflix's flagship series, perhaps even their most prestigious original. Claire Foy won an Emmy for playing the lead role in the first two seasons; Olivia Colman is titanically brilliant in the recently-released third and fourth seasons. This flagship series is—well—one of the jewels in Netflix's crown.
36. Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Despite middling reviews and significant controversies, Ryan Murphy's series starring Emmy winner Evan Peters as the infamous serial murderer was one of Netflix's biggest hits of 2022.
37. Julie's Greenroom
Here is a family-friendly gem you simply cannot miss: Fun, funny and educational, Julie’s Greenroom starring Julie Andrews (and a lot of Jim Henson puppets) is the perfect show to binge for audiences of all ages.
Related: Here's Why You Must Watch Julie's Greenroom
38. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Co-created by Tina Fey, this popular comedy series follows 29-year-old Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) after she's rescued from a doomsday cult. All four seasons are available to stream, and an interactive tie-in is set to premiere later this year.
39. Community
Witty and irreverent sitcom stars Joel McHale as a lawyer who goes back to school. Co-starring top-notch comedic actors like Alison Brie, Donald Glover and Gillian Jacobs. Six seasons now streaming.
40. Jane the Virgin
Gina Rodriguez shot to fame and won a Golden Globe for her work in this CW dramedy whose inciting incident is a [very] unexpected pregnancy. All five seasons are streaming on Netflix.
41. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Kiernan Shipka and Ross Lynch star in this freaky, sexy take on the teenage witch that's way more teen/adult-focused than the wholesome '90s sitcom with Melissa Joan Hart. Three seasons and a Christmas special are streaming now.
42. The Chef Show
Chef Roy Choi worked with Jon Favreau on the acclaimed dramedy Chef, and the two reunited for this cooking travelogue show. For more food artistry paired with humane real-life stories, check out the Chef's Table series.
43. F is For Family
Co-created by comedian Bill Burr and based loosely on his upbringing, this animated sitcom costars the vocal talents of Laura Dern, Justin Long, Sam Rockwell, Haley Reinhart and more. All four seasons are now streaming.
44. 13 Reasons Why
Highly controversial and hugely successful, Netflix's original teen drama originally gripped viewers with the mysteries surround a high school student (Katherine Langford)'s decision to take her own life. Three more seasons followed.
45. Cobra Kai
Netflix (originally YouTube Red)'s surprisingly brilliant, mostly family-friendly sequel to The Karate Kid is in its fifth season. Cobra Kai is highly entertaining and binge-able, with a mix of heart, humor and action—also commendable for blending grown-up themes with kid-like fun.
46. 100 Humans
A reality show in which 100 individuals from diverse backgrounds undergo a series of experiments exploring lifestyles, myths, sex, racism, happiness and much more.
47. The Umbrella Academy
All three seasons of Netflix's superhero series about estranged siblings uncovering family mysteries and saving the world are now streaming. The ensemble cast includes Elliot Page.
48. Narcos Mexico
Originally developed as a direct fourth season to Narcos, Narcos: Mexico became its own thing in production. Michael Peña and Diego Luna star in the crime series that explores the origins of the modern war on drugs. Season two premiered in 2020.
49. One Day at a Time
Based on Norman Lear's iconic series of the same name which ran 1975-1984, this Netflix original has racked up critical acclaim and awards. The fourth and final season premiered in 2020.
50. The Blacklist
James Spader and Megan Boone star in the long-running, expansive crime series about a former fugitive who assists the FBI in pursuing threats, with the assistance of a fresh profiler who's barely out of Quantico.
51. Lucifer
"Hot as hell" (as appropriately billed in the advertising) Tom Ellis stars in this highly entertaining dramedy. The British hunk plays the devil, who gets disenchanted with hell and relocates to L.A., where he forms a bond with a homicide detective (Lauren German). For seasons four and five, Lucifer moved from Fox to Netflix, which means more swearing and even some nudity. Ended with a bang in 2021's well-received season six.
52. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
The title of Jerry Seinfeld's popular talk show represents truth from advertising. Among the myriad icons who've appeared on the program are Eddie Murphy, Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman and Kristen Wiig. The show migrated from Crackle to Netflix in 2018.
53. The History of Swear Words
Nicolas Cage hosts a series exploring the history of some of the English language's most vulgar utterances. All six episodes of season one—funny, smart and proudly profane—are streaming now.
54. Hollywood
Trashy, fun, fleetingly illuminating, Ryan Murphy's look at post-World War II Old Hollywood examines the studio system, race and homosexuality. It only goes so deep, but it's enough to spark interest in what is undeniably a vital part of this nation's 20th-century history.
55. Madam Secretary
Téa Leoni stars in Barbara Hall's D.C.-set drama centered on a female Secretary of State. All six seasons (the series finale aired late 2019 on CBS) are on Netflix.
56. Dash & Lily
A Christmas romance springs between Austin Abrams and Midori Francis thanks to a well-used notebook in a new Netflix original charmer. Based on the YA series Dash & Lily's Book of Dares.
57. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
A significant step-up in quality from the uneven film adaptation starring Jim Carrey, the Netflix series boasts a smashing performance from Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf.
58. Heartstopper
Kit Connor and Joe Locke star in a Netflix original series about teen boys in love, based on the YA graphic novel series. Heartstopper premiered in 2022 to buzzy fan response and positive critical notice.
59. Acane
Arresting visuals and outstanding voice work make this one of scarce, scarce few video-game adaptations worth watching (like Netflix's surprisingly great Castlevania). An eye-popping blend of hand-drawn and CGI animation is set in the battle arena of League of Legends.
60. Atypical
One of not-so-many Netflix originals to reach this many season, Atypical has returned for a fifth and final season. A brilliant performance from Keir Gilchrist drives this touching, often extremely funny sitcom about a teen on the autism spectrum who's looking for love.
61. On My Block
This critically praised Netflix original follows four street-savvy youths in Southern California. The third season of the teen comedy-drama premiered March 11, 2020.
62. The Kominsky Method
Chuck Lorre's Netflix original comedy-drama is about an aging acting coach who once enjoyed fame. Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin and a who's-who of seasoned, celebrated comedy vets round out the supporting cast.
63. What/If
Trashy but undeniably fun, this gender-swapped version of Indecent Proposal boasts a ripper of a performance from Renée Zellweger (as a woman of extreme wealth with the hots for a married pro athlete), and some refreshing, steamy sex scenes.
64. Carmen Sandiego
The voice talents of Gina Rodriguez and Finn Wolfhard star in this Netflix original update of the hit educational action/adventure franchise that rose to popularity in the 1990s. Renewed for a fourth season.
Carmen Sandiego: To Steal Or Not to Steal is a supplement to the animated series—and interactive! Using your remote (or keyboard), you determine where Carmen's mission goes. It's like a Goosebumps "choose your own adventure" book on your TV; it's a lot of fun.
65. Firefly Lane
Based on the novel of same name by Kristin Hannah, one of Netflix's newest audience-favorite dramas explores the intricacies of a decades-spanning-friendship. Starring Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, the series returns for season two this winter.
66. NCIS
The first 15 seasons of CBS's enormously, enduringly popular procedural–centered on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and now in its 17th season—are streaming on Netflix. This was the most-watched show on TV in its tenth season.
67. Criminal Minds
CBS's long-running procedural about profilers in the Behavioral Analysis Unit ended its 15-season run in 2020. There are 12 seasons are available to stream on Netflix right now.
68. Russian Doll
Orange is the New Black star Natasha Lyonne stars in Netflix's widely acclaimed comedy-drama series about a game developer stuck in a time loop. Nominated for four Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
69. Conversations With a Killer
Two seasons and counting explore the disturbed minds of America's most infamous serial killers. 2019's season one focused on Ted Bundy; season two followed, with John Wayne Gacy at the center. A Dahmer attention recently premiered.
70. Longmire
A&E's highly-rated Western crime drama found a new home on Netflix from its fourth through sixth (and final) seasons. The entire series is streamable right now.
71. Outlander
Seasons 1-5 of Starz's hit romantic time-traveling epic starring Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are now streaming. Outlander recently aired its sixth season on Starz.
72. Anne With an E
Based on the beloved 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, this family-friendly Canadian drama boasts one of television's toughest, most lovable young heroines in Amybeth McNulty's Anne Shirley.
73. Riverdale
The sexy, dark and fun—insanely addictive—teen drama based on the characters of Archie Comics, just returned for season five on the CW. The first six rounds are streaming on Netflix. Witty, morbid and just the right amount of self-aware, this is a show to get lost in.
74. Virgin River
Already peaking as number-one most-watched program on Netflix for a time, the popular romantic drama centers on a nurse practitioner who relocates from L.A. to North Carolina.
75. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
Netflix shows are often a part of the zeitgeist, but few have struck a resounding chord in pop culture quite like this stranger-than-fiction circus of cat breeding, hard drugs and murder. Season two premiered Nov. 17, 2021.
76. Bodyguard
Hunky Richard Madden delivers a gripping performance as PTSD-stricken veteran David Budd, assigned to protect a political figure whose politics he despises, in this taut, highly entertaining psychological thriller that set all kinds of viewership records in Britain. Madden won a Best Actor Golden Globe.
77. Forensic Files
If you love true crime shows, you will be easily hooked by this long-running series focused on forensic science, created by Paul Dowling on TLC in 1996. Nine collections of the show are available to stream on Netflix. Forensic Files II began airing on HLN in 2020.
78. Lost in Space
A Netflix original, this reimagining of the 1965 show of the same name (itself a reimagining of The Swiss Family Robinson) takes a while to get going, but midway through Season 1 it is whiz-bang family entertainment. In March 2020, the series was renewed for a third and final season.
79. Seinfeld
All nine seasons of one of the most popular and lauded sitcoms in history are here. Festivus has come early! Seinfeld centered on four friends coping, or not coping, with the absurdity of NYC life in the '90s.
80. Sense8
Lilly and Lana Wachowski co-created this science-fiction drama about eight strangers who discover they're linked. Sense8 explores sexuality, politics, gender, identity and more. Dedicated fans saved the show from an unceremonious sendoff. A well-received series finale aired after the show's cancellation two seasons in.
81. Locke & Key
Based on the comic book series of the same name (that also inspired a failed Fox pilot), this new Netflix original is a supernatural horror series centered on three children who discover a demonic entity in their new home.
82. Mindhunter
Earlier this year, it was announced production on Mindhunter is on indefinite hold. For now, catch up on the first two seasons of the masterful psychological thriller from Joe Penhall and David Fincher. Jonathan Groff stars a special agent in the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit.
83. Ozark
Both parts of the fourth and final season of Netflix's popular, well-reviewed drama about a small-town criminal entwined with Mexican cartel (starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney) are now on Netflix.
84. Arrow
Starring Stephen Amell as the DC Comics hero, this superhero series co-developed by Love, Simon's Greg Berlanti was a hit with audiences and critics, starting the "Arrowverse" shared superhero universe on TV. All eight seasons are streaming on Netflix.
85. The Flash
The immediate successor to Arrow in the Arrowverse stars charming Grant Gustin as DC's Barry Allen, a crime scene investigator who gets powers of superhuman speed. The Flash was recently renewed for a seventh season on the CW; the first six seasons are on Netflix.
86. Orange Is the New Black
One of Netflix's home-run hits in the streaming service's nascence, Jenji Kohan's drama set at a minimum-security women's prison (based on Piper Kerman's memoir) won a Peabody and an Emmy, among myriad other honors. Its seventh and final season premiered in summer 2019.
87. Meltdown: Three Mile Island
Recently released, highly popular docuseries explores the most catastrophic power plant accident in American history, at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.
88. Midnight Mass
The Haunting, Doctor Sleep and Ouija: Origin of Evil helmer Mike Flanagan once again proves he's a modern master of horror in a Netflix original series that feels like his most personal work yet, centered on supernatural events surrounding the arrival of a charismatic priest to a sleepy small town.
89. Inventing Anna
Ozark Emmy winner Julia Garner commands the screen in a smash hit, stranger-than-fiction Netflix original about the white-collar crimes of New York's fake heiress Anna Sorokin. Inventing Anna struck a cord with audiences upon its 2022 release.
90. The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor
If you're looking to have the stuffing scared out of you, look no further. Mike Flanagan's loose adaptation of Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel is skillful and terrifying. Especially episode six. Shudder.
The follow-up to Haunting of Hill House isn't quite as terrifying, but it's a worthy successor—handsome, well-acted and, indeed, frightening. Bly Manor is an unpredictably twisty spin on Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, about a young governess tasked with caring for two unusual rich kids.
91. The Get Down
Baz Luhrmann's musical drama, set in NYC's South Bronx in the 1970s, ran for two short seasons. Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon Detective Pikachu) stars.
92. Our Planet
Winner of the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, Our Planet is the first Netflix-produced nature show. The series focuses on diverse species and habitats around the world, and on how climate change impacts all of them. David Attenborough narrates.
93. Lupin
One of Netflix's biggest international hits centers on a gentlemen thief, based on the classic French story and starring Omar Sy, Shirine Boutella.
94. Sex Explained
Produced by Vox and narrated by Janelle Monáe, this limited docuseries lives up to its name, exploring the subject of S-E-X. It isn't a substitute for sex ed, but it's informative and entertaining—intended to educate rather than titillate.
95. Black Mirror
The highly popular British sci-fi anthology series focuses on society and our relationship with technology. Black Mirror has won eight Emmys, including three consecutive wins for Outstanding Television Movie (San Junipero, USS Callister and Bandersnatch).
96. You
Originally airing on Lifetime before it gained a much wider audience on Netflix, You stars Penn Badgley as a bookstore manager and serial killer who develops an obsession with a customer. Three seasons are now streaming.
97. Bloodline
Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn and Linda Cardellini star in Netflix's thriller drama about a Florida Keys family with terrible, violent secrets. The first season of Bloodline was a hit with critics; the second and third (and final) seasons received a mixed response.
98. Dear White People
Created by Justin Simien and based on his 2014 film of the same name, this Netflix original follows black students at an Ivy League college, examining race relations in the modern era.
99. The Walking Dead
Frank Darabont's post-apocalyptic zombie horror series was one of the most-watched shows on TV in its first few seasons, and still has a dedicated fanbase. The first ten seasons are streaming on Netflix.
100. Queer Eye
Let's conclude with the perfect pick-me-up. Netflix's Emmy-winning reboot challenges social norms, tugs at the heartstrings and comforts. Season six now streaming.
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