The best shows on Netflix (February 2022)

Whether your Netflix queue has run dry or you're simply overwhelmed by the streaming service's endless scroll and ever-fluctuating library, EW is here to help. If you're in need of something new to binge or a reminder of an old favorite to revisit, this is the list for you: We've assembled a lineup of the best TV shows currently available on Netflix, from classics of yesteryear to the hottest new titles. They're some of our favorites, and we hope they'll soon be some of yours too.

*Titles recently added to the EW recommendations list are denoted with an asterisk.

After Life

After Life mixes sweet and bitter flavors in a way that feels perfectly suited to our time, as creator-star Ricky Gervais leavens his signature comic brutality with a moving story of grief and growth. Gervais plays Tony, a newspaperman who has become a miserably pessimistic, insult-hurling misanthrope after losing his wife Lisa (Kerry Godliman) to cancer. It will take the series' delightful cast of characters—including an older widow played by Downton Abbey's Penelope Wilton, the paper's eager new reporter Sandy (Mandeep Dhillon), and a no-nonsense nurse (Extras' Ashley Jensen)—to push Tony back toward his will to live.

EW grade: A-(Read the review here)

Talent: Ricky Gervais, Ashley Jensen, Penelope Wilton, Tom Basden, Tony Way

Arrested Development

AD_401_082212_SU_0846r — Sam Urdank/Netflix

Arrested Development has seemed to complete the shift from cult favorite to in-the-canon classic (Netflix's revival seasons notwithstanding), finally giving the beloved but low-rated Fox series the audience it always deserved. But if you still haven't caught up with the tangled saga of a wealthy family who loses everything, and the one son who has no choice but to keep them all together, the series is available to stream in all its uproarious, quippy, chicken-dancing glory. Time has only sharpened its critique of the one percent, but some elements never needed sharpening, particularly the late, great Jessica Walter's immortal performance as icy, perpetually sauced matriarch Lucille Bluth.

Talent: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, David Cross

EW grade: A(Read EW's original review here)

Ash vs. Evil Dead

A great watch for a spooky season—but really anytime—Ash vs. Evil Dead picks up 30 years after Sam Raimi's original trilogy of horror-comedy classics, as Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell, as always) is roped into battling the undead once more. Joined by his colleagues Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), he'll embark on a three-season journey as gory and hilarious as his big-screen adventures, with a gutsy expansion of the trilogy's mythology to go with it.

Talent: Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Ray Santiago, Sam Raimi

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender was available on Netflix once upon a time, but when the world needed it most, it vanished... Thankfully, Nickelodeon's beloved animated series returned to the streaming service in 2020, offering parents a much-needed new option to watch with their kids. Set in a world in which certain people can control one of the four elements (water, earth, fire, or air), the show follows Aang, the long-lost reincarnation of the Avatar—the master of all four. With the help of his friends, Aang must hone his skills in order to restore balance and peace to a world at war.

Talent: Mae Whitman, Mark Hamill, Dante Basco

The Baby-Sitters Club

A warm cup of feel-good entertainment for the whole family, Netflix's reboot of The Baby-Sitters Club updates Ann M. Martin's beloved book series for the modern age but loses none of the book's charm and wholesome spirit in the process. The show follows five middle schoolers in Stoneybrook, Conn. as they start up a babysitting business while dealing with typical middle-school concerns: crushes, summer camp, and family friction. Kids will relate, while adults can appreciate the diverse ensemble, the presence of Clueless icon Alicia Silverstone, and the show's generous and inclusive spirit.

EW grade:B (Read the review here)

Talent: Alicia Silverstone, Sophie Grace, Momona Tamada, Mark Feuerstein

Better Call Saul

The Breaking Bad prequel wrapped up its fifth, and for our money best, season, which is now on Netflix, ahead of its allegedly "upsetting" sixth season. You can catch up on past seasons of Better Call Saul, which follow Bob Odenkirk's Jimmy McGill on his path to becoming slippery lawyer Saul Goodman. Along the way: run-ins with the cartel, appearances by Bad favorites like Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike (Jonathan Banks), and a tremendous performance by Rhea Seehorn as Jimmy's confidant and paramour Kim Wexler.

EW grade: B (Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Bob Odenkirk, Michael McKean, Michael Mando, Vince Gilligan

Black Mirror

Per creator Charlie Brooker, we won't be getting another season of Black Mirror for a while, so it's an apt time to catch up on the British anthology series. True, its bleak outlook on modern society may not be what everyone needs right now, but the show's stories—spanning a variety of technological "what if" scenarios, such as "What if you could play back all of your memories?" and "What if A.I. could re-create someone who died?"—are great works of modern sci-fi.

