The 25 Absolutely Best Netflix Original Series of All Time

Netflix’s rotating lineup of excellent shows aside, their impressive original series and programming collection are not to be missed.

Best Netflix Original Series of All Time

COWBOY BEBOP (L to R) TAMARA TUNIE as ANA in COWBOY BEBOP
Image Credit: GEOFFREY SHORT/NETFLIX.

Some of the best shows are created by Netflix. If you are looking for something to watch the next time you open your Netflix account, here are some of the best original Netflix series.

Someone posted on Reddit, “What’s your best Netflix original series of all time?” The answers are a great list of shows that you can add to your watching queue or binge-watch right now!

Love

Paul Rust, Gillian Jacobs in Love
Image Credit: Suzanne Hanover / Netflix.

“That’s a really good one actually; I had almost forgotten about it. The characters were very much relatable, and the plot arc was pretty compelling. I think they could have done a fourth season, but what we got didn’t feel incomplete by any means,” said one Redditor.

Synopsis: Rebellious Mickey and good-natured Gus navigate the thrills and agonies of modern relationships.

Mindhunter

Anna Torv in Mindhunter
Image Credit: Netlflix.

“Fantastic show. I still have hope they will take the show off hold and make a 3rd season,” said one person.

Synopsis: FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench probe further into the psyches of those who have done the unthinkable. With help from psychologist Wendy Carr, they apply their groundbreaking behavioral analysis to hunting notorious serial killers.

Ozark

Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde in Season 4 Part 2 Episode 4 of Ozark
Image Credit: TINA ROWDEN/NETFLIX.

“OZARK……Extremely ORIGINAL STORYLINE. The writing, the acting, my gosh! Series like this one give me hope that the future is not full of the same old regurgitated c***”, replied one person.

Synopsis: Ozark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Ozarks, Missouri.

Dark

Moritz Jahn, Jordis Triebel, Lisa Vicari Dark Season 1
Image Credit: Jan Rasmus Voss/Netflix.

“I wish I could forget it so I could get the same level of satisfaction I had the first time I watched it,” responded someone.

Synopsis: Upon arrival in a new world, Jonas tries to make sense of what this rendition of Winden means for his own fate, while the ones left behind in the other world are left on a quest to break the loop that now not only bends time but also space. Two worlds. Light and dark. And in the center, a tragic love story of epic proportions.

Travelers

MacKenzie Porter on Travelers
Image Credit: Netflix

“I really liked Travelers” one person said. Another agreed, “Ditto. I didn’t like the rapid wrap up at the end of the season but I appreciate that they did it because they had not been renewed for an additional season.”

Synopsis: Grant MacLaren and his team of highly-trained operatives from the future are pushed to the limit and dealing with themes of loyalty, trust, death, and the ever-growing power of Artificial Intelligence.

Narcos

Pêpê Rapazote in Narcos Season 3
Image Credit: Nicole Rivelli/NETFLIX.

“Top tier acting” said one person, “but the gunfights are straight up bad, still would recommend, but give those action scenes some leniency haha.”

Synopsis: This raw, gritty series chronicles the gripping real-life stories of the drug kingpins of the late 1980s and the corroborative efforts of law enforcement to meet them head-on in brutal, bloody conflict.

Bojack Horseman

Bojack Horseman
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix.

“I tell everyone who will listen that the funeral episode is the single best episode of any show I’ve ever seen,” said one Redditor.

Synopsis: BoJack Horseman is the washed-up star of the 1990s sitcomHorsin’ Around, which centered around a young bachelor horse trying to raise three human children who had been orphaned.

The Haunting of Hill House

The Haunting of Hill House
Image Credit: Steve Dietl/Netflix.

“I love Haunting of a hill House for the best scare and Midnight Mass for its depth and relevance. Both are my favourites” said one person.

Synopsis: The Haunting of Hill House is a modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel of the same name, about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America.

The Queen’s Gambit

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT (L to R) ANYA TAYLOR-JOY as BETH HARMON in episode 107 of THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT
Image Credit: PHIL BRAY/NETFLIX.

“Queen Gambit was sooo satisfying, not a dull moment, great actors, perfect ending. Love it when they don’t drag sh*t for no reason, one person responded.

Synopsis: Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the Netflix limited series drama is a coming-of-age story that explores the true cost of genius.

Maniac

Jonah Hill, Emma Stone in Manaic
Image Credit: Michele K. Short / Netflix.

“Thank god this gets love. One of my favorite things Netflix has ever produced,” said one person, “The ending hits home, absolutely fantastic series.”

Synopsis: Set in a world somewhat like our world, in a time quite similar to our time, Maniac tells the stories of Annie Landsberg and Owen Milgrim, two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial, each for their own reasons.

Orange Is the New Black

Taylor Schilling in OITNB Orange is the New Black
Image Credit: Paul Shiraldi/Netflix.

One person said, “[I] Rewatch it once a year from start to finish. The acting is incredible.”

Synopsis: Orange is the New Black is the outrageous and critically-acclaimed series about a diverse group of inmates serving time in a women’s prison.

Love, Death and Robots

Love, Death & Robots: Volume 3. Gary Anthony Williams as XBOT 4000 in Love, Death & Robots: Volume 3
Image Credits: Netflix.

One person really appreciated this show, “This is the thing I appreciate Netflix for the most. Any network or streaming service can pick up standard drama or comedy but to take a chance on some high production animated shorts from different studios feels like a serious investment in art. I think LDaR is just a little peek at what studios are capable of given the funding.”

Synopsis: Terror, imagination, and beauty combine in new episodes which stretch from uncovering an ancient evil to a comedic apocalypse, telling startling short stories of fantasy, horror, and science-fiction with trademark wit and visual invention.

