57 Bingeworthy Shows You’ll Become Obsessed With
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What makes a show worthy of a binge? Depends on who you're asking. For a comfort viewer, a bingeworthy show is an easy watch, a show you've probably seen before or heard a lot about, one where you can jump in halfway through the series and get a contained story in one episode, like The Office or a procedural like Grey's Anatomy. Network television lends itself best to this type of person, where there's often 20 or so episodes per season. You can watch television in the background while folding laundry or cleaning the house.
For others, a great binge is an engrossing mystery or some kind of short series you can watch in a weekend and be done with forever. The show pulls you in right away, and you have to find out what happens next. You probably love Mare of Easttown or Only Murders in the Building and don't mind a one season series, because there's always another short but sweet show waiting in your Netflix queue. You might even enjoy a longer, multi-season show too, but don't rewatch shows all that often.
It doesn't matter what kind of television viewer you are, there's an endless amount of content out there for you to sink your teeth into. Whether you're looking for a quick comedy, or a six-season drama, we've got you covered. There's a lot of classic, critically acclaimed television in our list, plus a number of shows we think deserve a bit more attention. Happy binging!
Breaking Bad
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston star in what's arguably one of the best television shows of all time. Breaking Bad follows a high school chemistry teacher who, when he finds out he's dying from cancer, decides to become a drug lord with the help of one of his former students.
Only Murders in the Building
What's more bingeable than a whodunit? Only Murders in the Building has two comedy legends–Steve Martin and Martin Short–alongside the charismatic Selena Gomez. This half-hour comedy is an easy watch, even with a suspenseful murder to solve.
The Umbrella Academy
Marvel isn't the only one who can make gripping superhero shows. Based on a comic book series of the same name, The Umbrella Academy follows a family of superpowered humans years after their heyday who have to come back together to save the world one last time. Stopping the apocalypse can get weird, emotional, and even involve a dance sequence or two.
Stranger Things
Netflix's premier sci-fi series takes everything you loved about the '80s and puts it all in one place. When a young girl is found lost in the woods, a small town in Indiana finds itself the center of a major government conspiracy. Dungeons and Dragons fans? This one's especially for you.
Game of Thrones
HBO knows how to make great television. So it's no surprise they (mostly) excelled at adapting an epic fantasy series involving a large swath of characters with complex political and military conflicts. Don't get attached to too many characters though, as you'll probably see them meet a gruesome fate. After all, a world of magic and dragons is a ruthless one.
Mare of Easttown
In our opinion, the best detective shows aren't procedurals, but short series you can finish in a weekend. Mare of Easttown is one such show, starring Kate Winslet as the titular Mare, a detective who must investigate the murder of a teen mom in a small town near Philadelphia.
The Bear
Hulu's sleeper hit of 2022 is The Bear. The comedy-drama follows Carmy, a talented chef who used to work at the best restaurant in the world, but left to take over his late brother's Italian beef sandwich shop. The show only further catapulted actor Jeremy Allen White, who starred in Showtime's Shameless, to fame.
The Sopranos
If you ask most television critics what one of the best shows of all time is, they'd probably say The Sopranos (or its HBO counterpart The Wire). The drama ran for six seasons with a total of 86 episodes–including a finale still talked about to this day. It's not finish in a weekend TV, but it's still essential viewing.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets has a solid fanbase, but arguably deserves more recognition. In its first season, the Showtime series received seven Primetime Emmy nominations and after its November 2021 premiere, earned a season two renewal a month later. The show jumps between the past and the present, following a group of teenagers who survive a plane crash, and their present selves.
Lost
When people talk about appointment television, they're talking about shows like Lost. The show ran for six seasons, and followed survivors of a plane crash who discover various mysteries and secrets on the island they're trapped on. If you're someone who enjoys an intense mystery, Lost is for you.
Grey's Anatomy
Much like the crime procedural, a staple of cable television is the medical drama. The weekly mysterious illness is the perfect dose of high stakes drama to make weeknights after work worth it. Grey's Anatomy is a mainstay of the genre, with a rotating cast of characters who weave their interpersonal conflicts into the overall plot. It's the perfect show to pop in and out as a casual viewer, but also to stick around if you want to.
