During life under lockdown, you can approach TV in two different ways. You can stay glued to rolling news from morning to night, until you’re thoroughly miserable. Or you can focus on the positive: you finally have time to catch up on those streaming boxsets friends have been urging you to watch.
But what happens when you’ve finished those? While the Netflix interface is great at letting you search by title, keyword, actor or genre, the one category you’re really interested in, 'good', isn’t actually listed.
So let us help. In this post, we’ve unearthed the true, rare gems amongst the hundreds of TV shows dumped on Netflix. These 20 boxsets, beginning with the most recent, and finishing with a few genuine classics, cover a wide range of genres, but are united by one thing: they’re all absolutely first-class.
If you've got more time on your hands, also check out our collection of how to draw tutorials.
01. Next in Fashion
- Genre: Reality contest
- Number of seasons: 1
- What happens: Fashion designers compete for big money
- Why watch it?: It’s colourful, glamorous and super-inspiring
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of reality TV. There’s the Kardashians type, where there’s a lot of arguing, but not much actually happens. Then there’s the Bake Off or MasterChef approach, where people step out of their comfort zone, improve their skills, and take you with them on their emotional journey. Next in Fashion lies in the latter category, as a group of fashion designers compete for $250K and the chance to become “the next big thing in fashion”.
Two things in particular make this show stand-out: the diversity of the contestants, and the imaginative brilliance of their creations. So even if you’re not at all interested in fashion, or think you don’t like reality TV, believe us: watch just one episode of this show, and you’ll be hooked.
02. The Stranger
- Genre: Thriller
- Number of seasons: 1
- What happens: A stranger goes around town revealing people’s secrets
- Why watch it?: Every second is filled with intrigue and excitement
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
American novelist Harlan Coben is one of the century’s greatest crime writers, but it’s taken a long time for his books to be successfully adapted for TV. Finally, however, Netflix has bottled his genius into a series of UK-set dramas: The Five (no longer available), Safe and most recently and compellingly, The Stranger.
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In this eight-part series, Hannah John-Kamen is entrancing as the mystery woman who goes around town revealing people’s secrets. This causes a whirlwind of tragic consequences, played out compellingly by top-class actors including Richard Armitage, Dervla Kirwan, Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Rea and Anthony Stewart Head.
All in all, this show rises above the norm due to its perfectly formed plotting, its grounded sense of realism, and its empathy for the characters, who invariably come across as sympathetic; even the wrong’uns.
03. You
- Genre: Dark drama
- Number of seasons: 2
- What happens: A sociopath creepily inserts himself into a woman’s life
- Why watch it?: It’s super-tense and full of surprises
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Ever wondered what it’s like inside the head of a sociopath? If not, then maybe give this one a miss. But if you’re intrigued by the idea of a stalker explaining, carefully and methodically, the creepy methods he uses, you’ll find this dark and disturbing drama a wild and fascinating ride.
Be warned: none of the characters in this New York-set drama are at all likeable, which is kind of the point. But with its talented cast, nuanced social commentary, and stunning cinematography, You is compelling from start to finish. Plus you’ll learn plenty about the art of preserving old books along the way.
04. Sex Education
- Genre: Comedy drama
- Number of seasons: 2
- What happens: A tough girl sets up a nerdy lad as a sex therapist
- Why watch it?: It’s funny, smart and very sexy
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
The polar opposite to the darkness of You, Sex Education is a colourful, fun and sexually explicit comedy-drama that will put a smile on your face and make you forget all your lockdown woes. It follows a nerdy but empathetic lad, who’s enlisted by a tough teenage girl to sell their fellow pupils sex therapy sessions. And yes, that’s as ridiculous as it sounds... but it’s very entertaining nonetheless.
Admittedly, this show is not perfect. For a start, this allegedly British school looks very much like an American one, with its pep rallies, Letterman jackets and focus on the swim team and school band. We also don’t understand how these kids, with their working-class accents and attitudes, mostly seem to live in ski lodges and millionaire mansions.
But you quickly forget all of that, because the story does such a good job of capturing the emotional whirlwind that is being a teenager. You’ll soon start to care deeply about these carefully drawn characters, and crave to find out what happens to them next. Or at the very least, you’ll be reminded how glad you are not to be at school any more.
