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The 74 Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now (August 2022)
Remember a few months ago, when Netflix’s stock tanked and people were throwing dirt on its grave? Now HBO Max is the streaming service punching bag and no one has anything to say about Netflix. How quickly things change. Through ups and downs, Netflix has stayed committed to putting out more shows than anyone, and enough of those shows are good to keep us subscribed. The latest good one is Mo, a semi-autobiographical comedy series from stand-up comic Mo Amer. It joins other worthwhile new shows like Kleo and The Sandman.
A note about how this list was made: In the interest of keeping it relevant, we’re emphasizing new releases, shows recently added to Netflix, and Netflix originals, but we’ve also made sure to add the shows we personally can’t stop recommending to our friends. We’ll be updating it regularly.
Last updated Aug. 26; newer additions are at the top
For fans of: Ramy, finding humor in the immigrant experience
Number of seasons: 1
Mo Amer, Mo
Netflix
Ramy fans don’t need an introduction to comedian Mo Amer, and they probably won’t need any introduction to Mo, either. But for everyone else (is there anyone else?), here’s the scoop: The new Netflix comedy, created by Amer and Ramy Youssef and produced by A24, stars Amer as Mo Najjar, a Palestinian refugee living in Houston with his family and hustling to support them. If you like Ramy, you’ll like this, and if you don’t like Ramy, you haven’t watched it. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
Kleo
For fans of: Killing Eve, international espionage, stylish period pieces
Number of seasons: 1
Jella Haase, Kleo
Julia Terjung/Netflix
This German series is set immediately after the fall of the Berlin wall and follows the titular former East German assassin (Jella Haase), who was sold out by her closest allies and sent to West German prison for two years, on a mission to get revenge on the people who wronged her. As an offbeat female assassin story with stylish costumes and production design, it’s clearly heavily influenced by Killing Eve. With its bold color palette and film-grain effect to make it look like it’s from 1989, it looks a lot better than the average Netflix show. –Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Untold
For fans of: ESPN’s 30 for 30, revisiting old sports news stories
Number of seasons: 2
Manti Te’o, Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist
Netflix
This sports documentary anthology series goes deep into controversial sports news stories from the past, telling the real, human story behind the sensational headlines. Volume 2, for example, starts with The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, a two-part doc on Manti Te’o, who in 2013 went from being a Heisman contender to a laughingstock when it came out that he was in an online relationship with a fraudster. He was treated cruelly and unfairly, and this documentary vindicates him. Other installments include one on Caitlyn Jenner, and one on the infamous “Malice at the Palace” NBA brawl. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Teen romance, Mindy Kaling, the omniscient voice of John McEnroe
Number of seasons: 3 (Renewed for fourth and final season)
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Darren Barnet, Never Have I Ever
Lara Solanki/Netflix
Mindy Kaling‘s warm, wickedly funny spin on a classic high school comedy stars newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar, a high achiever desperate to reinvent herself after the sudden death of her father (Sendhil Ramamurthy, joining the ranks of TV’s hot dads even in flashbacks). As she navigates a love triangle and denies the depth of her grief, short-tempered Devi’s inner life is narrated, hilariously, by tennis legend John McEnroe. Never Have I Ever is Kaling’s best show yet, a charming Indian-American coming-of-age story that’s both personal and absurd. Who knew we all needed to hear John McEnroe say “thirst trap”? –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
I Just Killed My Dad
For fans of: Disturbing true crime, good titles
Number of seasons: 1
Anthony Templet, I Just Killed My Dad
Netflix
If you’re rating true crime docuseries on how grabby the title is, I Just Killed My Dad is already a runaway success. That’s hard to not click on when you’re scrolling through tiles on your Netflix homescreen, right? You hear someone say “I just killed my dad” on a 911 call in your head. The three-part docuseries from the director of another recent Netflix success, Girl in the Picture, tells the story of teenager Anthony Templet, who shot his father and never denied it, but doesn’t think he did anything wrong, considering the abusive circumstances. It’s pretty grim, and people can’t get enough of this sort of thing. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
For fans of: Legal dramas, wholesome romance
Number of seasons: 1
Park Eun-bin, Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Netflix
No matter how familiar you are with K-dramas — from the scale of I-Watched-Squid-Game-in-English to chronic Second Lead Syndrome sufferer — Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a must-see. Park Eun-bin stars as Woo Young-woo, an attorney with autism in Korea. Every episode features a different legal case, and Young-woo flexes her out-of-the-box thinking and high IQ of 164 to represent her clients in the best way possible. The series offers commentary on subjects ranging from patriarchal societies to Korea’s education system, and doesn’t shy away from heavy topics including domestic violence and sexual assault. And yet, Extraordinary Attorney Woo is not a somber drama. Woo Young-woo’s endearing personality and the heartwarming relationships she builds — including a romantic one with the law firm’s Mr. Popular Lee Junho (Kang Tae-oh) — make the show an uplifting watch. For more on the show, check out our interview with star Park. -Kat Moon [Trailer]
For fans of: Epic fantasy, Neil Gaiman’s whole thing
Number of seasons: 1
Tom Sturridge, The Sandman
Liam Daniel/Netflix
When I say this blockbuster fantasy series is long-awaited, I mean it. An adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s beloved comic series has been in development on and off since 1996. And it’s honestly a good thing that it didn’t get made into a movie back then, because TV is a much better format for a story this sprawling. It follows Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), as he breaks free from a century of human captivity and sets out to restore himself as the ruler of dreamworld. It’s a fantasy-superhero epic that features Game of Thrones‘ Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, who is technically the same character as Tom Ellis‘ Lucifer Morningstar from Lucifer (the shows share source material), just a drastically different interpretation. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99
For fans of: The ’90s, cultural documentaries, Korn
Number of seasons: 1
Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99
Netflix
This docuseries is all about the he-said-she-said bulls–t. It explores the debacle of Woodstock ’99, the music festival marred by violence, depravity, and Limp Bizkit. Last year’s HBO documentary Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage beat Trainwreck to the punch, but with three episodes, this one gets even deeper into how out of control it got. It’s an intense you-are-there look at things falling apart. -Liam Mathews [Trailer | Review]
For fans of: Woman vs. wild, woman vs. self
Number of seasons: 1
Melissa Barrera, Keep Breathing
Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix
This six-episode limited series is created by Blindspot executive producers Martin Gero and Brendan Gall. It’s about an emotionally stunted attorney from New York City named Liv (Melissa Barrera) who has to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness after her plane crashes. In order to, you know, keep breathing, she has to figure out how to get food, water, and shelter, as well as confront the inner pain and turmoil that has made her life a struggle. It’s a bit cliched, but Barrera is great, and the episodes run between 32-40 minutes, which makes it fly by in a way Netflix shows rarely do. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
More recommendations:
For fans of: Hallmarkian romance, heartwarming tearjerkers
Number of seasons: 4 (Renewed for Season 5)
Alexandra Breckenridge and Martin Henderson, Virgin River
Netflix
Do you like it your TV to feel like one long Hallmark movie? If that’s the case, you should know that few other shows are currently doing that better than Virgin River. In this adaptation of the novels by Robyn Carr, Alexandra Breckenridge stars as Mel, a nurse practitioner from Los Angeles who, after having her heart broken one too many times, starts a new life in a remote Northern California town. As these things go, she quickly meets Jack (Martin Henderson), a bartender who makes her want to love again. This show really has everything: long lost twin brothers, bombshell pregnancies where it’s a mystery who the father is, and main characters getting shot by mysterious gunmen. [Trailer]
For fans of: True crime mysteries, the 1970s
Number of seasons: 1
D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!
