Welcome to TechRadar's best Netflix shows guide. In this article, we've compiled a list of the 45 best TV series to watch on Netflix, with a number of licensed shows finding a home among a large swathe of the streaming giant's most acclaimed TV Originals.
Netflix is constantly adding new titles to its ever-expanding library, which you can check out in our everything new on Netflix in August 2024 guide. It's also worth reading our everything leaving Netflix in August 2024 list as you might go to watch a show that could be finding a new home on another platform soon.
The streaming giant is filled with new movies and TV shows every month, but to save you from endlessly scrolling through the content mines, have a look at our best Netflix movies to watch in August 2024. In the meantime, if you've got a broad TV palette, you can scroll through our selection to find something new and/or random to stream.
Genre fans can simply navigate to their favorite type of content, too, using the quick-links bar on the left hand side of the page. So, if you're after a brand-new superhero series, such as Supacell or a critically acclaimed romance like One Day to watch, you're only a couple of mouse clicks away from finding your next binge-worthy series on Netflix. Happy streaming!
Best action shows on Netflix
Vikings: Valhalla
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Runtime: ~49 minute episodes
Main cast: Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, Leo Suter, Bradley Freegard, Laura Berlin, and David Oakes
Creator: Jeb Stuart
RT score: 95%
The Flash
Age rating: TV-PG
Seasons: 9
Runtime: ~45 minute episodes
Main cast: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, and Carlos Valdes
Creators: Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns, and Andrew Kreisberg
RT score: 89%
The Umbrella Academy
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 3
Runtime: ~50 minute episodes
Main cast: Aidan Gallagher, Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, Robert Sheehan, David Castañeda, Justin H. Min, and Emmy Raver-Lampman
Creator: Gerard Way
RT score: 86%
Supacell
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~52 minute episodes
Main cast: Tosin Cole, Nadine Mills, Josh Tedeku, Adelayo Adedayo, Calvin Demba, and Eric Kofi-Abrefa
Creator: Rapman
RT score: 100%
Best animated shows on Netflix
Arcane
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~41 minute episodes
Main cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Mia Sinclair Jenness, Kevin Alejandro, and Katie Leung
Creators: Christian Linke and Alex Yee
RT score: 100%
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Age rating: TV-Y7
Seasons: 3 (7 if you include The Legend of Korra)
Runtime: ~24 minute episodes
Main cast: Dee Bradley Baker, Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack De Sena, and Dante Basco
Creators: Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko
RT score: 100%
Blue Eye Samurai
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~47 minute episodes
Main cast: Maya Erskine, Masi Oka, Darren Barnet, Brenda Song, George Takei, and Randall Park
Creators: Amber Noizumi and Michael Green
RT score: 96%
BoJack Horseman
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 6
Runtime: ~26 minute episodes
Main cast: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul, and Paul F. Tompkins
Creator: Raphael Bob-Waksberg
RT score: 93%
Scavengers Reign
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~25 minute episodes
Main cast: Sunita Mani, Wunmi Mosaku, Alia Shawkat, Bob Stephenson, and Ted Travelstead
Creators: Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner
RT score: 100%
Best comedy shows on Netflix
Beef
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~35 minute episodes
Main cast: Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, David Choe, Young Mazino, Joseph Lee, and Patti Yasutake
Creator: Lee Sung Jin
RT score: 98%
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 8
Runtime: ~22 minute episodes
Main cast: Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Chelsea Peretti, Andre Braugher, Dirk Blocker, and Joel McKinnon Miller
Creators: Dan Goor and Michael Schur
RT score: 95%
Russian Doll
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2
Runtime: ~28 minute episodes
Main cast: Natasha Lyonne, Greta Lee, Yul Vazquez, Elizabeth Ashley, Charlie Barnett, and Chloë Sevigny
Creators: Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, and Amy Poehler
RT score: 97%
Seinfeld
Age rating: TV-12
Seasons: 9
Runtime: ~24 minute episodes
Main cast: Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards
Creators: Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
RT score: 89%
Sex Education
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Runtime: ~54 minute episodes
Main cast: Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, Gillian Anderson, Connor Swindells, and Aimee Lou Wood
Creator: Laurie Nunn
RT score: 94%
Best drama shows on Netflix
Better Call Saul
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 6
Runtime: ~50 minute episodes
Main cast: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, and Michael Mando
Creator: George Vincent Gilligan Jr.
RT score: 98%
Breaking Bad
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 5
Runtime: ~47 minute episodes
Main cast: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, and RJ Mitte
Creator: George Vincent Gilligan Jr.
