What to watch on Netflix: 22 best TV shows streaming now

Clockwise from left: BoJack Horseman (Image: Netflix), Bridgerton (Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix), Stranger Things (Photo: Netflix), Downton Abbey (Photo: PBS), Wild Wild Country (Photo: Netflix), Mindhunter (Photo: Netflix) — Clockwise from left: *BoJack Horseman* (Image: Netflix), *Bridgerton* (Photo: Liam Daniel/Netflix), *Stranger Things* (Photo: Netflix), *Downton Abbey* (Photo: PBS), *Wild Wild Country* (Photo: Netflix), *Mindhunter* (Photo: Netflix)

We’re not statisticians by any means (wait, what do those do again?), but by our count, Netflix adds approximately a billion titles every month. That’s a lot of shows to sift through. So we got our TV-addled brains together to highlight a few shows that are coming (or going) each month, not to mention a bunch of series we just genuinely love on the streamer (premiere timings be damned) in one handy list.

Speaking of timing: On May 27, the highly anticipated Stranger Things 4: Vol. 1 drops. (The series promises to finally bring our young heroes to high school. Scary stuff.) And you only have until the end of the month to watch all of Downton Abbey before the prestige PBS show is pulled from the streamer.

Beyond that, we’ve highlighted our favorite Netflix originals (Squid Games, BoJack Horseman), classics (Arrested Development, Friday Night Lights), essential docuseries (The Last Dance, Wild Wild Country), and more.

This list is in alphabetical order. It was last updated on May 2, 2022. It will update monthly.

2 / 24

Arrested Development (Fox: 2003-2005, Netflix: 2014-2019)

Stars: Jessica Walter, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross

Number of seasons on Netflix: 5

Arrested Development follows the dysfunctional Bluth family, who go broke after patriarch George Sr. is arrested. The iconic comedy was ahead of its time when it premiered on Fox. While Netflix’s reboot doesn’t come close to the show’s original run, it still makes for a long, strange funny binge, thanks to an ace comedic cast, Ron Howard’s narration, and endless running gags: the banana stand, the chicken dance, “Her?” Honestly, we could go on.

3 / 24

Better Call Saul (AMC: 2015-2022)

Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando, Giancarlo Esposito

Number of seasons on Netflix: 5

It’s kind of incredible to think that Bob Odenkirk hadn’t even heard of Breaking Bad when he was asked to take on the role of shady lawyer Saul Goodman. (He says he caught up with the series on the plane ride over to New Mexico before shooting season two.) Since that flight, the character has become iconic and the namesake of this excellent BB prequel, which is more patient but just as beautifully shot as the aughts masterpiece from which it sprung, not to mention a real testament to how flesh out a character that at first felt like comic relief.

4 / 24

BoJack Horseman (Netflix: 2014-2020)

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

Number of seasons on Netflix: 6, plus a special

BoJack Horseman, the brilliant animated dramedy about a has-been ’90s sitcom star who also happens to be an anthropomorphic horse, might just be the deepest series Netflix has ever produced, tackling alcoholism, drug addiction, death, depression, fame, childhood trauma, betrayal, failure, and on and on and on. As Les Chappell put it in his review of the finale: “You can always screw it up, and you can always make it better. No show on television understood that better than BoJack Horseman.” The series is also, we should add, very, very funny.

5 / 24

Bridgerton (Netflix: 2020-)

Stars: Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Polly Walker, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jessie, Phoebe Dynevor, Regé-Jean Page, Julie Andrews, Ruby Barker

Number of seasons on Netflix: 2

Based on Julia Quinn’s novels of the same name, Netflix’s Bridgerton elevated Regency-era romance to an unprecedented level of bingeability. Each season of this sparkling series from Shonda Rhimes centers on a couple looking for love under the eyes of the scrupulous Queen. Applying signature Shondaland finesse, this seemingly staid premise soon gives way to sexy and scandalous adventures that are quite addicting.