Netflix
This slick four-part docuseries reopens the mystery of D.B. Cooper, the never identified, never found airplane hijacker whose story has captured America’s imagination for the past 50 years. Online sleuths have come closer than anyone has before to cracking the case, and this doc explores how they’re doing it. To me, though, the biggest mystery is what “D.B.” stands for. I think it’s “Dave Buster.” -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: White-collar crime stories, The Wolf of Wall Street, German comedy
Number of seasons: 1
Matthias Brandt, King of Stonks
Netflix
This rollicking dramedy with a meme-inspired title (“stonks go up!“) is a German take on the “tech industry malfeasance” limited series in the vein of Super Pumped or WeCrashed, telling a story inspired by (but not directly based on) the rise and fall of WireCard AG, a payments processing company accused of fraud. In the satirical series, the two leaders of a fintech startup called CableCash do all kinds of unethical and illegal stuff to get their company to the moon, including bending the truth, outright fraud, and doing business with the shadiest of characters. It’s the kind of fun show where you root for the main characters to get what’s coming to them. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Long mother-effin’ episodes, being part of pop culture
Number of seasons: 4 (Renewed for Season 5)
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
Netflix
Stranger Things is Netflix’s biggest show, and probably the biggest show on television right now. Just go to your local Hot Topic or ask your local tween for the lyrics to “Runnin’ Up That Hill” for proof. Season 4 is out in its entirety after being divvied up into two lengthy parts and setting streaming records, adding a new villain, new characters, and new locations. But you’re here to hang out with your old friends, like Steve. You rule, Steve! -Tim Surette [Review | Trailer]
For fans of: Money Heist, K-dramas
Number of seasons: 1
Jun Jong-seo, Lee Hyun-woo, Jang Yoon-ju, Park Hae-soo, Lee Won-jong, and Kim Ji-hun, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area
Jung Jaegu/Netflix
Netflix’s two biggest international series come together in Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area, a Korean remake of the mega-hit Spanish series Money Heist that stars Squid Game‘s Park Hae-soo as Berlin, Money Heist‘s most complex character. Burning star Jun Jong-seo, an actress with an absolutely riveting screen presence, plays Tokyo, the show’s nominal point-of-view character. Joint Economic Area puts a uniquely Korean spin on the Money Heist premise. It’s set in an alternate reality where North and South Korea have opened up economic relations, which inevitably leads to the rich getting richer and the poor getting screwed. So a crack team, led by criminal mastermind the Professor (Yoo Ji-tae), takes over a mint for a heist with a political agenda. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Young people with superpowers, Gerard Way
Number of seasons: 3
Justin H. Min, The Umbrella Academy
Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix
Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy left off on a major cliffhanger when the gang time-traveled from the ’60s back to an alternate version of 2019 in which Hargreeves (Colm Feore) had trained seven different superpowered babies into becoming the Sparrow Academy. In Season 3, the series is picking up right where it left off, and the Umbrellas will have to deal with the apocalyptic event potentially caused by their timeline jumping. [Trailer]
For fans of: Imagining what food you’ll never afford tastes like
Number of seasons: 1
Esther Choi, Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend
Patrick Wymore/Netflix
The beloved former Food Network cooking competition show returns for its first season since 2018 as a Netflix exclusive. Netflix has a lot of cooking shows about whimsical amateurs. Iron Chef is the opposite. (Though it is whimsical in its own way.) It’s an intense competition where professional fine dining chefs go up against celebrity chefs who have previously won Iron Chef. The ingredients are high-end and the stakes are high, as chefs compete for the golden knife that bestows the title of “Iron Legend.” Prominent chefs competing this season include Esther Choi, Marcus Samuelsson, and Dominique Crenn. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: That haircut, period piece crime dramas
Number of seasons: 6
Cillian Murphy, Peaky Blinders
Netflix
Peaky Blinders is one of the defining shows of the era when Netflix was ascendant — its first season came out the same year as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black — and now it’s over. The sixth and final season of the Netfflix/BBC collaboration is now streaming, alongside the previous five seasons. It’s a stylish crime drama starring Cillian Murphy as antihero Tommy Shelby, the leader of the titular gang consisting of his relatives, as they rise to the top of the criminal underworld in interwar Birmingham. The costumes are glamorous, the anachronistic PJ Harvey-heavy soundtrack is cool, and the supporting performances from big stars like Tom Hardy and Anya Taylor-Joy are entertaining. If you never got around to Peaky Blinders, there’s no reason to not start now. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Documentaries about cults, Hulu’s Under the Banner of Heaven
Number of seasons: 1
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
Netflix
This four-part docuseries tells the story of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and its polygamist leader and self-professed prophet, Warren Jeffs, who had his flock of believers under his thumb in the early 2000s. Jeffs controlled the women in his sect, used them as currency, chose who they married (even when they were as young as 14), banished threats to his rule, and lived a lavish lifestyle paid for by the businesses he took over in the name of the church. With harrowing first-person accounts from the victims of Jeffs’ mental and sexual abuse, Keep Sweet will send chills down your spine. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: The West Wing, foreign excellence
Number of seasons: 4
Borgen: Power and Glory
Mike Kollöffel / Netflix
You like The West Wing? Then you’ll like this Danish political thriller, which is considered to be one of the first international shows at the level of the best dramas of Peak TV. It follows the unlikely rise of centrist politician Birgitte Nyborg Christensen (Sidse Babett Knudsen) to prime minister of Denmark. The new fourth season, a Netflix original, comes out nine years after Season 3 and focuses on a geopolitical crisis in Greenland. It’s more fun than it sounds. [Trailer]
For fans of: Sports, high school, the city of Los Angeles
Number of seasons: 4 (Renewed for Season 5)
Daniel Ezra, All American
The CW
The very popular CW high school sports drama, which was inspired by former NFL player Spencer Paysinger’s life, follows Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), an aspiring football star balancing ambition and everyday teenage drama as he moves from his neighborhood to become MVP at a new school in Beverly Hills. Its fourth season hit Netflix in May. [Trailer | More shows like All American]
For fans of: Love, tender documentaries
Number of seasons: 1
Love on the Spectrum U.S.
