Say it’s a Saturday morning and you have absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go. No commitments (well, except maybe with the couch and that box of takeout from the night before), no obligations, nothing.
Let’s also imagine you want nothing more than to spend the day sitting somewhere between sitting up and laying down while watching the best Netflix TV shows the streamer has to offer for hours on end. But sometimes finding the best TV shows to binge watch is easier said than done and end up wasting half the day arguing with yourself and the platform’s labyrinthian library of shows and genres.
Well, my friend, you’ve come to the right place as we have put together a list of the best shows Netflix has to offer, some of which are even going to be popping up on the 2022 Netflix TV schedule. And even though this list is admittedly a lot to take in, where else are you going to find the best sci-fi, musical comedies, and racy period dramas the streaming world has to offer?
Stranger Things (2016 – Present)
Stranger Things, or the Duffer brothers love letter to all things ‘80s, has all the makings of a show you can lose yourself to if you’re not careful. With four seasons to enjoy, filled with sci-fi horror, a large ensemble cast featuring some of the best actors , and a gripping story about a group of friends trying to avert disaster in their small Indiana town, there’s a lot to enjoy here.
Stream Stranger Things on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)
There are few shows that changed the trajectory of a lead actor more so than what Breaking Bad did for series lead, Bryan Cranston. Over the course of the show’s five seasons, Cranston’s Walter White transforms himself from an unassuming high school chemistry teacher to a notorious drug lord known simply as “Heisenberg.” Watch out, because this show will suck you in and won’t let you out until hours later.
Stream Breaking Bad on Netflix. (opens in new tab) Also try: Better Call Saul (opens in new tab)
Ozark (2017 – 2022)
If you’re looking for a series that will truly blow your mind from the first episode, check out Ozark. This series tells the tale of a financial advisor who has to move from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks when he gets caught up in the drug business, and is forced to launder money so his family doesn’t get hurt. With fantastic performances from Jason Bateman and the fabulous Julia Garner, Ozark is a thrilling adventure.
Stream Ozark on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Great British Baking Show (2010 – Present)
But what if you want to lose yourself to the charming and sometimes hectic cooking competition show that is The Great British Baking Show? Well, Netflix is there with eight seasons of decadent desserts, colorful personalities, and a level of watchability that goes unmatched in the genre. Just make sure you have some snacks on hand or are prepared to cook more.
Stream The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Mindhunter (2017 – 2019)
With only two seasons (we must accept Season 3 won’t happen), Mindhunter is a great way to spend a weekend if you’re not turned off by characters with severe psychological damage and eerily accurate representations of the 20th Century’s most notorious serial killers. Following the efforts of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, David Fincher’s crime thriller is top notch in every regard.
Stream Mindhunter on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Virgin River (2019 – Present)
Oh, you want romance? You’re getting romance. In Virgin River, a midwife/nurse practitioner decides to work in a small Northern California town called Virgin River, but while she’s there trying to start a new life, she discovers that there’s more to small-town living than she ever thought, and meets people who truly change her life forever. As of this writing in the summer of 2022, Season 4 just came out, so now is the best time to watch it.
Stream Virgin River on Netflix (opens in new tab).
You (2018 – Present)
Ever wonder what it’s like if someone is obsessively in love with you? That’s what You looks to answer. This popular series has run for three seasons so far, with a fourth season on the way, following the life of Joe Goldberg, a seemingly normal man with a hankering for love – and the need to kill those that get in his way of that love.
Stream You on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Schitt’s Creek (2015 – 2020)
One of the best wholesome comedies streaming, Schitt’s Creek follows the Rose family in one of the funniest and most quotable riches to rags stories in recent memory. Over the course of six hilarious seasons, Daniel Levy, Eugene Levy, Annie Murphy, and Catherine O’Hara gave audiences some of the best (and most decorated) performances on television as they made a new life for themselves in the quaint town of Schitt’s Creek.
Stream Schitt’s Creek on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
For six seasons, Community was one of the funniest and most unique comedies on broadcast television and the cult favorite ended up launching the careers of everyone from Alison Brie to Donald Glover and Gillian Jacobs to even the Russo brothers in a way. There is a certain quality and charm to the show about the students and faculty at Greendale Community College that makes them feel like family to the viewer, family you don’t mind spending hours with on the couch.
Stream Community on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Good Place (2016 – 2020)
Although it only stuck around for four seasons, The Good Place, the NBC comedy about a recently deceased woman who is surprised to discover she made it to the show’s version of heaven, was one of the best shows of its time. With a cast anchored by Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, and William Jackson Harper, The Good Place is perfect for a quick pick-me-up over the weekend.
Stream The Good Place on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Outlander (2014 – Present)
The first five seasons of Outlander, the romantic fantasy epic about a British Army nurse who finds herself trapped in 18th Century Scotland, can be streamed on Netflix. With something for just about everyone — intense romance, a ton of action, fantasy elements, historical events — it’s no surprise the Starz original remains one of the most popular and talked about shows on television.
