The 50 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now (July 2024)

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on the best of Netflix, whether you want to download shows for your en-route-to-vacation flights or binge a series by the pool. If you're looking for something light and breezy, look no further than the romance hit Bridgerton — which just completed its third season — and the YA charmer Geek Girl. But if you're looking for something darker and heavier, there are plenty of options, too. TV Guide favorite Evil is available on Netflix, and so is the disturbing but illuminating 2024 series Baby Reindeer. 

This list is weighted toward the best shows to watch on Netflix right now, which means recently released Netflix Originals take priority, though you'll find legacy Netflix shows further down the list. These are only the most relevant and worthwhile shows to watch on Netflix.  

Last updated July 1, newer additions are at the top.

Bridgerton

Since the start of Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has harbored feelings for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). Season 3 finally explores this friends-to-lovers relationship, and make Penelope — who is secretly Lady Whistledown — the subject of her own gossip column. Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's historical romance novels, and the first two seasons chronologically followed the love stories in the original titles. Season 3 skips the third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, which is focused on Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), and adapts the fourth, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. It's #Polin time. -Kat Moon [Trailer]

Geek Girl

Based on the YA novel by Holly Smale, Geek Girl is a modern-day fairy tale about an awkward high schooler (House of the Dragon's Emily Carey) who goes from pushover to makeover when she's discovered by a modeling agency and makes a splash in the business. It's an easy-breezy series that has a positive message about being yourself, and thanks to some enlightening depictions of neurodiversity — Carey's Harriet is never labeled as autistic, but there are certainly indicators that she is — it's more important than some of its peers. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Evil

If your definition of prestige television isn't big enough for a streaming procedural about exorcism, Evil will change that. Robert and Michelle King's supernatural drama returned for its fourth season May 23 on Paramount+, but if you don't have Paramount+ and you do have Netflix, this is your chance to catch the first two seasons. Evil — which stars Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, and Aasif Mandvi as a trio of investigators looking into claims of demonic activity on behalf of the Catholic Church — is sublimely cool, using its case-of-the-week formula to tell barbed parables about modern anxieties, all while having more fun than anything else on TV. The cast, which also includes Michael Emerson as our heroes' gleeful antagonist, nails Evil's tricky, off-kilter tone, which dances between winking playfulness and the creeping sense that something is really wrong here. On Evil, it ultimately doesn't matter whether the shadow in the corner is a demon or it's all in your head. What matters is that you can't look away. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer] [More shows like Evil]

Baby Reindeer            

Based on a true story that was turned into a stage play by creator and star Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer follows a middling stand-up comedian named Donny (Gadd) whose chance encounter with a lonely woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning) turns his life into a nightmare. The series is about more than just a stalker, though. The second half of Baby Reindeer details Donny's experience as a victim of grooming and sexual abuse by a TV writer who promises to further Donny's career, and how that informs all aspects of his life — from his evolving sexuality to his difficulties with intimacy, and even his relationship with Martha. -Tim Surette [Trailer] [More shows like Baby Reindeer]

More recommendations:

• The Best Movies on Netflix to Watch Right Now
• What's New and Coming to Netflix
• The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Prime Video, HBO, Netflix, and More

Parasyte: The Grey            

This South Korean sci-fi horror TV series from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho is a live-action spin-off of the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, and depicts all the awful things that happen when parasitic organisms from outer space come to Earth and turn humans into killing machines. What's more, all sorts of disgusting tentacles and tendrils pop out of the host bodies' heads like jack-in-the-boxes. The story isn't too complicated, but the action sequences will keep you glued to the screen. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Ripley            

What if the story of The Talented Mr. Ripley was depicted as it truly is: a chilling tale of a sociopath whose lust for deviancy leads to a murdering spree? Creator Steven Zaillian takes Patricia Highsmith's story and turns it into a polar opposite of the popular 1999 Matt Damon and Jude Law movie, filming everything in stark black and white and spending more time getting in the head of con man Thomas Ripley (played exquisitely by Andrew Scott) while he heads to Italy to convince a wealthy layabout to return home to America at the request of the father. Ripley has divided viewers, with some saying Scott is too old and the pacing is too slow, but I loved the tension and the careful character examination. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

3 Body Problem         

Netflix's biggest new series in a long time is this adaptation of Cixin Liu's epic sci-fi novel from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and True Blood's Alexander Woo. Set across multiple timelines and in different countries, 3 Body Problem is a global thriller about scientists attempting to thwart an impending alien invasion. Unlike its peers in the genre, 3 Body Problem is heavily rooted in science, and the invasion will take 400 years to arrive, so it plays with theoretical solutions rather than building a big gun. Though its heady approach is not for everyone, you should at least watch through Episode 5 to see what happens to a boat carrying pro-alien cultists. It's rad. -Tim Surette [Trailer] [Review]