Netflix
An American edition of the Australian reality documentary series following the dating lives of people on the autism spectrum. Like the original, the U.S. version is empathetic and deeply moving as it follows these lovable young people on their journeys to find love. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Legal dramas, David E. Kelley, dramas that aren’t too dramatic
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Jazz Raycole, The Lincoln Lawyer
Lara Solanki/Netflix
Netflix doesn’t do a lot of network-style dramas (yet), so this legal drama from prolific writer-producer David E. Kelley stands out. Long before he became the Big Little Lies guy, Kelley dominated the lawyers-on-TV space with L.A. Law, The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Boston Legal, among others. This is his return to the genre. The Lincoln Lawyer is based on a bestselling novel series by Michael Connelly, who also created Det. Harry Bosch, and follows Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a Los Angeles defense attorney who doesn’t like defending people who are guilty but does like using his Lincoln Navigator as his office. He was previously played by Matthew McConaughey in the well-liked 2011 movie of the same name. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Sex, time travel, history
Number of seasons: 6 (5 on Netflix)
Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, Outlander
Starz
Depending on who you ask, Outlander is either the sexiest show on TV, or it’s a historical drama with a touch of sci-fi. Or maybe it’s both! Based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander revolves around Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a married World War II nurse who, during a trip with her husband (Tobias Menzies), mysteriously time travels back to 1743. Thrown into the past and desperate to get home, Claire finds herself embroiled in a Scottish uprising while slowly but surely falling in love with a young warrior named Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). If you’re looking for something that will give you an occasionally accurate history lesson and get you invested in a sweeping romance that spans centuries, Outlander is the show for you. The show is currently between its sixth and seventh seasons on Starz, but Season 5 was only recently added to Netflix. [Trailer]
For fans of: The Skarsgårds, insanity, antiheroes
Number of seasons: 1
Bill Skarsgård, Clark
Nikola Predovic / Netflix
This miniseries about the life of Swedish bank robber and folk hero Clark Olofsson is best described as pure, uncut, European insanity. It‘s Bill Skarsgård stars as the charming rascal who was supposedly so beloved that he was the origin of the term “Stockholm Syndrome” from hostages he took during heists, and the film takes stories — both real and tall tales — from Olofsson’s own biography to spin a tale of a dashing wild man you can’t help root for. Director Jonas Åkerlund gives Clark the appropriate unhinged energy it needs, with quick cuts, animated sequences, and diverse cinematographic techniques to match its star’s freneticism. Get ready for a wild ride. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Classic sitcom feels, female friendships, odd couples
Number of seasons: 1
Meltdown: Three Mile Island
Netflix
Nothing is immune from becoming a Netflix true crime docuseries, including the worst nuclear accident in American history. Meltdown: Three Mile Island, which seems like Netflix’s attempt to get its own version of HBO’s Chernobyl (but without Jared Harris), goes behind the 1979 disaster at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island, where a reactor went into partial meltdown. The four-part documentary features interviews with insiders like the chief engineer and whistleblower, Richard Parks, as well as people from the surrounding community, who dig into the controversies and ongoing impact of the disaster. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
For fans of: Crime thrillers, saying “Oh s—!” at something shocking at least once an episode, the color blue
Number of seasons: 4
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Netflix
This is it. WIll Mardy Byrde (Jason Bateman) die? Will Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney) die? Will Ruth (Julia Garner) die? Will Charlotte (Sofia Hublitz) die? Will Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) write algorithms to make him the leader of the next generation of money laundering professionals and then get caught and thrown in while collar prison? That’s all anyone wants to know as Ozark comes to a close after four seasons. With the bad guys closing in, all we know is someone is going to die. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Classic sitcom feels, female friendships, odd couples
Number of seasons: 7
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
Melissa Moseley/Netflix
Netflix’s longest-running original (it premiered in 2015 and is ending with 94 episodes, more than any other scripted Netflix series), Grace and Frankie follows the two titular women, played by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, as they embark on new lives when their husbands come out as gay and partner up together. There’s an Odd Couple vibe as Grace (Fonda) is a no-nonsense cosmetics mogul and Frankie (Tomlin) is a hippie artist, which only cements their friendship beyond the sitcom-setup bond. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: LGBTQ+ romances, comics come to life
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Kit Connor and Joe Locke, Heartstopper
Netflix
This cute and gentle British teen drama is based on a webcomic-turned-graphic novel that’s beloved by fans of romantic coming-of-age stories. Heartstopper follows Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), an openly gay secondary school student who develops an unlikely friendship with Nick (Kit Connor), a jock with a kind heart who invites Charlie to join the rugby team. And their friendship just might be developing into something more. It’s a sweet little show that keeps some comic book-inspired stylistic flourishes. Fans of the comic, and teen drama in general, will love it. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Time loops, time travel, Natasha Lyonne
Number of seasons: 2
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
Netflix
The best show of early 2019 is back for a second season. Season 1 ended so perfectly and with such finality that it would have been a great limited series, but co-creator-star Natasha Lyonne had an idea for more. Season 2 is set four years after Manhattanites Nadia (Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) escaped from their death-loop, and now they’re on a new sci-fi sadcom adventure where they encounter a time portal accessible via the 6 train that leads to a fate even worse than endless death: becoming your own mother. Season 2 doesn’t have the freshness of Season 1, but it’s still as fun as a comedy about generational trauma can be. –Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Nature, listening to Barack Obama talk about lemurs
Number of seasons: 1
Barack Obama, Our Great National Parks
Netflix
Barack Obama executive-produces and narrates this nature docuseries from the makers of Blue Planet II, taking viewers on a tour of national parks all over the world, including in countries with personal significance to him, Indonesia and Kenya. If you’ve ever wanted to hear a former President talk about sloths, this is for you. It would be great if he opened his narration by saying, “Let me be clear, I love parks.” –Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Melodrama, melodrama, melodrama