Stream Outlander on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Gilmore Girls (2000 – 2007)
There was a stretch of time where you couldn’t flip through channels in the morning without coming across reruns of the mother-daughter drama Gilmore Girls. Now you don’t have to worry about missing any of the adventures in love and life of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and the rest of the stacked cast, as all seven seasons (plus the 2016 miniseries) are available on Netflix. Grab some snacks and a box of tissues because you’ll need both for this marathon.
Stream Gilmore Girls on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Also try Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (opens in new tab)
Bridgerton (2020 – Present)
Topping out at eight episodes (it premiered in December 2020), the Netflix original series Bridgerton has all the makings of a binge-worthy show. With an outstanding and diverse cast, an engaging story about families in England’s Regency era seeking love, fortune, and power, and a clever way of incorporating modern music and culture in a long ago period, the show is a fascinating addition to the Netflix library. And now, Season 2 has released and made us love this family even more. Bring on Season 3.
Stream Bridgerton on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 – 2008)
Remember back in 2020 when we were all at home and doing nothing for ages? That’s when Avatar: The Last Airbender dropped on Netflix and exploded back into the mainstream. In a world that has four different nations separated by elemental powers, the Fire Nation is looking to take over everything – but one person, known as the Avatar, master of all four elements, is the only one who can stop them. The only problem is that he’s a 112-year-old novice who has been frozen in an iceberg for a century.
Truly, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a gem of a show, and if you’ve never seen it, you need to. With a new live-action in the works at Netflix, now is the perfect time to watch the original.
Stream Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Witcher (2019 – Present)
Journey through dangerous realms and magical places alongside Geralt of Rivia, a being known as a Witcher, whose job is to slay monsters and humans alike for coin. Played by Henry Cavill, The Witcher is a fantastic fantasy show with plenty of surprises, twists, and moments that will make you wish you were a controller of chaos magic. With Season 3 on the way, now is the perfect time to watch.
Stream The Witcher on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Supernatural (2005 – 2020)
If you’re looking for some spooky demons, monsters, angels, and everything in-between, check out Supernatural. Following the story of the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean, they hunt down monsters of all kinds in order to protect humanity – while being simultaneously charming and hilarious. The Supernatural cast has loads of charisma and talent and the show has a very dedicated fanbase. It lasted for 15 seasons, which shows just how popular it truly was.
Stream Supernatural on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Walking Dead (2011 – 2022)
Looking for one of the most iconic horror shows of all time? Check out The Walking Dead. Running for eleven seasons, this popular drama shows that sometimes, zombies are the last thing the humans in an apocalypse need to worry about. With compelling characters such as Negan or Rick Grimes to root for, and some truly gnarly zombie action, The Walking Dead is the perfect show to binge for the horror enthusiast. While Season 11 is still premiering as of writing this, it won’t be long before the whole show is available to stream on the platform.
Stream The Walking Dead on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Crown (2016 – Present)
The Crown is one of those shows that almost has to be binged to get the full experience. With so many characters coming in and out of Buckingham Palace (and 10 Downing Street) over the course of each of the show’s four seasons, there’s a lot to keep track of, but it pays off handsomely. From the final days of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II taking over the throne up to the late 1980s in The Crown Season 4, Peter Morgan’s tireless efforts to unfold the drama of the royal family make for one of the most engaging and enchanting shows of the modern era.
Stream The Crown on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Russian Doll (2019 – Present)
If you’re a fan of Natasha Lyonne and want to check out more of her work, be sure to watch Russian Doll. This series follows Nadia, a young woman who, in Season 1, gets stuck in a time loop of her own death and has to figure out how to stop it, and in Season 2, is sent back in time. This is a show where I really don’t want to spoil many details – you just need to watch it for yourself. And, Natasha Lyonne is always a win.
Stream Russian Doll on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
There are few limited series that grabbed ahold of the Netflix subscriber base more than The Queen’s Gambit in late 2020. Seriously, the story of a young chess prodigy with all sorts of demons and personal struggles to overcome told over seven episodes is a masterpiece in television drama. From the early days of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) learning to play chess in an orphanage’s basement to the show’s fulfilling ending, The Queen’s Gambit is damn near perfect from top to bottom.
Stream The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Although it originally started out as a Crackle exclusive, Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee later moved over to Netflix and continued the show’s tradition of featuring unique cars and even more unique conversations between the former sitcom star and the biggest names in show business. From Eddie Murphy to Mel Brooks and from former President Barack Obama to Steve Martin, nearly 100 icons of pop culture have taken a drive with Seinfeld over the years.
Stream Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Chef Show (2019 – Present)
Jon Favreau has done a lot over the course of his career. From being “that guy” in PCU to kickstarting the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man in 2008 to creating one of the best Star Wars properties with The Mandalorian, he’s been a busy man. That doesn’t stop him, however, from taking part in one of his true passions: cooking. His Netflix cooking series The Chef Show (a spinoff of the Favreau film, Chef), which completed its second season in 2020, combines Favreau’s love of film and cooking and makes for one hell of an appetizing delight.
Stream The Chef Show on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Love Is Blind (2020 – Present)
Is love truly blind? This show leads to an experiment that tries to answer that. In Love Is Blind, several contestants are paired up with each other in pods on dates, except they can’t see each other at all. Their bonds are formed solely on their personality, but before they’re out of the experiment, they have to get engaged. When they finally meet each other face to face, will there be a happily ever after? Or trouble in paradise? If you’re into dating shows, be sure to check this one out.
Stream Love Is Blind on Netflix (opens in new tab).
All Of Us Are Dead (2022)
While The Walking Dead is a great long-time horror show, All Of Us Are Dead is the perfect example of a zombie series that jumps straight into the terror of what a zombie apocalypse would be like. This South Korean series follows a group of teenagers trying to survive in a high school that ends up being Ground Zero for a zombie epidemic. Truly, this is one of the best zombie shows out there. You have to watch it.
Stream All Of Us Are Dead on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Black Mirror (2011 – 2019)
There are few shows as fun or terrifying as the sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror. Over the course of the five available seasons on Netflix, you can watch characters face a reality in which the advancement and technology and the ease it brings to their lives can also be their downfall. Plus, some of today’s biggest stars of film and television got their big break here, like Daniel Kaluuya.
Stream Black Mirror on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Peaky Blinders (2013 – Present)
If you’re looking for a gangster epic that will surely hold your attention, Peaky Blinders is the way to go. This popular British series takes place not that long after the first World War, and focuses on the Peaky Blinders gang (hence the title), and all of their trials and tribulations of their criminal organization and the enemies they’ve made along the way. Even if it’s ending in 2022, it was still a hell of a ride and you should check out all the seasons that are available on Netflix.
Stream Peaky Blinders on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Mike Flannigan’s TV Shows (2018, 2020, 2021)
If, for some reason, you haven’t seen any of Mike Flannigan’s horror miniseries on Netflix, you need to check them out now. The Haunting of Hill House, released in 2018, follows a family returning to their childhood home after a traumatic experience. The Haunting of Bly Manor is about a young woman working as a nanny and discovering strange happenings in their home. Midnight Mass is all about a remote island and its peculiar priest, who seems to be bringing horror to its residents. Seriously, if horror is your thing, check out these shows.
Stream The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Stream The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Stream Midnight Mass on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
The Umbrella Academy (2019 – Present)
They aren’t your regular superhero team. The Umbrella Academy, based on the comic series of the same name, follows a group of babies that were kidnapped as children for their genetically created superpowers, and became a dysfunctional family. Now, years later, they come back together after the death of their adoptive father, but find out that their lives are nothing like they thought they were.
Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Cobra Kai (2018 – Present)
Who would have thought a continuation of The Karate Kid decades later would be so much fun. Well, that’s the case for Cobra Kai, the former YouTube original that found a home on Netflix later on. Finally seeing things through the eyes of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and his transformation over the years adds a nice spin to the decades-old franchise. With four seasons to binge before Season 5 comes around, you’ll have a kick-ass time
Stream Cobra Kai on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
GLOW (2017 – 2019)
This show was canceled far too soon. GLOW is all about the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, otherwise known as GLOW, and their struggles to be taken seriously in the sports world as well as the entertainment world, in the 1980s. This show, starring the wonderful Alison Brie, is such a great original for Netflix, and I will never forgive them for ending it when they did. If you want a good dramedy, this is a great one.
Stream GLOW on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Squid Game (2021 – Present)
You’d have to have lived under a rock to not hear about Squid Game when it first came out. Squid Game, which became the most popular Netflix series ever, tells the story of contestants in South Korea who are low on their luck and need money, and decide to join a game show in the middle of nowhere for the chance to win money in order for their debts to be repaid. The only issue? The games threaten their lives.. Truly, an icon of a show that you need to watch before Season 2 comes.
Stream Squid Game on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Shameless (2011 – 2021)
You want to see what a real dysfunctional family is like? Check out the Gallaghers from Shameless. This hit Showtime series that lasted for a decade follows the family from the Southside of Chicago, and how, no matter what, they always have each other’s backs. The series finale aired in 2021, so with eleven seasons to watch, this is a show that you’ll surely love.
Stream Shameless on Netflix. (opens in new tab)
Well, that is certainly more than enough Netflix to hold you over for days, weeks, and possible even months. If you want even more television, however, you can always check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for all the latest information.
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