Girls5eva         

One of TV's best comedies of the 2020s had the distinct disadvantage of being a Peacock original, but with a new life on Netflix, it's turning in some of its best work ever. Girls5eva follows a semi-successful '90s girl group that tries to make a comeback in the 2020s, with age, a changed entertainment business landscape, and a disinterested population getting in the way. It's produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock and created by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Meredith Scardino, so it's packed with rapid-fire jokes and has its sights dead set on pop culture. The main cast — Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, and Paula Pell — is phenomenal, and a steady stream of well-known guest stars and original songs keep it fresh. Both Peacock seasons are now on Netflix, as is an all-new Netflix-exclusive Season 3. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Warrior         

Warrior is a breakthrough in Asian representation on the screen, but that's just a bonus of this action drama that's reaching a new audience on Netflix after a quiet life on Cinemax and Max. Based on the writings of Bruce Lee and brought to the screen by his daughter Shannon, Warrior's depiction of the Tong Wars in San Francisco in the late 1800s is appropriately gruesome and takes more turns than Lombard Street, showing a time, place, and people that television somehow always overlooks. It's Peaky Blinders with an added layer of racial issues. It's Gangs of New York with more flying kicks. But it's also wholly original as a story of immigrants making their way in a country that only barely tolerated them and fighting back against that hatred. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

One Day         

True love doesn't happen overnight, despite what romantic dramas would lead you to believe, and in this adaptation of David Nicholls' book, it takes decades. Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod will make you believe in love at 1000th sight, as we follow Dexter (Woodall) and Emma (Mod) on one day each year from the late '80s to the '00s, with all the ups and downs in between. The 14-episode limited series may seem intimidating at first, but the abbreviated run times (about 30 minutes each episode) make this a breezy binge. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Love on the Spectrum U.S. 

This heartwarming series is 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. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in 2022. In Season 2, the show catches up with many of your favorites from Season 1 as they continue to look for love or take the next step in their new relationships. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Boy Swallows Universe

Australian author Trent Dalton's debut book Boy Swallows Universe gets adapted for Netflix in this seven-episode limited series that's for anyone looking for a coming-of-age story with a dash of crime and a warm heart. It follows Eli Bell, a young teenager whose mom is a former drug addict, stepdad is a heroin dealer, brother is mute, and father is in prison, as he stumbles into a life of crime to help out his family. Despite that setup, it's a warm family drama with plenty of humor to keep it humming. Look out for strong performances from Travis Fimmel and Phoebe Tonkin, as well as a star-making turn for young Felix Cameron. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Brothers Sun

Imagine finding out that your family runs a notorious triad and that your estranged brother is its deadliest weapon. That's what happens to Bruce Sun (Sam Song Li) when his older sibling Charles (Justin Chien) suddenly appears in Los Angeles and reveals the unthinkable life he's lived as a Taiwanese gangster. Only it's not unthinkable to their mom, Eileen (Michelle Yeoh): Mama Sun deliberately left Taiwan years ago to leave the family's criminal past behind, and brought only Bruce with her. Come for Michelle Yeoh mothering, stay for two brothers finding each other — and themselves. -Kat Moon [Trailer]

Blue Eye Samurai

Netflix is on a hot streak with animation — just look at the next few entries on this list — but the best of the bunch might be Blue Eye Samurai, a French-American co-production about a half-white half-Japanese female samurai (Onna-musha) in 17th century Japan on a quest for vengeance against four men. The critically acclaimed series features the voice talent of Maya Erskine, Darren Barnett, Masi Oka, George Takei, and Brenda Song. It ain't for kids though; in addition to digit-severing violence, there's nudity that would make your mom blush. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

The biggest headline surrounding Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the upcoming anime adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, is that the entire cast from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright's 2010 cult favorite film, reassembled to reprise their roles. Everyone from Michael Cera as the titular lovelorn slacker to Chris Evans as pompous "pretty good actor" Lucas Lee is back for the series, which O'Malley and co-creator BenDavid Grabinski promised is neither a direct adaptation of the movie or the books, but its own thing entirely. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Escaping Twin Flames

The second docuseries about the matchmaking cult Twin Flames Universe in a month — Prime Video's Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe came out in early October — is the better of the two, spilling all the horrific details of what happened to its followers while also tearing down cuckoo bananas TFU founders Jeff and Shaleia Divine for the megalomaniacal grifters that they are. With interviews from former members and families ripped apart by TFU, as well as hours of recorded meetings that show just how bad things were, Escaping Twin Flames is a full evisceration of a scam that still exists today. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Pluto