EW grade: Read reviews of every season 4 episode here, and every season 5 episode here

Talent: Domhnall Gleeson, Daniel Kaluuya, Miley Cyrus, Bryce Dallas Howard (and many more)

Related reading: Every Black Mirror episode ranked

BoJack Horseman

Netflix's concluded original series BoJack Horseman is one of the funniest and most heartbreaking shows on TV, often in the same episode. The series follows the titular character, a washed-up former sitcom star who is also a horse, in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals exist side by side. (Don't worry, you'll get used to it quickly.) With an all-star voice cast including Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul, and Amy Sedaris—all doing some of the best work of their careers—BoJack Horseman is a modern masterwork that can be, and indeed begs to be, viewed again and again and again.

EW grade: A (Read the review here)

Talent: Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris, Paul F. Tompkins

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Restaurateur David Chang's follow-up to Ugly Delicious is a visual feast as he enlists Seth Rogen, Chrissy Teigen, Lena Waithe, and Kate McKinnon to join his trek across the globe to sample some of the world's delectable eats. In the four-part series, Chang indulges in dim sum and barbecue with Rogen in the actor's native Vancouver, enjoys tagine and lush breads with Teigen in Morocco, devours crawfish and breakfast foods with Waithe in Los Angeles, and nourishes with spicy noodles and fruits with McKinnon in Phnom Penh. The series will leave viewers hungry for more.

Talent: David Chang, Seth Rogen, Chrissy Teigen, Lena Waithe, Kate McKinnon

Bridgerton

Starved for romance? We're not sure Bridgerton will help, but this adaptation of Julia Quinn's romance novels from TV powerhouse Shonda Rhimes will at least make a worthwhile watch. The first season tells the tale of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), a sheltered debutante who soon falls into a fauxmance with the rakish Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). The web of characters and storylines fanning out from there is far too intricate to detail here, but know that the show also involves a mysterious society columnist voiced by Dame Julie Andrews, drawing room intrigue, shirtless boxing matches, and lots and lots of sex. To the boudoir!

EW grade: B+ (Read the review here)

Talent: Shonda Rhimes, Phoebe Dynevor, Regé-Jean Page, Julie Andrews

The Chair

Sandra Oh leads the sharp comedy series The Chair (created by actress Amanda Peet) as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman to chair the prestigious Pembroke University's English department. Ji-Yoon soon finds herself facing a unique set of challenges, including a popular professor (Jay Duplass) mired in controversy, a dean obsessed with the bottom line, and a disgruntled student body who feels the university is behind the times. Oh, and she's also juggling a 7-year-old daughter and a potential romance…with that controversial professor. If The Chair, like its protagonist, bites off a bit more than it can chew, it does so in a highly entertaining fashion, with a perceptive, skewering take on academia to boot.

Talent: Sandra Oh, Jay Duplass, Holland Taylor; David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (executive producers)

Chappelle's Show

Chappelle Show — Danielle Levitt/Comedy Central

Rick James. Clayton Bigsby. Lil Jon. Wayne Brady. You can now dive into Chappelle's Show's library of hilarious sketches on Netflix after the show returned to the streamer following a dust-up over unpaid royalties between creator-star Dave Chappelle and Comedy Central. Much of the show's satirical humor retains its bite all these years later, but the pure silliness might hold up even better: look no further than Charlie Murphy's "True Hollywood Story" about a basketball game against Prince.

Talent: Dave Chappelle, Charlie Murphy, Neal Brennan

Cobra Kai

The Emmy-nominated Cobra Kai picks up with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) three decades after the events of The Karate Kid, fallen far from his glory days at the Cobra Kai dojo. But things start to turn around when he agrees to help his teenage neighbor Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) learn karate to fend off bullies. The series soon grows into "a substantive, wildly enjoyable saga of redemption, humanity, and the creeping ennui of middle age," as EW's Kristen Baldwin wrote in her season 2 review, bringing in Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and other Karate Kid figures for a highly entertaining story of redemption, regret, and inter-dojo rivalry. And yes, there are crane kicks.

EW grade: B+(Read season 2 review here)

Talent: William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña

Community

NBC's cult-favorite sitcom arrived on Netflix in 2020, giving the perennially low-rated but critically-beloved show something of a moment five years after its final episode aired. Community follows disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), as he attends Greendale Community College to earn the law degree he never got, where he falls in with a group of misfits and finds himself unexpectedly learning to connect with people. That's the first season, anyway: from season 2 onward, the show became an explosive well of pop-culture parody and deconstruction, with many of its best episodes zeroing in on a specific genre or format or work to affectionately lampoon. Now is as good a time as any—even better, perhaps—to dive into the series: Not only is Community a perfect show for our current moment, but EW binged the show with the cast and creator Dan Harmon. We may never get that movie, but six seasons were enough to make Community an all-time classic.

