If you’ve ever tried to find something to watch on Netflix, you’re likely aware that the streaming behemoth has plenty for you to check out. What can be frustrating, though, is separating the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.
If you’re looking for an easy way to find shows that are actually worth your time, then we’re here to help. Each of the shows on this list is pretty different from the next, but each of them is well worth watching, even if a few of them might be a commitment. You might not be able to get through these in a single weekend, but they’ll give you plenty to chew on.
We also have guides to the best new shows to stream, the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and the best shows on Disney+.
Love on the Spectrum (2022-)
Netflix makes a lot of really, really trashy reality TV, but buried amidst all of that, there are a couple of real gems that are well worth your time. One such gem is Love on the Spectrum, a documentary series that follows people on the autism spectrum trying to find love.
The show is refreshingly light on fake drama and never belittles or talks down to its subject. Instead, it seems eager to shine a light on how these people live their lives and the various ways they try to find love. It’s a heartwarming, funny, occasionally awkward show that will leave you feeling good inside.
You can watch Love on the Spectrum on Netflix.
Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
Better Call Saul earned plenty of acclaim throughout its run, yet it still feels like this show may never fully escape the shadow of Breaking Bad, which it’s prequelizing. This prequel follows Saul Goodman in the days when he was known as Jimmy McGill. The show explores how a scrambling lawyer became the scheming criminal accomplice we originally met on Breaking Bad.
Although it has a similar arc to Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul feels far more tragic because of the sympathy the audience feels for Saul, and the love story at the show’s center feels doomed from the start.
You can watch Better Call Saul on Netflix.
Lost (2004-2010)
A show that has earned a reputation it does not at all deserve, Lost tells the story of a group of survivors who crash land on a mysterious island. As they wait for rescue, the survivors begin to explore the island, only to discover that other people inhabited this place before their arrival.
Lost is a brilliant, moving drama series anchored by some of the all-time great TV performances and writing that matched them. Is every episode perfect? No. However, part of the joy of watching a network TV show is seeing an all-time great show falter and then pick up the pieces.
You can watch Lost on Netflix.