Succession
Succession somehow makes business deals way more interesting than they actually are. The HBO drama is centered on a fictional media company and the family who owns it. When the patriarch of the family considers retirement, his children each scramble to try and take over.
Euphoria
Based on a short-lived Israeli series of the same name, Euphoria at its core is a high-budget, stylized Degrassi in the absolute best way. Zendaya plays Rue, a high schooler who battles drug use, along with her friends, who grapple with romance, crime, and everything else high schoolers really really shouldn't be involved in.
Arcane
Besides Pokemon, most video game adaptations are, honestly, awful. The League of Legends series Arcane, however, is a diamond in a sea of disappointing attempts. Set in the game's universe, two sisters find themselves in the midst of a conflict among a city's elite and poor. You don't need to have played the massively popular online game to enjoy the show, just sit back and watch.
Invincible
Marvel and DC aren't the only ones who can do decent comic book adaptations. Invincible is based on the Image Comics series of the same name. With a star-studded cast including J.K. Simmons, Steven Yeun, and Sandra Oh, Invincible follows a superpowered teen who enteres the tutelage of his father, the powerful crusader Omni-Man.
Hacks
HBO Max, the streaming service of HBO, may not be long for this world after the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, but the platform's original content is extremely understated. Hacks stars Jean Smart as a famous stand-up comedian who works with a struggling writer to reinvent her act.
Veep
Fans of The Thick of It (the vulgar British comedy) will love Veep, a political comedy about a foulmouthed vice president and her bumbling advisors. It's perfect for people who love The Office, but wish the Dunder Mifflin employees would curse just a little bit more.
The Office
The ultimate comfort show for many during the pandemic (or just for any point in one's adult life in general), The Office is a comedy you've likely already seen, or heard about for years (and in case you're still wondering yes, it really is that good). The half-hour show about a delusional office manager and his bewildered employees is easily one of NBC's best shows of all time. Whether you want to watch your favorite episode again, or you're trying the show for the first time, you won't regret it.
WandaVision
Many Marvel fans are skipping out on Marvel's shows because they don't want to feel like they're doing homework in preparation for each major release. While the Marvel burnout is real, shows like WandaVision, Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk deserve fans' attention for their creativity and innovation. Marvel movies are often limited by their two to three hour time limit, but with WandaVision's nine episode series, there's room for your favorite heroes to do more than give a few one-liners before jumping into fights. Watch WandaVision over a night or two, then check out what else Marvel's shows have to offer.
The Boys
One of best shows Amazon's Prime Video has in their wheelhouse, The Boys is the perfect superhero show for people who love superheroes, but don't want a family-friendly, optimistic view of them all the time. The satire follows a team of vigilantes who team up to hold a famous group of superheroes accountable.
Hannibal
Hannibal is a dark psychological thriller wrapped in a procedural crime drama. An FBI agent teams up with a psychiatrist (and secret serial killer) to solve crimes. With each killer caught though, Hannibal struggles to keep his own debauchery hidden.
The Witcher
Henry Cavill stars as The Witcher, based on the book series of the same name. The show explores the legend of the witcher Geralt, who must protect a princess and her magical abilities. Fantasy fans will enjoy this quick binge, which is far more focused than the vast world of Game of Thrones in comparison.
Schitt's Creek
Modern comedies don't need a laugh track, just great acting and a hilarious premise. When a rich family loses everything, they relocate to a small town the family's patriarch bought as a joke. The family's fall to normalcy is humbling to say the least.
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars puts an interesting spin on the detective genre. Rather than a hardboiled, middle-aged man solving crimes, it's a teen girl. Veronica's father is a private detective who used to be the town's sheriff until a fall from grace. Plus, Veronica is determined to find out who assaulted her after a party. The CW show has a devoted fanbase even after years off the air; Veronica Mars tied up the show's loose ends in a 2014 film and 2019 reboot season.
Parks and Recreation
The Office fans already know Parks and Recreation well. The comedy is essentially a spin-off of the Dunder Mifflin show (the show was created by Office alum Mike Schur), but Parks and Recreation is arguably a more light-hearted version. If The Office is about people who hate where they work and take each day at a time, Parks and Recreation is about an office-turned family who care fiercely about their small town.
True Detective
Short-but-riveting detective shows are an underrated genre. True Detective (at least in its critically-acclaimed Season 1) is the perfect binge for anyone who wants a well-made, suspenseful series starring talented actors. Season 1 stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as two detectives scrambling to find a serial killer.
Orphan Black
Tatiana Maslany stars as not one, not two, but five women in this science-fiction thriller about clones who band together when they discover someone is trying to kill them off. Not only does the show present Maslany's stellar acting chops, but it's a surprisingly easy binge for a network television show; each season is no more than 10 episodes.
New Girl
Along with The Office, another comfort comedy often rewatched by many a binger is New Girl. The show ran for 7 seasons and starred Zooey Deschanel (not to be confused with Emily Deschanel, Zooey's older sibling who lead the crime procedural Bones). If you're a romantic at heart, New Girl may be the binge for you.
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is not your average detective show. It's surreal (David Lynch co-created the series) and at times feels as if it's less like network television and more like a fever dream. Still the '90s show has a persistent fanbase after all these years and even had both a feature film and a rebooted season in 2017–27 years after the show's initial run.
The X-Files
If Twin Peaks is a bit too weird for you, The X-Files is far more dedicated to the detective genre. Starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, The X-Files follows two FBI agents as they look into inexplicable paranormal activity. The show is primarily a "monster of the week" format, so it's easy watching for anyone who isn't up for complex storylines.
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is only a binge because it deserved more seasons. Lee Pace, Kristen Chenoweth, and Anna Friel star in this science-fiction detective show. Ned, a pie baker, has an unexplained ability to revive the dead with his touch. But touch them again, and they're dead for good. So when he's not baking pies, he's out helping a private investigator solve crimes. The show only had two seasons, and when you're done you'll most likely be asking for more.
Sense8
This underrated Netflix sci-fi follows eight strangers who one day discover they're psychically linked to one another through a woman named Angelica. To avoid capture, the group–who live all over the world–come together to stop the shady organization looking for them. Written by Lana and Lily Wachowski (The Matrix), the show features notable queer representation throughout.
Peaky Blinders
Netflix's gritty post-World War I drama stars Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, a gangster turned businessman determined to set his family up for success. The show just finished its sixth and final season, but has a feature film on the way.
The Wire
Along with The Sopranos, The Wire is often heralded as one of the best television shows of all time. Centered on the Baltimore drug scene, the show catapulted the careers of various actors including Michael K. Williams, Idris Elba, and more.
Squid Game
International shows have been overlooked by many for decades (possibly out of Americans' aversion to utilizing subtitles). Squid Game's massive popularity on Netflix shows there's a whole world of television and cinema in the non-English-speaking world, and it's all just waiting for us to watch. In this South Korean drama, debt-ridden people participate in a competition to win a life-changing amount of money–but there's a deadly catch to each game they play.
Mad Men
This critically-acclaimed period drama stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper, a genius ad exec and dives deep into his trials and tribulations, along with the personal and professional lives of the people around him. Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Christina Hendricks and others also make up this Emmy-winning cast. Mad Men is cable television (it originally aired on AMC) at its best.
The Leftovers
Based on a Tom Perotta novel of the same name, The Leftovers follows a police chief and his family, who have to recover from the "Sudden Departure," when 2% of the global population disappeared (think the time after Avengers:Infinity War). At only 28 episodes, The Leftovers isn't too heavy of a lift for seasoned bingers.
Better Call Saul
Fans of Breaking Bad are most likely already familiar with Better Call Saul, a spin-off of the original drug kingpin show. Saul Goodman was only a supporting character in Breaking Bad, but here we get to see how he goes from the down on his luck Jimmy McGill to the quick-thinking criminal defense lawyerwho helps Breaking Bad's Walt out of rough spots.
Jane the Virgin
Gina Rodriguez is Jane the Virgin, a celibate woman who goes into the doctor for a routine procedure, only to discover a mishap caused her to become pregnant. The show uses common tropes from Latin American television to set itself apart from other dramedies. The show helped launch the careers of Rodriguez and Justin Baldoni.