05. Star Trek Discovery (not USA)
- Genre: Sci-fi
- Number of seasons: 2
- What happens: War erupts between two galactic empires
- Why watch it?: It’s engaging drama with great storylines
- Watch in UK
There’s been an awful lot of Star Trek since the original show in the 1960s. In the 1970s came the spin-off movies, books and cartoon series. In the 1980s and 1990s, the show returned to TV in the form of Next Generation, followed by Deep Space Nine and Voyager. In this century we’ve had Enterprise, the JJ Abrahms movie reboots, and most recently, two new TV series in the form of Discovery, a prequel to the original 60s show, and in 2020, Picard.
If this all sounds confusing, here are two things you need to know. Firstly, Star Trek: Discovery is very good. And secondly, you don’t need to have watched any Star Trek before to enjoy it. Precisely because it’s a prequel, there’s no continuity to worry about, and so it’s a great jumping off point for enjoying this much-loved world of space adventure.
In fact, that applies even if you’re not a sci-fi fan in general, because it’s simply a good story, told well. There’s one big caveat, though: it takes a little time to find its way, and the first couple of episodes are in honesty not that great. But stick with it and from episode three onwards, you’ll get a good return on the time you’ve invested.
06. Our Planet
- Genre: Nature documentary
- Number of seasons: 1
- What happens: Climate change impacts animals in the wild
- Why watch it?: To educate yourself and marvel at nature’s wonder
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Sir David Attenborough is well known as the guru of BBC wildlife documentaries, which have become ever grander and more epic in recent years. But for his latest series, Our Planet, he wanted instead to partner with Netflix. Why? Because the theme of this particular series is the environmental crisis, and he wanted the widest possible global audience for his message.
The show brings us a variety of animals around the world and portrays, in stunning detail, how their personal environments have been affected by climate change and other ecological issues. And as you’d expect it’s a thought-provoking, dramatic, wonderfully shot and endlessly entertaining watch.
07. After Life
- Genre: Black comedy
- Number of seasons: 1
- What happens: A bereaved reporter takes out his anger in obscene ways
- Why watch it?: It’s hilarious, bad-taste comedy with a heart of gold
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Is lockdown life making you miserable? Then you might think a black comedy about a man contemplating suicide wouldn’t help. But in the case of After Life, you’d be wrong, for two reasons.
Firstly, the awful ways that main character Tony, played by Ricky Gervais, takes out his anger at the death of his wife are brilliantly, cathartically funny... and at a time like now, a bit of catharsis is no bad thing. And secondly because, in small and subtle ways, the show suggests things can get better, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
That doesn’t happen in a predictable or formulaic manner, though. Throughout the six, perfectly formed episodes, the lives of the ensemble cast veer from tragic to hilarious in a series of unexpected ways, and you’re kept guessing how everything will turn out.
Of course, Ricky Gervais is comedy Marmite, and if like many, you find him genuinely irritating, you should probably give After Life a miss. But if you have enjoyed his past performance in The Office, Extras or his comedy movies, do be assured that this is his best, and most endearing work yet.
08. Glow
- Genre: Comedy drama
- Number of seasons: 3
- What happens: Misfits put together a female wrestling show
- Why watch it?: It’s a heartwarming tale of triumph against the odds
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
American wrestling is all about outlandish spectacle and over-the-top, scripted entertainment, but what lies beneath the facade? That’s the question posed by this comedy drama, set in 1980s LA, which follows a motley crew of outcasts and losers putting together a female wrestling show for late-night cable TV.
The story is fictional, but is based on the real-life women's wrestling and variety show that aired during the late '80s, and many of the characters are inspired by real wrestlers, too. So while there’s a ton of fun to be found here, from the witty back-and-forths to the soapy sub-plots, Glow always keeps one foot in the real world. This means that when themes like sexual harassment are introduced into the mix, it doesn’t kill the mood, but only makes you engage more with the easy-to-love characters and their constant challenges.
09. The Good Place
- Genre: Comedy
- Number of seasons: 4
- What happens: A woman arrives at The Good Place by mistake
- Why watch it?: To laugh, and learn about philosophy
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Spending time at home on lockdown, with little to do, can prompt you to start pondering the philosophical questions of life. But where do the answers to such questions lie? A fast-paced, high energy sitcom is probably the last place you’d look… but actually, that’s exactly what The Good Place is all about.
In this fantasy comedy, Eleanor, an unpleasant woman played by Kristen Bell (above), dies and finds herself in The Good Place, an afterlife for the morally just. Only, she’s in the wrong place due to a case of mistaken identity, and so to avoid being sent to hell, she sets about hiding her past and taking ethics lessons, so she can blend into The Good Place better.
It’s a clever concept, and the show keeps things interesting by introducing us, along with Eleanor, to a series of ethical philosophies and dilemmas, and dramatising how they play out in practice. There are a lot of laughs to be had as Eleanor gets increasingly tied up in her tangled web of lies. And unlike the other shows on this list, the episodes are nice and short, so work well for plugging brief gaps in your day.
10. The Assassination of Gianni Versace
- Genre: True-life crime drama
- Number of seasons: 1
- What happens: The life of Andrew Cunanan, assassin of Gianni Versace
- Why watch it?: It’s grim but fascinating
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
From the people who brought you The People vs. O.J. Simpson in 2016 (also on Netflix, and also highly recommended) comes another true-life crime drama, but this time about a subject most of us know little about. In 1997, Italian fashion icon Gianni Versace was shot execution-style on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion. This show takes that event as its starting point, and then retraces the life of his killer, portraying in clinical detail the shocking sequence of events that led him up to this point.
It’s by no means a fun watch, then, and if you want something uplifting, you’ll need to look elsewhere. It is however, exceptionally well acted, masterfully shot and utterly compelling from start to finish.
11. The OA
- Genre: Sci-fi fantasy
- Number of seasons: 2
- What happens: A missing woman returns, shrouded in mystery
- Why watch it?: At each stage, you have no idea what will happen next.
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
We're already starting to miss travel, but here’s a show that will truly take you on a voyage of the imagination. The OA is difficult to describe without giving the plot away, but suffice to say that this is about as far away from formulaic drama as you can get. Instead, it will truly make your mind boggle and, at times, your heart race.
With a cinematic and epic feel, this drama tells the story of Prairie Johnson, a young woman who’s resurfaced after having been missing for seven years. She now calls herself 'The OA' and can see, despite having been blind before her disappearance. From here on in, you will spend every episode not knowing where the story is going, or even what genre you’re watching. And take it from us, you will enjoy every, increasingly deranged, minute.
12. Lost in Space
- Genre: Sci-fi
- Number of seasons: 2
- What happens: A family crash-lands on an alien planet
- Why watch it?: Pure escapism
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Miss going to the cinema to see the latest film? Well, while Lost in Space is technically a television production, every episode of this spacefaring family drama feels like a blockbuster movie; more so than any show we’ve seen to date. They've spend a lot of money on this.
A reboot of the 1965 series of the same name, which itself was a reimagining of the 1812 novel The Swiss Family Robinson, it follows a family on their way to make a new life on another planet. But they crash on a much more inhospitable one, and there, they must contend with a series of strange and unexpected terrors, all the time battling their own personal demons.
Much more gritty and serious than its camp Sixties predecessor, Lost in Space is nonetheless a great watch for all the family, and maintains its super-high production values through the two seasons that have aired so far.
13. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
- Genre: Teen fantasy
- Number of seasons: 2
- What happens: A half-witch tries to balance the mortal and Satanic worlds
- Why watch it?: For the clever script and great performances
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Another camp show from times past reinvented as more serious fare, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina couldn’t be more different than the 1990s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which starred Melissa Joan-Hart. Set in the same universe as teen drama Riverdale (also on Netflix), this brooding new production follows a half-human, half-magical teenager attending a school in the mortal realm. The servants of Satan, however, wish her to attend the supernatural Church of the Night, a kind of Hogwarts for baby eaters, and Sabrina finds herself torn between two incompatible worlds.
What follows is a weird mix of teen drama, camp comedy and grotesque horror that can veer wildly in tone from one moment to the next... but never gets boring. Admittedly, it’s no Buffy, but it is highly original, beautifully shot and frequently enthralling. In truth, people seem to love it and loathe it in equal measure, but watch the first episode and you’ll soon know which side of the fence you’re on.
14. Lucifer
- Genre: Comedy drama
- Number of seasons: 3
- What happens: The devil moves to LA and becomes a detective
- Why watch it?: It’s charming and witty
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Typical: you wait ages for a Satanic comedy-drama, then two come along at once. Based on the DC Comics character The Sandman, Lucifer uses supernatural horror to reinvigorate the procedural detective show; it’s basically Castle with added brimstone.
The conceit here is that the Devil has abandoned Hell for Los Angeles, where he runs his own nightclub and becomes a consultant to the LAPD. If that sounds a little far-fetched, it is, but the actors play everything straight, and you just kind of go with it.
While the plots are derivative, it’s the central performance by Tom Ellis that really raises this show; he’s both devastatingly charming and the kind of broken villain you just can’t help empathising with. Plus the production values are super-slick, the supporting cast are compelling, and just when you feel things are dragging, there’s another big twist to pull back your interest.