6 / 24

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW: 2015-2019)

Stars: Rachel Bloom, Vincent Rodriguez III, Santino Fontana, Skylar Astin, Donna Lynne Champlin, Pete Gardner, Vella Lovell, Gabrielle Ruiz, David Hull, Scott Michael Foster

Number of seasons on Netflix: 4

Creator-star Rachel Bloom delivered an episodic musical for the ages in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. This cheekily named romantic comedy follows Rebecca Bunch, an unhappy lawyer who moves to suburban California on a whim. As sweet as it is smart, the story delivers critical representation for mental health awareness and some of the outright funniest lyrical turns in modern memory. Come for the promise of killer songs, stay for the great tale that strings them together.

7 / 24

Downton Abbey (ITV/PBS: 2010-2015)

Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Siobhan Finneran, Joanne Froggatt

Number of seasons on Netflix: 6

Downton Abbey brought some prestige-television vibes to PBS (where it aired in the States) in the early 2010s and quickly became a pop-cultural phenom. (Those are hardly easy feats.) In her review of the first three episodes of the sprawling, fantastically costumed historical drama, Meredith Blake noted, “Dishy and thoroughly engrossing, Downton Abbey is a return to the upstairs-downstairs universe of the English country estate for [creator Juilian] Fellowes, who wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Gosford Park.”

8 / 24

Friday Night Lights (NBC: 2006-2011)

Stars: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Jesse Plemons, Aimee Teegarden, Gaius Charles, Adrianne Palicki, Michael B. Jordan

Number of seasons on Netflix: 5

A series that transcended both high-school and sports shows (and seemed to be almost tailor-made for viewers who don’t particularly like those genres?), Friday Night Lights has a lot going for it: some charming young talent, a strong aesthetic thanks its three-camera-and-minimal-blocking setup, an authentic-feeling small-town backdrop, a very good score and soundtrack, and, as just about everyone who enjoys the show has commented, maybe the best married couple on TV in the form of Coach and Tami Taylor. Those locker-room speeches are pretty damn good, too.

9 / 24

Gilmore Girls (The WB: 2000-2006, The CW: 2006-2007)

Stars: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Scott Patterson, Milo Ventimiglia, Keiko Agena, Sean Gunn, Melissa McCarthy

Number of seasons on Netflix: 7, plus reunion miniseries Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

No place on television feels like home quite the way Stars Hollow feels like home. Set in a quaint Connecticut town, Amy Sherman-Palladino’s most iconic TV hit follows a young mother-daughter duo navigating the pressures of girlhood and womanhood in tandem. In the periphery, a lovable cast of neighbors ebbs and flows to create a warm snowglobe-type effect that never fails to produce the warm and fuzzies.

10 / 24

The Last Dance (ESPN: 2020)

Subjects: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

Tiger King may have been the docuseries that first took over the culture at the start of the lockdown in spring 2020—but it wasn’t the best. That distinction goes to this instant classic, which felt like a necessary watch whether or not you cared about the Bulls, Chicago, Michael Jordan, the NBA, very-’90s fashions, or even the notion of organized sports. Packed with never-before-seen footage, the series, which centers on the team’s championship 1997-1998 season, is expertly crafted, engaging and addicting. We could have watched another 10 episodes, truth be told.

11 / 24

Maid (Netflix: 2021)

Stars: Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell, Anika Noni Rose, Nick Robinson, Traci Villar, Raymond Ablack, Billy Burke

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

Based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid is a hypnotic miniseries about single mother Alex Langley overcoming her struggles. Here’s an excerpt from The A.V. Club’s review: “Maid is the kind of TV drama that stays with you for a long time. The 10 episodes are unflinching in their portrayal of Alex’s poverty, isolation, and fragile emotional well-being. It is also unabashedly hopeful; the show and its protagonist forge ahead with resilience and poignancy.”

12 / 24

Mindhunter (Netflix: 2017-)

Stars: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Hannah Gross, Stacey Roca

Number of seasons on Netflix: 2

As if Zodiac didn’t already make the case, with Mindhunter, David Fincher reminds us that if he only made titles about serial killers and the stiff-suit-wearing investigators chasing them going forward, that would be just fine by us. The director has helmed seven episodes of the show, which follows odd-couple agents (Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany) and a psychology prof (Anna Torv) in the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, and revives a lot of his visual and thematic hallmarks. There’s no word yet on whether a third season is on the horizon—it’s doubtful—but here’s hoping.