Number of seasons: 5 (Renewed for Season 6)
Elite
Manuel Fernandez-Valdes
Elite, the Spanish-language series about three working-class friends who enroll in a luxe private school, is the ideal mix of unhinged camp and actual high-stakes drama. The show centers around the inevitable culture clash between the new kids and their exorbitantly wealthy classmates, but there’s also a murder mystery woven throughout the plot. A lot of teen shows these take themselves incredibly seriously, and while Elite deals with its share of socially relevant topics like homophobia and religion, it leans hard into its chaotic roots, and that makes it all the more watchable. Season 5 was released on Netflix in April, and a sixth season is coming. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
For fans of: Messy drama, partner swaps, the idea of marriage
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On
Netflix
Maybe the best way to fix your relationship isn’t to try out a relationship with someone else, but maybe it is! I’m no relationship expert, but Nick and Vanessa Lachey think they are, so in the show they host they take couples that have different readiness levels for marriage and have them try out what marriage is like… with other people feeling the same way. Then after a few weeks they test-run marriage with their original partners. What can go wrong? This show is stupid on so many levels but that’s why we’re watching it. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
Old Enough
For fans of: Japanese television, responsible kids and irresponsible children
Number of seasons: 1
Old Enough
Netflix
Netflix’s plan to go fully global continues with this acquisition of the Japanese reality TV show Old Enough, which — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — follows Japanese children as they attempt to run errands by themselves. I just watched a boy who wasn’t even three years old walk to the local market to buy curry and flowers for his mother. Yes, this involved crossing busy streets. Yes, I was watching behind my fingers. Yes, the kid made it home safe. But I almost had a heart attack watching this adorable little show. Episodes clock in at around 10 minutes, so it’s a nice little diversion or conversation starter. –Tim Surette
For fans of: Romance, string covers of pop songs
Number of seasons: 2 (Renewed for Seasons 3 & 4)
Will Tilston, Florence Emilia Hunt, Ruby Stokes, Luke Thompson, Jonathan Bailey, and Phoebe Dyvenor, Bridgerton
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Netflix’s megahit offers two full seasons of Regency-era romance, gossip, and gowns, given the golden touch by producer Shonda Rhimes. The 1800s London-set drama is told in season-long chapters, each covering a romance of one of the high society Bridgerton siblings, with Season 1 following Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and her coupling with the reluctant duke Simon (Regé-Jean Page), as well as their steamy on-screen sexploits that gave the show much of its popularity. Season 2 moves on to Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and the woman he cautiously falls for, Kate (Simone Ashley), and while there’s less doin’ it, the push-and-pull romance is a blast to watch. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Big Mouth, throwing up a little in your mouth while also laughing
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Human Resources
Netflix
The hormone monsters and various other imaginary creatures that give Big Mouth‘s horny teens their unwavering sex drive, pubic hair, and crippling depression get their own show in this spin-off that’s more of a workplace comedy than its source, but is still full of the disgusting, bodily fluid humor that makes Big Mouth so unique. It has a great voice cast, with Maria Bamford, Aidy Bryant, Chris O’Dowd, Randall Park, and more joining franchise vets Maya Rudolph, Nick Kroll, and others. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: UK hip-hop music and culture, narco-dramas
Number of seasons: 3 on Netflix, 4 total
Ashley Walters, Top Boy
Chris Harris
This East London and Jamaica-set crime drama returns for its fourth season in 11 years (they make TV at a different pace across the pond) and first since 2019. This season, crime boss Dushane (Ashley Walters) is trying to keep a tight hold on his empire, which includes making Jamie (Micheal Ward), who once came gunning for him, work for him. Meanwhile, Dushane’s former partner Sully (Kane Robinson) is trying to get out of the game, but it’s not easy, especially with the trouble his young relative Pebbles (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star Erin Kellyman) brings his way when she comes to him for help. Top Boy is a gritty and engrossing crime thriller, and it’s great that it’s back. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Servant of the People
For fans of: Ukraine
Number of seasons: 1
Volodymyr Zelensky, Servant of the People
Netflix
Before he was the president of Ukraine and became a worldwide icon for bravery as he led his people against a Russian invasion, Volodymyr Zelensky was a TV star in the Ukrainian sitcom Servant of the People. Ironically, he played a teacher who becomes the Ukrainian president when a political rant of his went viral. Netflix is carrying the first season of the show, which is part family comedy and part political satire. –Tim Surette
For fans of: True crime, the process of brainwashing, lasagna with cucumber instead of pasta
Number of seasons: 1
Sarma Melngailis, Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
Netflix
Netflix dips back into the true-crime pool with this four-episode story about Sarma Melngailis, a vegan chef in New York City whose successful career was done in by a toxic relationship with a secretive man, resulting in the two of them going on the lam with hundreds of thousands of dollars owed to investors and employees. Director Chris Smith (Tiger King) uses interviews with Sarma, her employees, and Sarma’s inner circle to paint a frightening picture of how gaslighting and brainwashing work. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Vikings, Vikings, bloody epics
Number of seasons: 5 (Sequel film coming in 2023)
The Last Kingdom
Netflix
The fifth and final chapter of The Last Kingdom continues the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon), a warrior who was born a Saxon but raised as a Dane when the two groups were at war. Sure, Vikings was succeeded by the spin-off Vikings: Valhalla, but The Last Kingdom was here all along for all your bloody battle needs. –Allison Picurro [Trailer]
For fans of: Pillaging, plundering, family drama
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Leo Suter, Vikings: Valhalla
Bernard Walsh/Netflix
About a year after the end of Vikings, History’s cult favorite action-packed historical drama, the Norsemen and Norsewomen have returned for Vikings: Valhalla, a sequel series that covers the next epoch of the Viking reign. Valhalla is set a century after the original show, and follows Leif Erikson’s (Sam Corlett) journey as he becomes the first European to set foot on North America alongside his sister Freydis (Frida Gustavsson), as well as Harald Hardrada (Leo Suter), who tried and failed to claim the English throne. So yes, this show is building toward the end of the Viking age. If you liked the clanging swords and sexy bearded warriors of the original Vikings, you’ll definitely want to check this out, because it’s more of that. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Ye, Yeezy, Yeezus, The Louis Vuitton Don, Pablo, etc.