Netflix might not care if you watch this gorgeous, thought-provoking anime, but we do. This adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's acclaimed manga spins off from the ultra-popular Astro Boy franchise, following a series of murders of specific robots around the world. The deaths aren't random; the targeted robots possess a certain amount of power, and Urasawa tells the story as a slow-burning murder mystery taken on by a detective who just so happens to be a robot. As the robots fall victim episode by episode, their stories are told, asking questions of artificial intelligence, robot rights, sentience, and, naturally, what it means to be human. What makes the series more than the sum of its parts is the emotional bombs its drops. There are moments of robo-sadness that will stick with you for a long time. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Fall of the House of Usher

Mike Flanagan's final series for Netflix — some others of his, including Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, are also on this list — remixes the works of Edgar Allen Poe in a story about a pharmaceutical tycoon whose children die off one by one while he's haunted by his past. Many of Flanagan's repertory players return, as does his love of extreme gore and ghosts. (The murderous gorillas are new, though.) What struck me about House of Usher was the use of humor; this is by far Flanagan's funniest series so far, and it works really well to counterbalance his sense of doom. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Wrestlers

Director Greg Whiteley and the team behind Netflix sports docuseries hits Cheer and Last Chance U grapple with professional wrestling in Wrestlers, which follows the owners, athletes, and fans of the Ohio Valley Wrestling league, a developmental organization that started the careers of John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Dave Bautista, and more. Sure, wrestling is more entertainment than sport, but the themes of Whiteley's other projects — grueling competition, sacrifice, and personal demons — are all over this, with the added complexity of new owners trying to make OVW a profitable business conflicting with the creative process of big sweaty men and women tossing each other over turnbuckles. It's not only just as good as Cheer and Last Chance U, it might be better. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Sex Education

There are so many coming-of-age television series out there, but few are as brazenly honest and endearing as this one. The comedy, which just completed its fourth and final 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. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Heartstopper

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]

Untold

This sports documentary anthology series goes deep into controversial sports news stories from the past, telling the real, human story behind the sensational headlines. In Season 3, the highlight episode is — whether you like it or not — focused on YouTube influencer turned clown turned pro boxer Jake Paul, showing what goes on behind the PR machine, headed by Paul himself, that has capitalized on his antihero status and turned him into a major sports draw (and the unlikely lightning rod that has revitalized boxing). Also worth checking out are Season 1's episodes on tennis player Mardy Fish and the "Malice at the Palace" NBA brawl and Season 2's breakdown of the Manti Te'o controversy involving the Heisman candidate being catfished by a fraudster. -Liam Mathews and Tim Surette [Trailer]

Sweet Magnolias

This special brand of small-town drama is a fan favorite for its coziness, following the daily goings on of female friends Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Helen (Heather Headley), and Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) in the made-up town of Serenity, South Carolina. Expect some obstacles — but nothing too over the top — as the women navigate big and small issues with romance, careers, and family. It goes down like a cold glass of sweet tea. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Witcher 

In this adaptation of the fantasy book series, Henry Cavill plays 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. While it isn't always easy to follow, Seasons 2 and 3 settle in from 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. Season 3 is Cavill's last as the lead as he departs the series, making way for Liam Hemsworth to take over in Season 4. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Never Have I Ever

Mindy Kaling's warm, wickedly funny spin on a classic high school comedy stars 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. Who knew we all needed to hear John McEnroe say "thirst trap"? The series also ends with solid finality; Devi doesn't tiptoe around her feelings. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson

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 roller coaster 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. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

XO, Kitty

Return to the To All the Boys I've Loved Before Cinematic Universe (the TATBILBCU) with this new series spun off from the hit Netflix films. XO, Kitty, created by Jenny Han (who also wrote the books that inspired the movies), follows Kitty Covey (Anna Cathcart) as she moves to Seoul to attend the same boarding school her late mom went to. It doesn't hurt that her long-distance boyfriend, Dae (Choi Min-young) goes there, too. But when that relationship hits a snag, Lara Jean's younger sister will have to figure out what she really wants. -Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

Beef

This meaty dark comedy stars Steven Yeun as a troubled contractor and Ali Wong as a seemingly-has-it-all entrepreneur whose lives collide when they get into a road range incident. Each determined not to let the other get the upper hand, they embark on a battle of wills as their personal lives crumble around them. Yeun is fantastic in this, and the endless parade of unfortunate circumstances that force both of them into their laser-eyed focus on destroying each other is a nice bit of schadenfreude. Who knew hate could be so fun? This is in the conversation of the best Netflix originals ever. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