Talent: Dan Harmon, Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Gillian Jacobs, Chevy Chase

Related reading: The 15 best episodes of Community

Cowboy Bebop (anime)

Cowboy Bebop - 1998 — Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and Ed in 'Cowboy Bebop'. Snap Stills/REX/Shutterstock

Before Netflix rolled out its long-awaited, live-action update of Cowboy Bebop, the hallowed original series became available for your streaming pleasure. Set in the year 2071, Cowboy Bebop follows the cosmic misadventures of a group of bounty hunters (plus a corgi) as they roam the galaxy in search of criminals, money, and food. The show is a visceral blend of diverse influences and tones—from film noir to Sergio Leone Westerns to Bruce Lee to Star Trek and Wars—but somehow never feels like a mishmash, and is held together by gorgeous animation, well-drawn characters (in multiple senses), and a masterful jazz score by Yoko Kanno. Long hailed as one of the greatest anime shows of all time, Bebop is also an ideal gateway to the form (don't call it a genre), one that will ignite your appreciation for the art of Japanese animation. So what are you waiting for? Three, two, one…let's jam.

Talent: Steve Blum, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Melissa Fahn, Shinichiro Watanabe

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

All Signs Point To Josh...Or Is It Josh's Friend? — Robert Voets/The CW

Join us on a journey to West Covina, Calif. (just two hours from the beach!) and into the wild world of Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), a disillusioned lawyer who follows her ex-boyfriend, Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III), out west in search of happiness…and maybe a reconnection. That's just the beginning of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which miraculously ran for four seasons on The CW, filled with hilarity, honest explorations of mental health and sexuality, and brilliant original musical numbers.

EW grade: A(Read season 2 review here, and pilot review here)

Talent: Rachel Bloom, Vincent Rodriguez III, Donna Lynne Champlin, Adam Schlesinger

The Crown

You needn't be an ardent Anglophile to enjoy The Crown (though it certainly helps). The series is a feast of sumptuous production and costume design, delectable performances, and historical intrigue, following Queen Elizabeth II (played by Claire Foy, then Olivia Colman, and soon Imelda Staunton) over the course of her half-century-plus on the throne. The highlights are all there—Winston Churchill, the Suez Crisis, the Profumo affair, Margaret Thatcher, Diana—as is creator Peter Morgan's plentiful experience examining the British monarchy (see also 2006's The Queen, starring Helen Mirren).

EW grade: A-(Read season 4 review here)

Talent: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Matt Smith, John Lithgow, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter

Emily in Paris

Escape to the cobblestoned streets of Paris with Emily in Paris, a dramedy that follows Chicago marketing executive Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) as she temporarily relocates to the City of Lights for work. The series returned for its second season in December 2021; unfortunately, Emily's life is not any less compliqué this time around as she reels from the guilt of that hookup, the trials of French class, and workplace upheaval at Savoir. Notable season 2 newcomers include Lucien Laviscount as Alfie, an English expat who catches the eye of Emily, and Tony-nominated playwright Jeremy O. Harris as Grégory Duprée, a fashion designer and rival of Pierre Cadault (Jean-Christophe Bouvet). Champagne social media challenges, BTS covers, and a Saint-Tropez getaway make for a très bingeable second season.

EW grade: B (Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Lily Collins, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Camille Razat, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery

Dark

We'll try to explain Netflix's wildly ambitious, timey-wimey series as briefly and clearly as possible: When young boys start to mysteriously vanish from the German town of Winden, residents' search for the truth leads them to a conspiracy involving time travel that seemingly forever links the fate of four families. Things only get more complicated and twisty from there, as the show unspools a three-season saga involving multiple timelines, parallel universes, and the apocalypse. Don't be afraid of the Dark; it's unlike anything else you'll find on Netflix.

Talent: Louis Hofmann, Julika Jenkins, Andreas Pietschmann, Maja Schöne

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

The wackiest, most absurd, and flat-out best superhero show on TV didn't start out that way, but DC's Legends of Tomorrow soon blossomed into its true, glorious self after its first season, becoming, as EW's Chancellor Agard has put it, something like Community meets Doctor Who. Legends follows a crew of superpowered screw-ups across time and space as they battle various foes, skewer decades' worth of television, literally go to Hell, and die multiple times—and that's just in one season! (And don't even get us started on Beebo.)

EW grade: B+ (Read the review here)

Talent: Brandon Routh, Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Victor Garber, Arthur Darvill

Dead to Me

Dead to Me's second season dropped in May 2020, continuing the tragicomic story of Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), who become friends in the wake of Jen's husband's death in a hit-and-run car accident. The central duo carries the show with winning chemistry, with Applegate, per EW's Kristen Baldwin, "giving the performance of her career" in this tale of grief, female friendship, and more than a touch of intrigue. Catch up before the third and final season.

EW grade: B (Read the review here)

Talent: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden

Dear White People

Dear White People expands creator Justin Simien's 2014 indie film into an incisive, insightful series that plumbs complex issues of race and culture with wit and verve. Set at a fictional Ivy League school, the show centers around Samantha White (Logan Browning), who launches a combative radio program to enlighten the white folks on campus. Meanwhile, the rich ensemble of characters around her lets the show explore various perspectives and personal and political issues. Smart, satirical, and timely, Dear White People is an ideal four-season binge.