Number of seasons: 1
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
Netflix
This is the Kanye West documentary you’ve been waiting for, and you don’t have to wait in line with the sneakerheads all night to get it. The three-part film jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, directed by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah and filmed over two decades, charts Ye’s career, life, and astronomical ascent since the turn of the millennium. Everything is on the table, presidential campaign included. Reviews for Act 1 (Vision), which premiered at Sundance, make this one sound as watchable as you’d expect. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
For fans of: Grifters, the exceptional acting talents of Julia Garner
Number of seasons: 1
Julia Garner, Inventing Anna
Netflix
This limited series is the first show superproducer Shonda Rhimes has created since Scandal, and the true story that got her to open up Final Draft again is a doozy. It’s the only-in-America-and-New-York-City-specifically saga of Anna Delvey, played by Ozark‘s Julia Garner, a wealthy German socialite who took New York society by storm in the mid-2010s — only it turned out she wasn’t wealthy or even technically German. She was a Russia-born con artist named Anna Sorokin who scammed various people and institutions out of hundreds of thousands of dollars thanks to her nearly supernatural self-confidence. She became famous thanks to a bombshell New York Magazine story, the writing of which drives the plot of Inventing Anna, as journalist Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky) tries to answer the question, “Who is Anna Delvey?” -Liam Mathews [Trailer | Review]
For fans of: Human drama, utter emotional chaos
Number of seasons: 2 (Renewed through Season 5)
Love Is Blind
Netflix
The reality dating sensation that was the biggest show in America right before the pandemic started is finally back for a second season. The premise now is the same as it was then: A bunch of single people are sequestered in a house where they meet potential romantic partners. They get to know each other while talking for hours in pods where they can’t see each other. Some of them get engaged, and then we follow them as they try to make it work outside of the pods and prepare for their weddings. It drops in batches of episodes over the course of a few weeks, each covering a different part of the process. It’s a fascinating social experiment with jaw-dropping surprises and wild characters (I will never forget Jessica from Season 1, who gave her dog wine on-camera). -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Korean zombie shows, Korean high school shows, both mixed up in a fun way
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Yoon Chan-young, All of Us Are Dead
Yang Hae-sung/Netflix
Some of South Korea’s biggest global hits have been stories about the undead (yes, we’re talking about Train to Busan and Kingdom), and Netflix’s All of Us Are Dead could easily become the next. The jolting thriller about a zombie virus outbreak at a high school follows students as they desperately fight against flesh-eating monsters — some of whom had been their human friends just minutes before. Starring Yoon Chan-young, Park Ji-hu, Park Solomon, Cho Yi-hyun, and Squid Game‘s Lee Yoo-mi, the series based on the webtoon Now at Our School is a fresh take on the zombie genre with its centering of teen characters and its setting that transforms ordinary classrooms into vicious battlegrounds. As the virus spreads beyond the walls of the school, the show’s exploration of themes including the corruption of authority and the abuse of power also becomes increasingly apparent. -Kat Moon [Trailer]
For fans of: Sports docuseries, watching the human body do unreal things, facing controversy head-on
Number of seasons: 2
Cheer
Netflix
Producer Greg Whiteley is one of TV’s Midases, a man whose golden touch makes hits out of any sports docuseries he creates (see: Last Chance U, Last Chance U: Basketball). But Cheer, which follows college cheerleading powerhouse Navarro College, might be his best. Following a Season 1 that won three Emmys, Cheer returns for Season 2 with its world upside-down and dealing with celebrity, both the good and bad. Season 2 also deals with controversy — Season 1 star Jerry Harris was charged with sexual abuse of a minor and child pornography — head-on, in addition to coronavirus and the brutal winter storms that hit Texas last winter. But the heart of the season is still the competition, which is magnified as cameras also follow Navarro’s rivals Trinity Valley and the collision course of both teams in Daytona. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: The Karate Kid, the ’80s, the Valley
Number of seasons: 4 (Renewed for Season 5)
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, Cobra Kai
Netflix
It’s hard to believe that a series following the lives of Johnny (William Zabka) and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) from The Karate Kid would be as good as Cobra Kai is, but there’s some sort of indescribable magic going on that makes it work. Following up on Johnny in present day, Cobra Kai wonders what would happen if his rivalry with Daniel continued into their adult lives, culminating in them creating their own karate dojos where a new generation of martial artists fight for respect, rumble with their parents, and get into love triangles. The show’s self-awareness holds everything together, but it’s the twisting (albeit predictable) plot that makes it so bingeable. In Season 4, a new enemy appears, but is it enough to put a pause on Johnny and Daniel’s rivalry? -Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Stereotypes, “fashion,” rom-coms, brand engagement
Number of seasons: 2 (Renewed through Season 4)
Lucien Laviscount and Lily Collins, Emily in Paris
Stéphanie Branchu/Netflix
Emily in Paris (and you gotta say it like it rhymes), who haunts the dreams of actual Parisians, is back on the streets of Paris like some kind of colorfully dressed cryptid. The new episodes kick off where Season 1 left off, with the titular American in Paris getting herself into a love triangle after sleeping with Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), which puts her in a tight spot with Camille (Camille Razat). Mon dieu! She’s also wearing a checkered bucket hat in the trailer. Hard to tell which sin is worse. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
For fans of: Henry Cavill, serious fantasy
Number of seasons: 2 (Renewed for Season 3)
Henry Cavill, The Witcher
Jay Maidment/Netflix
It’s been two long years since Netflix released The Witcher Season 1, but Season 2 of the fantasy hit is well worth the wait. Henry Cavill returns as Geralt of Rivia, the world-weary slayer of monsters who is tasked by destiny with protecting the magical Crown Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) from many different pursuers who all want her for their own nefarious ends. Season 2 is told in a linear fashion, which makes it easier to follow than Season 1, which had a timeline so complicated there are jokes about it in Season 2. But it’s still a hardcore fantasy show that will satisfy the nerdiest fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s multimedia franchise. This season, Geralt battles numerous elaborate CGI monsters, but his greatest foe is the plot. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
For fans of: Selling Sunset, but Florida style
Number of seasons: 1
Selling Tampa
Malcolm Jackson/Netflix
The selling point (sorry) of Selling Tampa is that it’s a Selling Sunset spin-off, but as a Floridian, what interests me is how they’re going to sell Tampa. The new reality series follows a team of real estate agents at an all-female, Black-owned agency in Tampa, Florida, as they sell off luxury waterfront real estate and presumably don’t hang out at the mall where I got my back-to-school clothes. This is the second reality series about Tampa in as many months, following Amazon’s show about Tampa’s lesbian scene, Tampa Baes. What was it Andy Warhol said? In the future every metropolitan area will get its 15 minutes of fame in a pair of streaming reality series. Looking forward to Selling Buffalo. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
For fans of: Snappy shows that were meant for bingeing, twisty action, antiheroes
Number of Seasons: 3
Jaime Lorente, Belen Cuesta, and Ursula Corbero, Money Heist
Tamara Arranz/Netflix
Netflix recently announced that 97 percent of its American subscribers have watched an international (non-English language) series on its service, and I’m willing to bet 97 percent of those people were watching Money Heist, Álex Pina’s Spanish bank heist series. Pina’s preference for style and mystery over everything else is all over Money Heist, making it highly bingeable and perfect for the Netflix formula. Action! Drama! Skin! More action! The complete series is out now. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Screaming, dads
Number of seasons: 5
F Is for Family
Netflix
In this case, F is not just for “family” or Frank’s favorite word; F is also for “final season,” as one of Netflix’s better animated adult shows calls it a series after five seasons of cursing, screaming, and broken dreams. Frank Murphy (Bill Burr) is a man whose life didn’t quite turn out as he had hoped, and as he strives to be a different father to his kids than his strict dad was with him, he finds himself becoming more like his old man than he’s comfortable with. There’s a lot of Northeast, blue-collar, mid-’70s energy in F Is for Family — it’s amazing Frank hasn’t committed homicides or had one too many arteries explode — but that just makes the well-earned heartfelt moments hit that much harder. Say goodbye to one of the best opening credits sequences out there. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
Hellbound
For fans of: Incorrectly calling something the next Squid Game, religious chaos
Number of seasons: 1
Hellbound
Jung Jaegu/Netflix
Yeon Sang-ho is building a name for himself as a creative force out of Korea, following his zombie films Train to Busan and its wacky sequel Peninsula. He directs his first television series with Hellbound, an adaptation of his webtoon Hell, which wades in the murky waters of religion and faith as creatures appear on Earth to drag people to hell after a prophecy from an angel. But Hellbound approaches the subject of sin and paying for those sins through several characters, such as a police detective and a cult leader. The special effects may be a little iffy, but the brutality and philosophy are real. [Trailer]
For fans of: League of Legends (or not, it doesn’t matter!), dope animation
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Arcane
Netflix
The popular PC video game League of Legends has officially crossed mediums. Arcane adds life to two the game’s playable characters, Jinx (voiced by Ella Purnell) and Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld), by digging into their backstories as petty thieves in the underworld city of Zaun and the tech-heavy city above it, Piltover. Arcane could have taken the easy route and thrown out a cookie-cutter TV adaptation with empty characters and showy action sequences, but instead it has crafted a show with great characters, a deep story, and beautiful motion-capture animation that pops off the screen. You don’t need to know a thing about League of Legends or be a fan of anime to enjoy this. [Trailer]
For fans of: Crime dramas, cartel violence, drugs
Number of seasons: 3
Scoot McNairy and Eric Etebari, Narcos: Mexico
Juan Rosas/Netflix
The third and final season of the spin-off that we didn’t know we needed continues on without its big bad Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) after his arrest in the Season 2 finale, but that just means there’s more chaos to be had in the ruckus to become the new Mexican drug kingpin. Expect lots of violence, obviously. [Trailer]
For fans of: Social justice, doing the right thing, youth sports
Number of seasons: 1
Colin Kaepernick, Colin in Black & White
Netflix
Colin Kaepernick went from being known as a fleet-footed NFL quarterback to an activist with just one move: kneeling for the National Anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. In this six-episode limited series, Kaepernick and director Ava DuVernay give Kaepernick a space to tell his story, which he does through monologues, reenactments, and a comedy-drama about his childhood as a Black kid with dreams of being a quarterback who was adopted into a white family. It’s a bizarre mix that admittedly takes a bit to get used to, but it’s all tied together through Kaepernick’s bold truths and sincerity. Bonus: His parents are played by Mary-Louise Parker and Nick Offerman, and young Colin is played by the very charming Jaden Michael. [Trailer]
For fans of: Cool Mesoamerican art style, Raya and the Last Dragon, dazzling visuals
Number of seasons: 1
Maya and the Three
Netflix
Maya and the Three — from The Book of Life creator Jorge R. Gutierrez — may just be the coolest looking thing on Netflix. The kids nine-episode miniseries celebrates pre-colonial Mexican culture with panache, dressing its characters in ceremonial headdresses, warpaint, and detailed costumes that pop off the screen as the magical characters scale enormous Aztec-influenced edifices and soar over the picturesque beauty of Central America. There’s a story, too: A 15-year-old warrior princess named Maya (voiced by Zoe Saldana) goes on a quest to stop the gods of the underworld from destroying humanity, and while that sounds serious, Maya and the Three is packed with humor for all ages. This isn’t just one of Netflix’s best kids shows, it’s one of Netflix’s best shows, period. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Creepy dudes, voiceover, problem after problem
Number of seasons: 3 (Renewed for Season 4)
Victoria Pedretti and Penn Badgley, You