The OA

Brit Marling in The OA
Image Credit: JoJo Whilden/Netflix.

“The OA was fantastic” said one person. Another added, “and so underappreciated. At first I thought I would not like it, but got into it quickly, and by the end of S2 I was blown away.”

Synopsis: Prairie Johnson, an adopted young woman, resurfaces after having been missing for seven years.

The Umbrella Academy

Cameron Brodeur, Aidan Gallagher, Blake Talabis, Dante Albidone, Eden Cupid, Ethan Hwang, Colm Feore in The Umbrella Academy
Image Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix

“Klaus and Five are such fun,” commented one person.

Synopsis: 43 women around the world give birth simultaneously at noon on October 1, 1989, although none had shown any sign of pregnancy until labor began. Seven of the children are adopted by eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves and turned into a superhero team that he calls “The Umbrella Academy.”

Castlevania

Castlevania
Image Credit: Netflix.

“Castlevania is a phenomenal show,” responded one person,  “a bit slow at times but when there is action, it more than makes up for it. Literally PERFECT casting of Graham McTavish as Dracula.”

Synopsis: Wallachia collapses into chaos as factions clash: some attempting to take control, others attempting to bring Dracula back from the dead. Nobody is who they seem, and nobody can be trusted. These are the end times.

Kingdom

Ryu Seung-ryong in The Kingdom
Image Credit: Juhan Noh/Netflix.

One person said this show is “the reason I got Netflix in the first place. Just really worried we’re never getting season 3.”

Synopsis: In a kingdom defeated by corruption and famine, a mysterious rumor of the king’s death spreads, as does a strange plague that renders the infected immune to death and hungry for flesh.

Stranger Things

(L to R) Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Eduardo Franco as Argyle in STRANGER THINGS
Image Credit: Netflix.

One of the most popular shows ever made the list, “I don’t watch much Netflix but I gotta say Stranger Things.”

Synopsis: Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s. The nearby Hawkins National Laboratory secretly does experiments into the paranormal and supernatural, including those that involve human test subjects.

Sex Education

Emma Mackey, Asa Butterfield in Sex Education Season 1
Image Credit: Sam Taylor/Netflix.

“Surprised not many people have mentioned Sex Ed yet,” said someone,  “I watched it when Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the Fifteenth Doctor, and I fell in love with it.”

Synopsis: Sex Education is about Otis Milburn, a socially awkward high school student who lives with his sex therapist mother, Jean.

The Crown

Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown
Image Credit: Sophie Mutevelian / Netflix.

About one of Netflix’s biggest shows, someone said, “Mark Lithgow is an epic Winston Churchill.”

Synopsis: The series follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her ascension to the throne until more modern times.

Bridgerton

Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton in episode 205 of Bridgerton
Image Credit: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX.

This one is my own addition because I absolutely love this show and everything about it.

Synopsis: Bridgerton is a romantic, scandalous, and quick-witted series that celebrates the timelessness of enduring friendships, families finding their way, and the search for a love that conquers all.

She-ra and the Princesses of Power

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Production Still Image
Image Credit: Netflix.

“I loved that show so much” said one person,  “Its really a tie between she-ra, seven deadly sins, and dragons riders: race to the edge. She-ra was perfect the way it was. And so were the other two. But she-ra was sooo good it made me so emotional idk if I could watch it again and not cry. Out of the three she-ra is the one I’ve invested the most extra time learning lore and such about it compared to the other two.”

Synopsis: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is the story of an orphan named Adora (Carrero), who leaves behind her former life in the evil Horde when she discovers a magic sword that transforms her into the mythical warrior princess She-Ra.

Dead to Me

Dead To Me
Image Credit: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.

“By far, and one of my favorite shows, “Dead To Me”. The performance by Christina Applegate is fantastic and Linda Cardellini plays a great supporting role,” said one Redditor.

Synopsis: A dark comedy about a powerful friendship that blossoms between a tightly wound widow and a free spirit with a shocking secret.

The Sandman

Tom Sturridge as Dream in episode 101 of The Sandman
Image Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix.

“Absolutely amazing”, said one Redditor.

Synopsis: When the Sandman, aka Dream, the powerful cosmic being who controls all our dreams — is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for over a century, he must journey across different worlds and timelines to fix the chaos his absence has caused.

Squid Game

Squid Game S1
Image Credit: Noh Juhan | Netflix.

One person was disappointed that Squid Game wasn’t mentioned more, “Not sure why I’m having to scroll to see Squid Game getting the credit it deserves?? Big show.”

Synopsis: 456 desperate contestants compete with each other in a mysterious and deadly survival game involving multiple rounds of childhood games to win 45.6 billion won prize money that can pull them out of their misery.

Shadow and Bone

Ben Barnes as General Kirigan in episode 203 of Shadow and Bone
Image Credit: DÁVID LUKÁCS/NETFLIX.

“I’m biased by Shadow and Bone,” admitted one Redditor, “Just because I loved the books, but I think the production was on point. Casting, art, photography, script was great.”

Synopsis: Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, this is a story of new friendships, new romance, bigger battles, epic adventures — and a shocking family secret that could shatter everything.

Best Netflix Originals

Paul Rust, Gillian Jacobs in Love
Image Credit: Suzanne Hanover / Netflix.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of Netflix originals, as inspired by this Reddit thread. Do you agree with this list? Would you add any other Netflix original shows?

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Jella Haase, Jürgen Heinrich in Kleo
Image Credit: Netflix.

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THE LOST DAUGHTER. OLIVIA COLMAN as LEDA
Image Credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX.

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George, Lockwood & Lucy in Lockwood and Co
Image Credit: Netflix.

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Marco Polo
Image Credit: Phil Bray/Netflix.

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Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.