RT score: 96%
Ozark
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Runtime: ~60 minute episodes
Main cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, and Skylar Gaertner
Creator: Bill Dubuque
RT score: 82%
Peaky Blinders
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 6
Runtime: ~58 minute episodes
Main cast: Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Anabelle Wallis, Joe Cole, Sophie Rundle, and Alfie Evans-Meese
Creator: Steven Knight
RT score: 93%
Cobra Kai
Age rating: TV-PG
Seasons: 6
Runtime: ~34 minute episodes
Main cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, and Mary Mouser
Creators: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg
RT score: 92%
Suits
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 9
Runtime: ~44 minute episodes
Main cast: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, and Meghan Markle
Creator: Aaron Korsh
RT score: 91%
The Crown
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 6
Runtime: ~55 minute episodes
Main cast: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Emma Corrin, Elizabeth Debicki, Lesley Manville, and Helena Bonham Carter
Creator: Peter Morgan
RT score: 81%
The Lincoln Lawyer
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2
Runtime: ~49 minute episodes
Main cast: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson, and Christopher Gorham
Creator: David E. Kelley
RT score: 85%
The Queen's Gambit
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~56 minute episodes
Main cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Harry Melling, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Marielle Heller, and Moses Ingram
Creators: Scott Frank and Allan Scott
RT score: 96%
The Last Kingdom
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 5
Runtime: ~55 minute episodes
Main cast: Alexander Dreymon, Tobias Santelmann, and Emily Cox
Creator: Stephen Butchard
RT score: 91%
Best fantasy shows on Netflix
One Piece
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~56 minute episodes
Main cast: Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Romero Gibson, Taz Skylar, Vincent Regan, Jeff Ward, and Morgan Davies
Creator: Eiichiro Oda
RT score: 85%
The Sandman
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~49 minute episodes
Main cast: Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong, and Patton Oswalt
Creator: Neil Gaiman
RT score: 88%
The Witcher
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (4 including The Witcher: Blood Origin)
Runtime: ~57 minute episodes
Main cast: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, and Eamon Farren
Creator: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
RT score: 80%
Best horror shows on Netflix
The Fall of the House of Usher
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~62 minute episodes
Main cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas, Mark Hamill, and Rahul Kohli
Creator: Mike Flanagan
RT score: 90%
Midnight Mass
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~64 minute episodes
Main cast: Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Hamish Linklater, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kristin Lehman, and Henry Thomas
Creator: Mike Flanagan
RT score: 87%
The Haunting of Hill House
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~58 minute episodes
Main cast: Carla Gugino, Victoria Pedretti, Kate Siegel, Michiel Huisman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Elizabeth Reaser, and Timothy Hutton
Creator: Mike Flanagan
RT score: 93%
Stranger Things
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Runtime: ~61 minute episodes
Main cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, David Harbour, and Winona Ryder
Creator: The Duffer Brothers
RT score: 91%
Best reality shows on Netflix
Queer Eye
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 8 (11 if you count the spin-offs in Germany, Brazil, and Japan)
Runtime: ~48 minute episodes
Main cast: Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, and Tan France
Creator: David Collins
RT score: 93%
Next in Fashion
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 2
Runtime: ~48 minute episodes
Main cast: Tan France, Alexa Chung, and Gigi Hadid
RT score: 85%
Best romance shows on Netflix
Heartstopper
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 2
Runtime: ~31 minute episodes
Main cast: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao, and Yasmin Finney
Creator: Alice Oseman
RT score: 98%
One Day
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~29 minute episodes
Main cast: Ambika Mod, Leo Woodall, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jonny Weldon, Amber Grappy, Essie Davis, and Tim McInnerny
Creator: Nicole Taylor
RT score: 91%
Bridgerton
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (4 with the Queen Charlotte spin-off)
Runtime: ~60 minute episodes
Main cast: Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Ruth Gemmell, Phoebe Dynevor, Simone Ashley, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Golda Rosheuvel, and Luke Thompson
Creator: Chris Van Dusen
RT score: 84%
Best sci-fi shows on Netflix
Black Mirror
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 6 (plus an interactive special called Bandersnatch)
Runtime: ~59 minute episodes
Main cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Hayley Atwell, Aaron Paul, and Salma Hayek
Creator: Charlie Brooker
RT score: 83%
Sweet Tooth
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 3
Runtime: ~50 minute episodes
Main cast: Nonso Anozie, Christian Convery, Adeel Akhtar, and Stefania LaVie Owen
Creator: Jeff Lemire
RT score: 92%
Best thriller shows on Netflix
Killing Eve
Age rating: TV-14
Seasons: 4
Runtime: ~42 minute episodes
Main cast: Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw, and Kim Bodnia
Creator: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
RT score: 80%
Squid Game
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~55 minute episodes
Main cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-ryoung
Creator: Hwang Dong-hyuk
RT score: 95%
Money Heist
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (divided into five parts), plus two spin-offs in Korea and Berlin
Runtime: ~50 minute episodes
Main cast: Álvaro Morte, Úrsula Corberó, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Alba Flores, and Esther Acebo
RT score: 94%
Baby Reindeer
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~33 minute episodes
Main cast: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, and Tom Goodman-Hill
RT score: 98%
Lupin
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Runtime: ~46 minute episodes
Main cast: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Soufiane Guerrab, Shirine Boutella, and Etan Simon
RT score: 98%
Ripley
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Runtime: ~56 minute episodes
Main cast: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn, Eliot Sumner, Margherita Buy, and Maurizio Lombardi
RT score: 86%
You
Age rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Runtime: ~48 minute episodes
Main cast: Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Victoria Pedretti, Tati Gabrielle, and Charlotte Ritchie
RT score: 92%
How we choose the best Netflix shows
To earn a place on our best Netflix shows list, each series doesn't have to be a huge hit on the world's best streaming service (i.e. one of the most-streamed movies in the platform's entire history). However, the show needs to have an 80% critics score or higher on Rotten Tomatoes (RT) and be recommended by a member of the TechRadar streaming team.
Matthew Bolton, Amelia Schwanke, Tom Power, Lucy Buglass and Grace Morris make up our team of dedicated writers, who all write and watch movies every day. The team all have varying tastes and different views on what makes a good show, which helps create this well thought-out list that covers a broad range of genres and sub-genres, such as supernatural horrors, romantic dramas, and superhero action-adventures.
We use this criteria along with our cinephile expertise to help choose which series are the best Netflix shows. There's a huge selection of shows to watch in Netflix's library, which changes every month with new arrivals and removals. So while this isn't a comprehensive list, check back in with us every month to see which shows we've added.
For more Netflix coverage, read our best Netflix documentaries and best Netflix shows guides. Yet to subscribe to the streaming giant? Read our guide on how to sign up to Netflix, too. Or, you're fed up of the recent price hikes, see whether you should cancel Netflix instead.