EW grade: A (Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Logan Browning, Brandon P. Bell, Antoinette Robertson, Giancarlo Esposito

The Eddy

The Eddy revolves around the titular Parisian jazz club, co-owned by an American former pianist named Elliot (Andre Holland) who has decamped to France. Things start to unravel for Elliot as secrets emerge about his friend and business partner Farid (Tahar Rahim), just as Elliot's troubled daughter Julie (Amandla Stenberg) arrives to stay with him. Filled with original jazz numbers and an international cast, this eight-episode limited series also boasts a top-notch team of directors (Oscar winner Damien Chazelle), writers (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child's Jack Thorne), and musicians (six-time Grammy winner Glen Ballard) behind the scenes.

Talent: Andre Holland, Joanna Kulig, Amandla Stenberg, Damien Chazelle

Friday Night Lights

We here at EW have beaten the drum for Friday Night Lights once or twice in the past, but for this show, it bears repeating. Ostensibly, the story of a high school football team in Dillon, Tex., Friday Night Lights used that framework to explore complex issues like racism, America's economic crisis, and our public education system. But, it did so without sacrificing rich character work and compelling stories (well, depending on how you feel about season 2), all anchored by Kyle Chandler's Coach Taylor and his wife, Tami (Connie Britton). Throw in one of the best mid-show resets in TV history, and it's easy to see why Friday Night Lights scored the number one spot on our list of the best teen TV shows ever.

EW grade: B(Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, Michael B. Jordan

Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness

Queer Eye's resident nonbinary grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness branches out with the solo project Getting Curious With Jonathan Van Ness, an educational docuseries that explores a variety of topics that Van Ness is, well…curious about. Based on his weekly podcast that launched in 2015 before he and the rest of the Fab Five became household names, the series features interviews with special guests and experts in numerous fields, including food, entomology, and beauty, among others, as Van Ness deep dives into topics varying from bugs to gender identity to snack foods.

Talent: Jonathan Van Ness

Gilmore Girls

TV has given us few better mother-daughter pairs than the eponymous, fast-talking, movie-loving Gilmore Girls, played to perfection by Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. The beloved CW dramedy—it lands at No. 6 on EW's list of the best teen TV shows ever—follows single mom Lorelai (Graham) and her daughter Rory (Bledel) through their life in the close-knit town of Stars Hollow, Conn. Rory navigates first loves (and love triangles), college, and other travails of young adulthood as her mom tries to balance romance with her business ambitions, all while surrounded by a quirky ensemble of Stars Hollow denizens—from diner owner-slash-will-they-won't-they love interest Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) to Rory's rock-and-roll-loving best friend Lane Kim (Keiko Agena). It's one of those TV locales you'll want to return to over and over.

EW grade: A-(Read the review here)

Talent: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Scott Patterson, Amy Sherman-Palladino

Related reading: Gilmore Girls: An oral history

GLOW

GLOW kicks off as the story of struggling actress Ruth (Alison Brie), who joins a lady-wrestler TV show in a last-ditch attempt to find work, but quickly develops into one of the richest female ensembles on TV. If the show feels overstuffed, it's only because the writers and actresses are determined to imbue all of the "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling" with vibrant personalities and arcs, from Betty Gilpin's former soap opera fixture Debbie to Gayle Rankin's indelible Sheila the She-Wolf.

EW grade: A (Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron

The Good Place

The Good Place begins as the story of Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), a self-proclaimed "trash bag" who ends up in the titular afterlife locale by mistake. It ends up as… well, something different, but it remains a hilarious, unpredictable, philosophical ride throughout its four seasons, all of which are now streaming on Netflix. If you're a new arrival to the heavenly comedy, avoid spoilers at all costs—you won't want any of this show's holy-shirt moments ruined for you.

EW grade: A- (Read spoiler-y season 1 review here)

Talent: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil

The Great British Baking Show

Great British Bake Off — Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and host Matt Lucas with new contestant Giuseppe on 'The Great British Baking Show'. Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions

A passionate batch of amateur bakers face off for 10 weeks in The Great British Baking Show, a wholesome competition series that replaces rivalry with feel-good kindness. A sugary escape from reality and the global health crisis that looms outside the cream-filled comfort of the bakers' tent, the Channel 4 series follows 12 hopefuls as they compete to be crowned Britain's best amateur baker—and perhaps even score a signature handshake from formidable judge Paul Hollywood along the way.

Talent: Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith, Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc, Noel Fielding, Sandi Toksvig, Matt Lucas

The Haunting of Hill House

Creator and director Mike Flanagan (Gerald's Game) brings the modern horror movie renaissance to TV with this blend of supernatural horror, family drama, and bravura filmmaking. Loosely based on Shirley Jackson's classic novel, The Haunting of Hill House tells the tale of the Crain family, alternating between past and present as it traces their paranormal experiences at the titular mansion. It's to the show's credit that it works both as an examination of how trauma can haunt us throughout our lives, and as a straight-up ghost story that will scare you senseless.

Talent: Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Mike Flanagan

How to Get Away With Murder

With How to Get Away With Murder having claimed its final victims, the Shondaland drama's full run now lurks on Netflix, awaiting a rewatch or a first-time binge. The series tells the twisty tale of lawyer and law professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis, in an Emmy-winning performance), who, along with five of her students, becomes embroiled in a web of lies, deceit, and (you guessed it) murder.

Talent: Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Alfred Enoch, Aja Naomi King

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson

I Think You Should Leave might take some getting used to. This gleefully unhinged sketch show from comedian and Saturday Night Live alum Tim Robinson (and executive produced by The Lonely Island) takes simple premises and cranks the absurdity up as far as it will go. Many of the sketches feel like SNL segments that mutated into something more surreal; the best ones (such as the much-memed Hot Dog Car sketch) capture the feeling of life in a world gone sideways. It's not for everyone, but those who like it will love it—and will devour both six-episode seasons.

Talent: Tim Robinson, Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, Vanessa Bayer, Steven Yeun

The Legend of Korra

So you've already binged Avatar: The Last Airbender…multiple times? Check out its sequel series, The Legend of Korra, which follows Aang's successor as Avatar, picking up the story 70 years later. The series begins with Korra setting out to learn airbending, and tracks her journey as she strives to maintain balance in a world facing the trials of modernization, social unrest, and a crisis involving the spirit world. (The creators did not shy away from mature themes in Korra any more than they did in Avatar.) The series should appeal to Avatar fans looking to return to the world of bending, and features plenty of familiar faces along the way.

Talent: Janet Varney, J.K. Simmons, Kiernan Shipka, David Faustino

The Last Dance

Cue "Sirius." The 10-part documentary, The Last Dance, follows the rise, fall, and re-rise of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, featuring interviews with all of the story's major figures and framed by never-before-seen footage from Jordan's final season. If that access comes at the cost of some incisiveness, The Last Dance still makes for a thrilling watch and a compelling study of Jordan and his teammates, and no basketball fan will tire of watching its abundant footage of His Airness in his prime.

Talent: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman

Lupin

Omar Sy (The Intouchables, Jurassic World) anchors this French mystery-thriller with a magnetic performance as Assane Diop, a professional thief who's modeled himself after the gentleman cambrioleur of French literature, Arsène Lupin. What seems at first to be a straightforward heist story soon deepens, as we learn Assane is pursuing revenge against a powerful businessman who framed his father for theft 25 years before. It's a socially conscious and devilishly entertaining thriller that will leave you wanting more—which, rest assured, is on the way.

Talent: Omar Sy

Maid

Margaret Qualley anchors this 10-episode limited series with a powerhouse performance as Alex, a young mother who turns to house-cleaning to make ends meet after leaving her abusive boyfriend. It's not the easiest of binges, but Qualley keeps it watchable throughout, and her real-life mom, Andie MacDowell, also shines in a supporting role as Alex's troubled mother. Maid may tackle tough topics, but it shines a vital spotlight on struggles that remain all too common.

Talent: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Andie MacDowell

Master of None

Former Parks and Recreation star Aziz Ansari unleashed his full creative potential with Master of None, which he co-created with Parks writer Alan Yang. Ansari plays Dev, a millennial actor navigating single life in modern New York and all that goes with it: dating, sex, friendship, feminism, and much more. But the show is hardly limited to his perspective; season 2's Emmy-winning episode "Thanksgiving" delves into the backstory of Dev's friend Denise (Lena Waithe), and the third season puts Denise fully front and center. Genre-bending, daring, poignant, and hilarious, it's a true Master-piece of the Peak TV era.

EW grade: A-(Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Aziz Ansari, Alan Yang, Lena Waithe, Noël Wells

The Midnight Gospel

EW's Darren Franich did an admirable job explaining what this new masterpiece from Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward is all about; doing so here would take far more words than we have space for. Just know that The Midnight Gospel blends relentlessly inventive animation with spacey-yet-thoughtful conversations (taken from co-creator Duncan Trussell's podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour) encompassing death, religion, the multiverse, and more; that it's not for kids; and that it's not to be missed.

EW grade: A (Read the review here)

Talent: Pendleton Ward, Duncan Trussell, Phil Hendrie, Stephen Root, Maria Bamford

Money Heist

Awful English-language title aside (the original Spanish title is La casa de papel, meaning "The House of Paper"), Money Heist is a gripping, complex, and relentlessly entertaining thriller, one that's taken the world by storm since debuting on Netflix in 2017. The show follows a series of ambitious heists masterminded by the mysterious Professor, starting with a plan to print billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain. But Money Heist defies and subverts heist-movie clichés, building a tangled web of complicated characters, relationships, and unreliable narrators—it's so much more than Oceano's Once.

