From anthology hits to gripping documentaries, Netflix’s catalogue is full of top-quality shows. We’ve compiled a list of the best to watch right now. A slick reboot of the classic true crime series, this tense thriller has already captured audiences. You’ll be left with a sense of unease as you follow the case of a mysterious murderer.
Bridgerton
The first scripted series to emerge from Shonda Rhimes’ deal with Netflix, Bridgerton combines the author Julia Quinn’s Regency Era romance novels with the soapy sensibility of Rhimes’ other shows. But with its inclusionary cast and focus on the lives of those whose fortunes were tied to noble/royal characters, it also brings a welcome breath of fresh air to period dramas. Creator Chris Van Dusen (Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy) gives his actors a chance to display their talents with a series of lavish balls and passionate love scenes. The show’s second season, which premiered Thursday, ratchets up the onscreen tension and keeps the plot twists coming faster than Beau Brummell can don a cravat.
GLOW
Glow will not return for a fourth season. The female wrestling dramedy was about three weeks into production when it was forced to stop shooting during the COVID-19 shutdown. Sources tell Variety that ดูซีรี่ย์ Netflix found it would be too expensive to continue producing the show.
In 1985, out-of-work actress Ruth Wilder auditions at an old boxing gym for a new TV show, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. She finds herself thrown into the glittery spandex world of professional wrestling, where she’s given the opportunity to become a household name. The series stars Alison Brie as Ruth and Betty Gilpin as the rest of the ladies. The show received 15 Emmy nominations and three wins.
Orange Is The New Black
Orange is the New Black chronicles the daily machinations of a low-security women’s prison, and the characters who populate it. Its mix of humor and the horrifically real realities of mass incarceration make it compulsively watchable even when seasons three and five sometimes drag. Still, those who keep tuning in are rewarded for their persistence, with long-running character histories and complex webs of plots that prevent the sort of lulls other shows suffer from.
The show is also a cultural milestone for its depiction of marginalized people. While Netflix is notoriously tight-lipped about viewership data, execs have said that OITNB is its most-watched original series. It helped bring tons of subscribers to the streaming giant and is one of the first series to feature a predominantly female cast.
Atypical
Although Atypical has the look of a run-of-the-mill US sitcom in its half-hour episodes, it handles itself with a certain emotional maturity. The show centers on the family of an autistic teen but also takes a look at broader issues such as cancer, loss and dementia.
Keir Gilchrist is outstanding as Sam Gardner, a high school senior with autism whose preoccupation with finding a girlfriend acts as the series’ central plot engine. His logic — which often involves comparisons to Antarctic penguins, his obsession — is funny without ever making autism the butt of jokes. The cast is filled with winning actors, including Michael Rapaport (who could be typecast as a Northeastern street tough) and Tal Anderson as Sam’s college friends. The teasing they engage in is both funny and heartwarming.
The Crown
Over six seasons, The Crown has established itself as a high-quality melodrama. It’s difficult to imagine a better drama than this one, which has received praise for its acting, writing, cinematography and production values. It may take some liberties with history, but The Crown does so in a way that makes it feel true to its characters and the historic events that shaped their lives. Whether it’s the doomed love story of Margaret and Peter Townsend or the Queen’s defiant rejection of Teflon Tony Blair, The Crown captures the tension of a family living in public but with many private problems. In the end, it’s up to Philip (Jonathan Pryce) and Elizabeth to decide if a monarchy that outlives them is worth preserving at all. And that’s a big question.
Conclusion
From horror to drama to comedy to documentaries, here are some of the best Netflix series you should binge now. Animated sitcom Big Mouth, for example, has a healthy mix of camp and genuine high-stakes drama, while Elite delves into the culture clash between working-class scholarship students and their exorbitantly rich classmates.