13 / 24

Never Have I Ever (Netflix: 2020-)

Stars: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Lee Rodriguez, Ramona Young, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Niecy Nash

Number of seasons on Netflix: 2

Mindy Kaling and Louie Lang’s Never Have I Ever is the rare fun teen dramedy centering on an Indian American family (that also subverts South Asian stereotypes). Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is a high schooler struggling with grief after her father’s death. NHIE handles her coming-of-age issues with relatable vulnerability and relieving bouts of humor. Plus, Ramakrishnan is an ingenious breakout star. Netflix has renewed the show for seasons three and four.

14 / 24

Ozark (Netflix: 2017-2022)

Starring: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Lisa Emery, Charlie Tahan, Janet McTeer

Number of seasons on Netflix: 4

Ozark isn’t quite the prestige drama it aspires to be, but it’s still an incredibly engaging and intense crime thriller. It follows the Byrdes, who move to the Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican cartel, promptly creating deadly havoc in the small town. Julia Garner delivers a gut-wrenching, two-time Emmy winning performance. Here’s The A.V. Club’s review of the the final episodes, which dropped April 29.

15 / 24

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix: 2020)

Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling, Rebecca Root

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

Based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name, this coming-of-age dramedy chronicles the evolution of the (regrettably fictional) chess prodigy Beth Harmon. Combining the pulsing intensity of ambition with the intense interiority of strategy games, The Queen’s Gambit was one of those pandemic sensations that holds up stunningly well in the metaphorical light of day. At just seven episodes, it’s a tight story assault with a flourishing finish you won’t soon forget.

16 / 24

Russian Doll (Netflix: 2019-)

Stars: Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Yul Vazquez, Elizabeth Ashley, Greta Lee, Rebecca Henderson, Dasha Polanco

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

In this killer series, Natasha Lyonne stars as Nadia, a snarky New York City woman who finds herself trapped in a Groundhog Day-style time loop. This puzzle box of a show show delivers a never-ending treasure trove of questions to be answered and matches that surface-level satisfaction with some real emotion. Check out our review of Russian Doll’s exquisitely trippy second season, which dropped last month.

17 / 24

Schitt’s Creek (CBC/Pop TV: 2015-2020)

Stars: Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, Dustin Milligan, Jennifer Robertson, Chris Elliott, Sarah Levy

Number of seasons on Netflix: 6

Schitt’s Creek’s ascension from small have-you-heard-about-this comedy into a mainstream pop-culture favorite is highly deserved. Eugene and Dan Levy’s show about the Rose family—who move from lavish mansions to the rundown titular town after losing their wealth—fleshes out its seemingly unlikable characters with detailed, heartfelt humor. SC also lays down a roadmap on normalizing LGBTQ relationships with David and Patrick’s romance. There’s a reason it swept the Emmys in 2020, after all.

18 / 24

Seinfeld (NBC: 1989-1998)

Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander

Number of seasons on Netflix: 9

Yes, it’s the most successful “show about nothing” ever written. Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, this iconic American sitcom follows four friends living in New York City who—for better or worse—kind of just hang out. Stupidly funny and timelessly recognizable, Seinfeld continues to set the bar for comedy years since it last aired. So double-dip that chip. Revel in the joy of Festivus. Take counsel from Sagman, Bennett, Robbins, Oppenheim, and Taft. It’s never too late or early for a Seinfeld watch.

19 / 24

Sense8 (Netflix: 2015-2017)

Stars: Bae Doona, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Brian J. Smith, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Max Riemelt, Aml Ameen, Toby Onwumere

Number of seasons on Netflix: 2, plus a Christmas special

Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s global sci-fi drama unsurprisingly features labyrinthine mysteries. In it, eight strangers born on the same day in different parts of the world share a psychic connection. As they try to adapt to this new discovery, a sinister organization tries to hunt them all down. Engagingly complicated, Sense8 is beautifully shot and embraces authentic queer and diverse characters in exciting ways. As Caroline Siede aptly put in her review: “It’s unlike anything else on TV.”

20 / 24

Squid Game (Netflix: 2021-)

Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

South Korean thriller Squid Game has evolved into one of Netflix’s most popular originals—and for good reason. The survival drama is full of shocks, fatal twists, and heartbreaks as 456 lower-class players risk their lives for a chance to win billions of dollars. But as William Hughes wrote about the show, “it hides bitter anti-capitalist satire beneath blood-soaked kids’ games.” Thankfully, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has confirmed a second season.