Talent: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso

Naomi Osaka

Director Garrett Bradley—the filmmaker behind the Oscar-nominated documentary Time—brings her intimate and empathetic approach to this look at international tennis star Naomi Osaka. The docuseries follows Osaka over a historic two years in her career, as she defends her Grand Slam titles, finds her voice as an activist in the Black Lives Matter movement, and faces the pressures of training and public life, as well as the mental health struggles that would ultimately lead her to withdraw from the 2021 French Open. Sports fans will naturally be enthralled, but anyone can appreciate this fascinating look at a young woman finding herself and her voice.

Talent: Naomi Osaka, Garrett Bradley, LeBron James (executive producer)

Never Have I Ever

Co-created by Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever stars newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar, a teen just trying to have a "sexy high school experience"...while also dealing with the death of her father, her demanding mother, and the usual high school pressures. The series' many pleasures include a delightful, diverse cast, an authentic perspective drawn from Kaling's own childhood, and narrations by John McEnroe and Gigi Hadid. Yes, tennis legend John McEnroe and supermodel Gigi Hadid.

EW grade: A-(Read the review here)

Talent: Mindy Kaling, John McEnroe, Poorna Jagannathan, Niecy Nash

New Girl

Looking for your next binge? You could do much, much worse than New Girl, which EW actually dubbed the perfect comfort binge a while back. The Fox sitcom stars Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day, a quirky teacher who moves into a loft with three guys, Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), and Winston (Lamorne Morris). The show's seven seasons chronicle the group's adventures and misadventures (romantic and otherwise), with Jess's best friend Cece (Hannah Simone) and former loft-mate Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) also along for the ride. Mileage may vary on the show's quirkiness, but its pitch-perfect ensemble (and ultimate will-they-won't-they in Nick and Jess) are almost guaranteed to win your heart.

Talent: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris

Ozark

If you only watch one more gritty, morally murky crime drama, it should probably be Ozark. The Netflix series stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a Chicago financial planner who relocates his family to Missouri after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong. There, he embarks on an even bigger operation, laundering millions for a Mexican drug lord with the help of fierce local criminal Ruth (Julia Garner) and his savvy wife Wendy (Laura Linney). Darkly comedic and twistily thrilling, Ozark is the perfect binge—and a showcase for the erstwhile Michael Bluth both in front of and behind the camera.

Review: Read the review here

Talent: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner

Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj

20181009_PatriotAct_CH_0003R — Cara Howe/Netflix

The Daily Show breakout Hasan Minhaj landed his own satirical show in 2018, on the heels of his White House Correspondents' Dinner gig and acclaimed comedy special Homecoming King (also streaming on Netflix) the previous year. Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj dissects a different big topic every week (much like Last Week Tonight from fellow Daily Show alum John Oliver), from why we're doing elections wrong to public transportation to corruption in the sport of cricket. The show was unfortunately canceled, but you can still catch up on old entries while yearning for Minhaj's spin on the latest issues.

Talent: Hasan Minhaj

The Queen’s Gambit

If you weren't one of the millions who helped make The Queen's Gambit Netflix's most-watched scripted limited series within its first month of release, have a seat at the chessboard for the tale of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy). The Queen's Gambit follows Beth, a young, orphaned chess prodigy, as she ascends through the game's male-dominated ranks while battling various personal demons. Taylor-Joy's powerhouse performance anchors this coming-of-age tale, which is told with style to spare and boasts one of the best (and most accurate) depictions of chess ever put on screen.

EW grade: B (Read the review here)

Talent: Anya Taylor-Joy, Harry Melling, Marielle Heller, Scott Frank

Queer Eye

If you need a burst of joy in your life (and who among us doesn't right now?) seek out Netflix's reboot of the 2000s Bravo reality series. Each episode of Queer Eye sees the "Fab Five"—food and wine expert Antoni, fashion expert Tan, culture expert Karamo, design expert Bobby, and grooming expert Jonathan—delivering a "make-better" to a contestant in need of a change. Grab the tissues and settle in for a binge.

Review: Read the season 1 review here

Talent: Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness

Russian Doll

Co-created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, and indie filmmaker Leslye Headland, Russian Doll tells the story of Nadia (Lyonne), who dies on the night of her 36th birthday—only to find herself trapped in a time loop, Groundhog Day-style. It would be a disservice to reveal much more, but we will say that Nadia's strange journey is packed with both laughs and pathos, that Lyonne's performance is a gruff delight, and that you'll never hear Harry Nilsson's "Gotta Get Up" the same way again.

Talent: Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch

A nostalgic homage to the children's variety specials of yesteryear, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch stars John Mulaney and his kid pals, the Sack Lunch Bunch, as they tackle grown-up topics through songs, skits, and educational segments. The eccentric special mirrors Sesame Street and other childhood touchstones, but with an existential twist. The children—and special guest stars André De Shields, David Byrne, Richard Kind, Natasha Lyonne, and Jake Gyllenhaal, the latter who appears as a delightfully unhinged character named Mr. Music—ruminate on their deepest fears, among other profound topics, in unscripted interviews sprinkled between witty skits and songs, including "I Saw a White Lady Standing on the Street Just Sobbing (And I Think About It Once a Week)" and "Do You Wanna Play Restaurant?"