Babylon Berlin
One of Netflix's hidden gems is Babylon Berlin, a German detective show set in pre-World War II Berlin. The show dives into the gritty underbelly of the 1920s and 30s, while also ominously teeing up the country's inevitable transformation in the years to come.
Bridgerton
Netflix knows it has to compete with the best cable and premium networks around. Its best bet is not just to foster new talent and properties, but to steal the creative giants who made many of the primetime staples we know today. Shonda Rhimes (of Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder) executive produced this romance series based on a series of novels of the same name. It's been a definitive hit for the streaming service, and if you're a fan of the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice, you'll likely enjoy this show too.
Pose
Ryan Murphy's Pose is a beautiful show in more ways than one. The series' visuals are eye-catching, and the story is an emotional examination of found family, the HIV/AIDs epidemic, and the incredible New York ballroom scene. Anyone who's seen or heard of the famous Paris Is Burning documentary will love this one.
Yellowstone
The Western version of Succession, Yellowstone follows the Dutton family as they attempt to keep their ranch–the largest ranch in Montana–afloat no matter what. Yellowstone is a smash hit, so much so it has not one but two prequel series, a spin-off in the works, and has no signs of stopping. Get on the Yellowstone train before you're left in the dust.
Abbott Elementary
This ABC comedy has quickly become one of the most beloved sitcoms on TV. Starring Quinta Brunson, this mockumentary follows the teachers at an elementary school who search for various ways to better their school, with no shortage of ridiculous moments.
Beef
This miniseries stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as two people from different walks of life who cross paths one day in a road rage incident. It's a show about oneupmanship at its funniest.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Mike Flanagan's final miniseries for Netflix involves many of his previous ensemble cast. Based on various Edgar Allan Poe works, the show follows the owner of a successful pharmaceutical company and his offspring. But when death befalls the family, everyone scrambles to find out the cause behind it...before another death comes their way.
Black Mirror
While it may be bingeable, you may want to take a break after each of these episodes. They'll mess with your mind. Black Mirror is Netflix's dystopian anthology series, which explores all the ways technology can really, really mess up people's lives.
Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's breakout role (which she also created) is Fleabag. Unlucky at love, pessimistic, and self-referential, her character breaks the fourth wall as she navigates awkward moments, relationships, and more.
Suits
One of the many binging hits to surprise streaming services, Suits has found a new life since the show ended in 2019. The show follows a college dropout who has never attended law school, but makes his money taking the LSAT and other bar exams for other students. He then gets hired by an attorney to help close cases, but has to keep his secret hidden.
The Night Agent
This thriller stars Gabriel Basso as an FBI agent who becomes entangled in the search for a mole within the U.S. government. While tries to find the traitor, he also has to keep safe a tech CEO whose uncle and aunt were murdered night agents.
Criminal Minds
While there's hundreds of cop shows out there, few are as memorable, gory, or long-lasting as Criminal Minds. The show follows a fictionalized version of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. A close knit team of agents psychoanalyze criminals across the country to catch them in the midst of their killing sprees.
Deadwood
Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane star in this series set in 1870s South Dakota. The show follows the blends the real historical events that took place in the town of Deadwood with fictional characters. Its often called one of the best shows of all time.
Justified
Timothy Olyphant also stars in this FX drama that's best described as a neo-Western. Justified follows a deputy U.S. Marshal in Kentucky as he tries to upkeep his personal idea of justice.
Andor
This Star Wars show follows thief-turned-spy Cassian Andor before the events of Rogue One. While everyone may have their various opinions of what the best Star Wars films are, there's no contest here: Andor is the best Star Wars TV show.
Arrested Development
If you're looking for a comedy show that'll deliver lots of laughs and lots of episodes, check out Arrested Development. The series stars Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, who attempts to lead his formerly wealthy family's company, while managing the group's dysfunctional and chaotic dynamic.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David's longrunning series follows a somewhat fictional version of himself as he navigates daily life in Los Angeles as a comedian. Over the course of the show's 24 year run, it's garnered 47 Emmy nominations to date.
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
Netflix's I Think You Should Leave is weird. Really weird. But it's also so absurd it's absolutely hilarious. Each episode contains strange and surreal sketches, every one more ridiculous than the last. You'll laugh, you'll be a little confused, but you'll want to watch them all.
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