21 / 24

Stranger Things (Netflix: 2016-)

Stars: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink

Number of seasons on Netflix: 3

The Duffer Brothers’ homage to the ’80s and childhood and movies made in the ’80s about childhood finally returns this year. The fourth season of the show—sorry, Stranger Things 4—drops in two batches, the first later this month (on May 27) and the second on July 1. Check out Emily L. Stephens’ in-depth recap on last season’s finale if you need to be reminded of what exactly went down in that battle at the mall and where the youngsters’ relationships stand.

22 / 24

When They See Us (Netflix: 2019)

Stars: Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, Felicity Huffman, Niecy Nash, Blair Underwood, John Leguizamo, Christopher Jackson, Joshua Jackson

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

Ava DuVernay devastated audiences in 2019 with her painful yet poignant limited series dramatizing the infamous Central Park jogger case, the stain on the American justice system that saw five Black and Latino teenagers wrongly accused of assaulting and raping a woman in Manhattan in 1989. Their stories remain as prescient as ever, and DuVernay’s retelling delivers a uniquely gut-wrenching blend of sobering realism and cinematic sensationalism that will leave practically any viewer moved.

23 / 24

Wild Wild Country (Netflix: 2018)

Subjects: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Ma Anand Sheela, Jane Stork, Philip Toelkes

Number of seasons on Netflix: 1

Brothers Chapman and Maclain Way (The Battered Bastards of Baseball) direct this six-part look at what happened when the followers of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh took over a tiny community in rural Oregon in the early ‘80s. It’s stranger-than-fiction stuff, full of, yes, wild details like assassination attempts and some very loud orgies. What’s more, the indie-leaning soundtrack (Bill Callahan, Kevin Morby, Damien Jurado) is ace, as is the Owen Wilson-starring Documentary Now! spoof it influenced.

What to watch on Netflix: 22 best TV shows streaming right now

Get ready for new episodes of Stranger Things, say goodbye to Downton Abbey, and check out more tried-and-true series handpicked by The A.V. Club

Arrested Development (Fox: 2003-2005, Netflix: 2014-2019)

Arrested Development (Fox: 2003-2005, Netflix: 2014-2019)

Better Call Saul (AMC: 2015-2022)

Better Call Saul (AMC: 2015-2022)

BoJack Horseman (Netflix: 2014-2020)

BoJack Horseman (Netflix: 2014-2020)

Bridgerton (Netflix: 2020-)

Bridgerton (Netflix: 2020-)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW: 2015-2019)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW: 2015-2019)

Downton Abbey (ITV/PBS: 2010-2015)

Downton Abbey (ITV/PBS: 2010-2015)

Friday Night Lights (NBC: 2006-2011)

Friday Night Lights (NBC: 2006-2011)

Gilmore Girls (The WB: 2000-2006, The CW: 2006-2007)

Gilmore Girls (The WB: 2000-2006, The CW: 2006-2007)

The Last Dance (ESPN: 2020)

The Last Dance (ESPN: 2020)

Maid (Netflix: 2021)

Maid (Netflix: 2021)

Mindhunter (Netflix: 2017-)

Mindhunter (Netflix: 2017-)

Never Have I Ever (Netflix: 2020-)

Never Have I Ever (Netflix: 2020-)

Ozark (Netflix: 2017-2022)

Ozark (Netflix: 2017-2022)

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix: 2020)

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix: 2020)

Russian Doll (Netflix: 2019-)

Russian Doll (Netflix: 2019-)

Schitt’s Creek (CBC/Pop TV: 2015-2020)

Schitt’s Creek (CBC/Pop TV: 2015-2020)

Seinfeld (NBC: 1989-1998)

Seinfeld (NBC: 1989-1998)

Sense8 (Netflix: 2015-2017)

Sense8 (Netflix: 2015-2017)

Squid Game (Netflix: 2021-)

Squid Game (Netflix: 2021-)

Stranger Things (Netflix: 2016-)

Stranger Things (Netflix: 2016-)

When They See Us (Netflix: 2019)

When They See Us (Netflix: 2019)

Wild Wild Country (Netflix: 2018)

Wild Wild Country (Netflix: 2018)