The Night Agent

TV creator Shawn Ryan has produced some great shows — The Shield, Timeless, Terriers — and while his latest, The Night Agent, might not be on the same level of his other hits, it's an easy binge that stays in Ryan's lane. The political action-thriller is based on Matthew Quirk's book, following a low-level FBI agent who mans a secret phone line in the basement of the White House. His job is a bore... until the phone rings! Then it's all about uncovering a conspiracy that goes — say it with me — all the way to the top. –Tim Surette [Trailer]

Outer Banks

At this point, the Outer Banks isn't so much a place as it is a state of mind. In Season 3, Outer Banks is taking the action to the Caribbean — and beyond — as the Pogues are pulled into a dangerous hunt for a lost city. Season 2's massive reveal about John B.'s (Chase Stokes) family leads into the new season, which was released in the dead of winter despite the previous seasons getting released in a warmer time of year. Being a summer show is also a state of mind. –Kelly Connolly [Trailer]

You

Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgely) is back for the fourth season of Netflix's creepy stalker drama, except this time the stalker may be the stalkee! The New York murderer turned L.A. murderer is taking his questionable talents to Europe, where he'll be masquerading as a professor, keeping tabs on his librarian crush (Tati Gabrielle), getting texts from a stalker, and palling around with privileged jerks. You can take the guy out of Gossip Girl, but you can't take Gossip Girl out of the guy, am I right? -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Alice in Borderland

Alice in Borderland, adapted from the manga series of the same name, follows Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) as he finds himself in an alternate Tokyo where most humans have disappeared. He has no idea what happened, but must enter the mysterious competitions in order to earn "visas" that will prevent him from being executed. Along the way, he crosses paths with Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), a rock climber who becomes Arisu's partner in figuring out what is going on. -Kat Moon [Trailer]

Wednesday 

Was it the right call to turn The Addams Family into a boilerplate Netflix show about a girl at a supernatural school investigating a not-very-intriguing murder mystery and navigating some not-very-original high school drama? Probably not. This show didn't have to be a Chilling Adventures of Sabrina redux. But Jenna Ortega's winningly droll performance as the iconic morbid teen Wednesday Addams and director/executive producer Tim Burton's distinctive brand of macabre whimsy make it entertaining enough to watch if you're not expecting something spectacular. -Liam Mathews [Trailer | Review]

1899

This isn't a prequel to Yellowstone, it's an expensive but efficiently made supernatural mystery series set onboard a steamship carrying migrants from London to New York City. After the ship makes contact with another seemingly lost ship at sea, things get really weird. A "What is even happening?" type of weird. The show features a sprawling international cast meant to give it global appeal — you'll hear eight different languages spoken — with Into the Badlands' Emily Beechum the top-billed performer. Its country of origin is Germany, and it was created by Dark's Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, masters of ambitious, narratively complex TV. It features a haunting score from composer Ben Frost that's so good you may want to listen to on its own. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

The Crown

The queen's reign is ending. The Crown returns for its final six episodes, which picks up in the aftermath of Princess Diana's (Elizabeth Debicki) untimely death and follow the royals as they try to put their lives back together. Ed McVey and Luther Ford take over the roles of Prince William and Prince Harry, respectively, and Meg Bellamy will debut her take on Kate Middleton, infamous sheer dress and all. What will Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) think of this? -Kelly Connolly [Trailer] [Review]

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

This eye-popping anime from renowned Japanese anime makers Studio Trigger is based in the dystopian, cyberpunk future of the video game Cyberpunk 2077, a setting rich in detail and possibility that Edgerunners uses to its fullest. Our hero is David Martinez, a young man who, after he's struck with tragedy, drops out of high school and into a life of cyber-enhanced criminality. There's violence, nudity, and cursing, so keep the kiddos away, and it's a deep, jargony dive into tech, so keep the normies away, too. But if Blade Runner-style drama is of interest to you, jack in. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Cobra Kai

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 the 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 5, a foe from Daniel's past reemerges: "Karate's Bad Boy" Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan), who fought Daniel in The Karate Kid Part III. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Mo

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]

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

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]

The Sandman 

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]  

Virgin River

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. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

Stranger Things

Stranger Things is Netflix's biggest show. 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]

Peaky Blinders

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] 

Ozark 

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]

Russian Doll

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]

Cheer

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]

Arcane

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. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

The Baby-Sitters Club

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]

Maid

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]

Squid Game

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]