John P. Fleenor/Netflix
Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgely) is back — or was he always right behind you this whole time? — for the third season of Netflix’s creepy stalker drama, except this time he may not be the one to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants. Now in California and married (!!) to Love (Victoria Pedretti), Joe is raising his son in a chill suburb and everything is going great. OK, not really, because Joe’s gotta Joe and he develops an unhealthy obsession with his new neighbor. But will Love let him do his thing? [Trailer]
For fans of: Warmth and wholesomeness, tween girl drama
Number of seasons: 2
Vivian Watson and Anais Lee, The Baby-Sitters Club
Netflix
There’s a tween girl inside all of us who just wants to watch a charming show about young girls trying to start a baby-sitting business. Embrace your inner Emily or Jayden or Madison and watch The Baby-Sitters Club, a true safe space in a world that wants to keep you down. Season 2 adds a few more members to the club, but the care to flesh out all its characters is still there. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Coming-of-age stories with a real perspective, having great taste
Number of seasons: 4
Jason Genao, Brett Gray, Diego Tinoco, and Sierra Capri, On My Block
Kevin Estrada/Netflix
On My Block is back for its fourth and final season. In its last batch of episodes, the teen comedy-drama explains how Monse (Sierra Capri), Jamal (Brett Gray), Cesar (Diego Tinco), Ruby (Jason Genao), and Jasmine (Jessica Marie Garcia) fell out and exactly what went down in the two-year time jump revealed at the end of Season 3. It’s senior year, so the teens are faced with decisions about college and what a post-Freeridge life will look like for each of them as they try to outrun the sins of their past and just have a good time at prom. It’s as funny and emotional as ever. –Megan Vick [Trailer]
For fans of: The struggle, female empowerment, making bad decisions and then good decisions, the Pacific Northwest
Number of seasons: 1
Margaret Qualley, Maid
Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix
You won’t often end an episode of Maid — adapted from Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive — feeling overjoyed with the world, because the miniseries isn’t afraid to focus on the difficulties single mothers escaping abusive relationships face. But stick around and you’ll be inspired by the perseverance of Alex (Margaret Qualley in a star-making performance) as she becomes a housecleaner in Washington to make ends barely meet. Even though it’s a little longer than it needs to be, you won’t complain as long as Qualley is on the screen. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Stephen King, The Haunting of Hill House, cerebral horror
Number of seasons: 1
Hamish Linklater, Midnight Mass
Netflix
After The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, creator Mike Flanagan is sticking with what he does best with another winning horror miniseries, only this time he’s passing on the haunted house and going for a whole haunted island. The seven-episode series takes place in a fishing community 30 miles off the mainland and puts religion in the spotlight when a charismatic new priest (Hamish Linklater) arrives on the island with promises to lead his growing flock to salvation. As you can guess, it doesn’t quite work out that way. Telling you any more would be a disservice to the storytelling. –Tim Surette [Trailer | Review]
For fans of: Twisted tales of cruelty, extremely violent kids’ games
Number of seasons: 1 (Renewed for Season 2)
Squid Game
Youngkyu Park/Netflix
Who remembers playing childhood games for fun on the playground? Who remembers playing them FOR YOUR LIFE? The unexpected hit Korean drama Squid Game is more the latter, as a group of people in bad need of money are taken in by a secret organization that has them play games — like Red Light, Green Light — for money. The catch? They lose, they die. Violently. What separates this from something like Saw is the humanity given to the characters. You’ll care about some of these people… and then they will die. –Tim Surette [Trailer | More shows like Squid Game]
For fans of: Comedies with bite
Number of seasons: 4
Logan Browning, Dear White People
Lara Solanki/Netflix
Dear White People is back for one last semester, and although the wait has been excruciatingly long, it’s going out with a bang. The final season is 100 times more musical, with the students of Winchester deciding to put on a variety show that celebrates Black culture. There are performances of songs we already like, like Montell Jordan’s ’90s classic “This Is How We Do It,” and big showy dance numbers, and also the inevitable moments where all the characters have to reckon with the fact that they’re about to be thrust into the world of adulthood. [Trailer]
For fans of: Kids discovering themselves, Gillian Anderson
Number of seasons: 3 (Renewed for Season 2)
Asa Butterfield and Emma Mackey, Sex Education
Netflix
There are so many coming-of-age television series out there, but few are as brazenly honest and endearing as this one. The comedy, now in its third season, is a raunchy-on-the-outside and sweet-on-the-inside charmer about a teen boy who inadvertently becomes his school’s go-to sex therapist. The series explores teen sexuality in a refreshingly non-judgemental, authentic way, and it posits that whether you’re the most popular kid in school or the outcast eating lunch alone, there’s a universal and terrifying confusion in growing up that can be made more manageable by a supportive community and communication. Plus, Gillian Anderson co-stars as Otis’ eccentric divorcée mom, who is an actual sex therapist and has a house full of phallic statues, which is just a lot of fun. [Trailer]
For fans of: The devil, hell puns
Number of seasons: 6
Tom Ellis, Lucifer
Netflix
Procedural fans know that anyone can become an unlikely police consultant, including, in this case, the literal devil. Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), who’s abandoned hell to become a nightclub owner in Los Angeles, partners up with L.A.P.D. detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) to solve crime — stranger things have happened, maybe? — while sorting out his otherworldly daddy issues. On top of being a fun show with a steamy will they/won’t they couple, Lucifer is also a clever spin on redemption stories. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]
For fans of: Sandra Oh, the pains of academia
Number of seasons: 1
Sandra Oh and Jay Duplass, The Chair
Eliza Morse / Netflix
Sandra Oh is starring in another TV show, which means everything is once again right with the world. Oh plays Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the newest (and first woman) Chair of the embattled English department at a swanky university. She navigates both professional and personal struggles, and crushes on a professor played by Jay Duplass, which is very relatable.