15. Wild Wild Country
- Genre: Documentary series
- Number of seasons: 1
- What happens: A cult leader builds a city in the desert
- Why watch it?: It’s riveting, and empathetic to all sides
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Documentary series can be very hit and miss, but here’s one that we couldn’t leave off this list. It traces the story of how a controversial guru built a utopian city in the Oregon desert during the 1980s, causing a sharp conflict with local people. If that’s not a story you’re familiar with, you’re not alone; but it’s one that’s masterfully told, and you’ll soon be on the edge of your seat.
Note, though, that while this documentary series is dramatic, it’s also respectful and by no means exploitative. People on both sides get a say, reflecting the true complexity of the situation and leaving the audience to make up their own minds.
16. Queer Eye
- Genre: Reality show
- Number of seasons: 4
- What happens: Five gay experts give life makeovers
- Why watch it?: It’s heartwarming and full of great life tips
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
There are makeover shows, and makeover shows. Queer Eye, a Netflix reboot of the 2003-2007 ABC series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, is a breed apart.
Each episode features a team of gay professionals in the fields of fashion, grooming, interior design, entertaining and culture, who perform a life makeover for someone in need of advice. The team revamp their wardrobe, redecorate their house, and offer advice on grooming, lifestyle and food. There are usually tears.
While many makeover shows have a shallow and consumerist focus, Queer Eye goes deep into the family dynamics, communication issues and personal psychology of its subjects, and tries to promote life changes that are more than just surface-level. So even if you think you have little in common with a truck-driving redneck from Missouri, this show might well surprise you.
17. Black Mirror
- Genre: Futuristic sci-fi
- Number of seasons: 5
- What happens: A series of dramas play out in future worlds
- Why watch it?: To see where society is heading
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Even if you haven’t seen Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series, you’ve probably heard people say "It’s just like something out of Black Mirror" when groundbreaking new tech is launched. That’s because this show is set in the near future, and each self-contained episode examines the unexpected effects that imagined technological innovations might have on ordinary people.
With a dark sense of humour running throughout it, this British-made, but now Netflix-funded show, has very high production values, is endlessly inventive and will really make you think about where we are going as a society. And apart from anything else, you’ll be able to understand all those conversational references with friends that previously went over your head.
18. Gilmore Girls
- Genre: Family drama
- Number of seasons: 5
- What happens: The life of a single mum and her daughter
- Why watch it?: Soapy storylines and witty banter
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
The Gilmore Girls may have run from 2000-2007, but it hasn’t dated a bit. Mainly because it’s a show that deals with themes of family, relationships and class that are both timeless and universal.
The drama follows the life of a single mother, Lorelai Gilmore, and her daughter Rory, who live in a small town filled with a number of eccentric characters. While it can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages, it's been a particular hit with millennials thanks to its witty dialogue, which is delivered at breakneck speed. (The original promo poster led with the slogan: 'Life’s short. Talk fast'). Plus with an impressive 153 episodes to binge-watch, this is one show that will hopefully last you long beyond the lockdown.
19. Breaking Bad
- Genre: Crime drama
- Number of seasons: 5
- What happens: A science teacher starts making meth
- Why watch it?: It’s just awesome
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Launched in 2008, Breaking Bad is the godfather of boxset TV. And yes, your friends are right: it is that good. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t seen it yet, it tells the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher in the midst of a midlife crisis. When he gets diagnosed with stage-3 lung cancer, but his insurance won’t pay for the best treatment, he decides to enter the drug business by manufacturing crystal meth.
With 139 wins and 229 nominations, Breaking Bad is the most awarded TV show ever, and for good reason. The way it shows a normal, decent man can slowly descend into becoming a violent criminal mastermind is both utterly convincing and terrifying, suggesting that we, too, might be capable of such a transformation. And the ride itself... well, it’s just wonderfully entertaining.
20. Mad Men
- Genre: Drama
- Number of seasons: 7
- What happens: Dramatic events at a 1960s New York ad agency
- Why watch it?: Nostalgia, glamour and characters you’ll fall in love with
- Watch in UK
- Watch in US
Running from 2007 to 2015, Mad Men is set at a fictional ad agency on Madison Avenue, New York City, in the 1960s. Its main character is the womanising advertising executive Don Draper, and the series tracks the people in his personal and professional life, against the backdrop of changing moods and social mores during the period.
The first basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, Mad Men is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time. And really: do you need to know anything more than that?
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Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.