Talent: John Mulaney, André De Shields, David Byrne, Richard Kind, Natasha Lyonne, Jake Gyllenhaal

Seinfeld

What's left to say about the "show about nothing" that became quite something—which is to say, one of the most popular and acclaimed TV shows in history? Only the misadventures of Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) remain sitcom perfection all these years later. From "The Contest" to "The Marine Biologist" to "The Fusilli Jerry" to "The Chinese Restaurant," it's almost impossible to make a wrong choice among Seinfeld's library of classic episodes. And we needn't even mention its contributions to the cultural lexicon—yada yada yada, just binge it.

EW grade: A(Read the review here)

Talent: Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Larry David

Selling Sunset

Lavish interior and exterior shots of luxurious, million-dollar listings nestled in the scenic alcoves of Los Angeles make for therapeutic viewing in Selling Sunset, which returned for its fifth season in April 2022. Drama continues to unfold between the high-heeled real estate agents at the Oppenheim Group, as series villains Christine Quinn and Davina Potratz reel from the fractured friendships of seasons past. With cameos from Simu Liu (even Marvel superheroes need an assist in finding a home), French Montana, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it party appearance), the soapy reality series will distract (albeit momentarily) from the real-life drama offscreen as the pandemic continues to rage on.

Talent: Chrishell Stause, Mary Fitzgerald, Christine Quinn, Jason and Brett Oppenheim, Heather Rae El Moussa, Amanza Smith, Maya Vander, Romain Bonnet, newcomers Emma Hernan and Vanessa Villela

Sex Education

Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley, Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs in 'Sex Education.'. Sam Taylor/NETFLIX

It's always a good time to school yourself on Netflix's horny and heartfelt teen dramedy, Sex Education. Asa Butterfield stars as Otis, an insecure high schooler whose sexpertise—drawn from his sex-therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson)—gives him unexpected social capital among his classmates. Soon, he's dispensing advice with a makeshift sex-therapy clinic at school, alongside misunderstood bad girl Maeve (Emma Mackey). Come for the raunchy premise, stay for the empathetic storylines and winning cast, including Ncuti Gatwa as Otis' gay best friend who defies "gay best friend" tropes.

EW grade: A-(Read the review here)

Talent: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey

Schitt's Creek

The dearly departed Schitt's Creek's final season arrived on Netflix in October 2020, fresh off of a record-breaking Emmy sweep that included acting wins for all four of its leads. Those awards prove the Canadian import's bona fides as a perfect remedy for any blues. When the wealthy Rose family finds themselves bereft of their fortune, they're forced to relocate to a motel in Schitt's Creek, a small town they once bought as a joke. The fish-out-of-water comedy quickly grows into a warm-hearted ensemble sitcom, with creator-star Dan Levy's David leading the way.

Talent: Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Annie Murphy

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

The fifth and final season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power dropped in 2020, meaning you can now binge the complete run of Netflix's cosmic fantasy. The animated series, a reboot of the 1980s He-Man spinoff, follows teen soldier Adora (Aimee Carrero), who comes across a sword that transforms her into the titular princess, She-Ra, and turns her life upside down. (Magical swords have a way of doing that.) Adora must turn against her best friend Catra (AJ Michalka), assemble a group of warriors known as the Princess Alliance, and work to prevent the sinister Horde from conquering the planet Etheria.

EW grade: B+ (Read the review here)

Talent: Aimee Carrero, AJ Michalka, Marcus Scribner, Sandra Oh, Daniel Dae Kim

Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth's premise might sound like it hits a bit too close to home, but this hopeful adaptation of Jeff Lemire's acclaimed comic book offers a different kind of post-apocalyptic story. The show follows Gus (Christian Convery), a curious 10-year-old boy who is part deer, in a world where a devastating virus has wiped out most of the human population. (We promise, this show was written pre-COVID.) After years spent living in isolation, Gus sets out in search of his mother, embarking on a journey across the American West with a gruff loner named Jepperd (Game of Thrones' Nonso Anozie). It's a fantastical adventure for the whole family and just might help assuage your apocalypse fatigue a bit.

Talent: Nonso Anozie, Christian Convery, Will Forte, Robert Downey Jr. (executive producer)

Trigger Warning with Killer Mike

Something of a hidden gem, this satirical docuseries follows rapper Killer Mike of Run the Jewels as he engages in comedic activist stunts (or perhaps activist comedy stunts?) to spotlight issues affecting Black people in the U.S. Highlights include Mike attempting to only buy from Black-owned businesses for three days—which leaves him sleeping on a park bench with a can of beans for a pillow—helping Crips develop their own branded soda, and using porn to teach carpentry and plumbing.

Talent: Killer Mike, Vernon Chatman

Tuca & Bertie

Canceled by Netflix after a single season, Tuca & Bertie now roosts at Adult Swim for the foreseeable future (it's been renewed for a third season at the network). But that incredible first season still dwells on the streamer, serving as a gateway to the series' fabulous, feathered, far-out world. Created by BoJack Horseman designer Lisa Hanawalt, Tuca & Bertie follows the eponymous duo of 30-year-old bird-woman BFFs (voiced by Ali Wong and Tiffany Haddish) as they navigate a new chapter in their lives. Packed with eye-popping visuals even more adventurous than BoJack's, Hanawalt's utterly unique and surreal vision (there are plant people involved), and nuanced storytelling about repressed trauma, sexuality, and friendship, are a treat for adult animation fans of all feathers.

Talent: Ali Wong, Tiffany Haddish, Steven Yeun, Lisa Hanawalt

The Vampire Diaries

The show that proved vampires definitely do not suck, The Vampire Diaries tells the tale of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who's grieving the loss of her parents when she meets vampire brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). The trio would become a love triangle for the ages, as TVD also delivered shocking twists, supernatural adventures (Werewolves! Witches! Ghosts!), and classic high school stories (Prom! Cheerleading! Doppelgängers! Wait…). And if you need any more proof that this show is worth binging (or re-binging), EW has been doing exactly that on our Binge: The Vampire Diaries podcast. Trust us: It's a bloody good time.

EW grade: B+ (Read EW's original review here)

Talent: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec

When They See Us

Directed and co-written by Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is a powerful and urgent account of the 1989 Central Park Five case, in which five minority teenagers were wrongly convicted of the assault and rape of a white female jogger. The four-part limited series burns with contemporary resonance and incendiary performances, none more so than Jharrel Jerome's Emmy-winning portrayal of the oldest of the five, Korey Wise, both at age 16 and as an adult. As DuVernay told EW, "It's asking us to engage and really think about all of our assumptions."

Talent: Ava DuVernay, Asante Blackk, Jharrel Jerome, Niecy Nash, Felicity Huffman

Related reading: Ava DuVernay goes deep on When They See Us

Wormwood

Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War) continued his career-long effort to push the medium forward with this enigmatic, engrossing miniseries. Wormwood delves deep into the mysterious 1953 death of Frank Olson, a CIA employee and unwitting test subject of the agency's Project MKUltra program. Though Olson's death was ruled a suicide, subsequent revelations raised doubts among his family, and Morris combines extensive interviews with dramatic sequences (featuring Peter Sarsgaard as Olson) that unspool a dark, complex, thought-provoking tale. Morris may be more interested in questions than answers, but those questions will haunt you long after you've finished Wormwood.

Talent: Errol Morris, Peter Sarsgaard, Molly Parker, Tim Blake Nelson

Wynonna Earp

Dearly departed cult-favorite Wynonna Earp is a blast of quippy, feminist, supernatural Western fun, following the titular great-great-granddaughter of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp as she battles the vengeful spirits of outlaws Wyatt killed. Not enough for you? Add in immortal cowboy Doc Holliday, a romance between Wynonna's half-sister Waverly and badass deputy sheriff Nicole Haught, and a magic gun called Peacemaker, and this show ought to get a "yee-haw" out of anyone.

Talent: Melanie Scrofano, Shamier Anderson, Tim Rozon, Dominique Provost-Chalkley

YOU

YOU — Penn Badgley about to do something creepy on 'You'. Tyler Golden/Netflix

The history of YOU will always be bound up with Netflix, where the show famously found a massive audience after a low-rated first season on Lifetime. With season 4 on the way, it's a good time to catch up on the psychological thriller, which stars Penn Badgley as Joe, a New York bookstore manager who meet-cutes with aspiring poet Beck (Elizabeth Lail). Soon, though, Joe's interest in her spirals into full-blown obsession, as he reveals himself to be a tech-savvy stalker—unbeknownst to Beck, of course. The show's twisty plot will keep you hooked at every turn, but it's Badgley's killer performance that will truly make YOU your own obsession.

EW grade: B+ (Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Victoria Pedretti

30 Rock

Grab your night cheese and page Dr. Spaceman, because 30 Rock is back on Netflix. Tina Fey leads the beloved sitcom as Liz Lemon, the know-it-all, very hungry head writer of an NBC sketch comedy show, who must juggle her unpredictable stars (Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski), her demanding boss (Alec Baldwin), and her truly dispiriting love life. (Exhibit A: On-and-off boyfriend Dennis "Dummy" Duffy.) But that description really doesn't do justice to the breakneck-pace and absurdly quotable (and memeable) chaos that awaits over 30 Rock's seven seasons; it truly must be seen to be believed. Blerg!

EW grade: A (Read season 1 review here)

Talent: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski

Related reading: The best 30 Rock guest stars

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Jessica Wang