For fans of: Committing crimes with style, heists
Number of seasons: 1 (divided into two parts, with a third on the way)
Antoine Gouy and Omar Sy, Lupin
Netflix
Omar Sy stars as Assane Diop, a man who is essentially a French Bruce Wayne if Batman was more of a cat burglar than dark knight. Inspired by the classic French character Arsène Lupin, known as the “gentleman burglar,” Diop starts the series off trying to steal a valuable necklace from the Louvre with a grand heist as part of a revenge plot against the wealthy family responsible for the death of his father several years prior. Sy is a charming dude, and the heists and trickery are fun, complicated acts, performed under the guise of being the good guy. It may not be the greatest show Netflix ever put out, but it is a very entertaining distraction that’s easy to get through. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Getting a history lesson while your stomach growls
Number of seasons: 1
Stephen Satterfield and Dr. Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog: How African American Culture Transformed America
Netflix
Netflix has a large catalog of food shows, but none quite like High on the Hog. Hosted by Stephen Satterfield, the four-part docuseries is about Satterfield’s journey to learn about the storied history of African American cuisine. He learns about the contributions Black people have made to food, and how much of an influence food from the past has on the food we eat now, including the origins of okra, dishes created by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington’s enslaved chefs, and how mac and cheese came to be. The show is infectiously joyful, and has a lovely “discover your roots” spirit. Fair warning, though: You’re going to be starving after each episode. [Trailer]
For fans of: Intense no-cut actions sequences, life and death situations
Number of seasons: 2
Christine Lee, Jaime King, and Justin Chu Gary, Black Summer
Netflix
Not all zombie shows are built the same, and this spiritual spin-off of the goofy Z Nation focuses on the gritty life-or-death situation of a small group of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. It’s intentionally minimal on plot (and at times dialogue), letting the action — frequently told in long takes with no cuts and some athletic cameramen — tell the story. For my money, it’s the best zombie show on TV. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Great TV, great acting, great cinematography, great writing, great everything
Number of seasons: 5
Bryan Cranston and Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Ursula Coyote/AMC
Well, it’s perhaps the greatest television show ever made, so yeah, you should watch it. Bryan Cranston stars as antihero Walter White, a mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher who begins cooking meth to pay for his cancer treatments and finds that he really, really likes it. It won 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, including two for Best Drama Series in 2013 and 2014. Some will say the first season is only OK, but those people are morons. While you’re at it, watch the spin-off, Better Call Saul, which is also on Netflix. –Tim Surette [Trailer]
For fans of: Chaos, having good car ideas, wet steaks, weak coffins, fart toilets, complex patterns on shirts
Number of seasons: 2
Tim Robinson, I Think You Should Leave
Netflix
Sometimes what you want is to see your id, your most base animal instincts, the unhinged thoughts you definitely have but rarely voice, reflected on screen. You may or may not remember Tim Robinson from his time on Saturday Night Live; honestly, they didn’t really know what to do with him over there, and in retrospect it’s clear that what he needed was something of his own where he could really let his freak flag fly. That’s I Think You Should Leave in a nutshell! It’s a madcap rollercoaster of a sketch series that features Robinson playing a host of weirdo characters with big personalities and strong convictions about things that don’t really matter, such as his highly memeable hot dog mascot who refuses to admit he was the one who crashed his car into a storefront. Like anything that’s really, truly hilarious, it’s sort of impossible to describe. You just have to watch it to understand. [Trailer]
For fans of: Inspiring sports stories
Number of seasons: 5 seasons of Last Chance U and 1 season of Last Chance U: Basketball
Last Chance U
Netflix
One of TV’s best sports docuseries, every season of Last Chance U follows a different junior college football program across the U.S. It focuses on the students — many of whom are highly touted as players, but deal with challenges on and off the field — as they attempt to keep up their performance both on the team and in the classroom in order to remain eligible. The show gives unique access to the host of issues student athletes face, and goes deep into the ambition many of the players have to move into Division 1 football programs. Its spinoff, Last Chance U: Basketball, is just as good, with its first season spotlighting the East Los Angeles College Huskies as they try to turn their fortunes around with a roster made up of kids who failed to live up to expectations at higher division programs because of various factors. The sport is different, but the emotional impact remains the same as their coach pushes them to be the best players and people they can be. [Trailer]
For fans of: When comedians enter their serious auteur era
Number of seasons: 3
Lena Waithe and Naomi Ackie, Master of None
Netflix
When Master of None first premiered in 2015, the series became a reset for co-creator and star Aziz Ansari‘s career, who up until that point had mostly been known for his role as the guy on Parks and Recreation who gave us “treat yo’ self.” Ansari played Dev, a New York actor struggling with the personal and the professional, and the show was pretty universally acclaimed, especially in its triumphant second season, which brought black-and-white cinematography, references to French New Wave, and a beautiful, Golden Globe-winning episode about Dev’s friend Denise’s (Lena Waithe) coming out. It was in between Season 2 and its surprise Season 3 that sexual misconduct allegations against Ansari were made public, and when the show eventually did return after a long hiatus, it shifted the focus from Dev to Denise, exploring her relationship with her wife Alicia (Naomi Ackie). The good news is that it stayed fascinating throughout, wrestling with the characters’ flaws and exploring regret and loss in an entirely human way. [Trailer]
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