Netflix has revolutionized the way we watch television, and while the streaming era has come with plenty of pros, it’s also come with a few negatives. One of those negatives is choosing what to watch may not be as simple as turning on your TV. Now, there’s a mountain of options to select from, and you’re tasked with picking the thing you’d best like.
If that task feels overwhelming, then we’ve got you covered. We’ve selected three very different shows that you can stream on Netflix, each of which is well worth your time.
Dark (2017-2020)
Dark is the kind of heady science fiction that requires charts to fully comprehend, but that’s part of the fun. This German-language series became something of a cult phenomenon upon its release in the U.S., and with good reason. The series is set in a small town following the disappearance of two children and dives into the intricate history that envelops all of the show’s characters, whether they realize it or not.
The series also bears an eerie similarity to events from 1986, and as we learn more about that connection, we come to understand that everything in this small town is not what it seems.
You can watch Dark on Netflix.
Never Have I Ever (2020-2023)
The kind of smart teen comedy that we simply don’t get enough of today, Never Have I Ever follows an overachieving Indian-American girl who is trying to balance school with the expectations of her family and her budding interest in boys. All this overlaps even as she deals with the lingering grief of losing her father and begins to reconcile with her own narcissism.
Never Have I Ever is a really funny show with a sometimes grating central character, but it understands all of her flaws and embraces them, even as it also takes time to explore the rest of the show’s excellent young ensemble.
You can watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
This pseudo-sequel to Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House didn’t get as much attention as that original series. The show follows a young governess who arrives at an elaborate manor in the 1980s, only to discover that the manor itself and the children she’s been tasked with watching are both hiding secrets.
Like much of Flanagan’s television work, Bly Manor is a fascinating combination of terrifying and genuinely moving, and it features a breakout performance from Victoria Pedretti, who had already shown herself to be a star with her work on Hill House.
You can watch The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix.