Looking for a new Netflix TV show to get passionate about? Here are our recommendations for programs to watch this summer. From the best comedy, to the best sci fi, to the best British TV shows on Netflix. If you don’t have Netflix you can watch now with a 30 day free trial. Binge on!
Sometimes there is nothing better than spending a long, lazy weekend at home in front of the television. Netflix, with its variety of programs spanning multiple seasons, seems tailor-made for binge-watching. Here are a few of the best TV shows on Netflix in every genre with many premiering new episodes this summer:
Best Comedy TV Shows on Netflix
If you liked Weeds or Arrested Development…
Orange is the New Black – Six seasons with the seventh, and final, season coming this summer. (78 episodes, each one an hour) Based on a true-story, Taylor Schilling plays 30-something, engaged public relations executive Piper Chapman who suddenly finds herself arrested and sentenced to a minimum security women’s prison for smuggling drug money years ago for a friend The comedy-drama deals with Piper’s adjustment to prison life and her interesting cellmates including the friend whose testimony sent Piper to prison. Orange is the New Black is the highest rated show on Netflix. Show is rated TV-MA for sexual content, nudity, profanity and violence.
If you are a fan of 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation…
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Four seasons with the second half of the fourth and final season released in January 2019. (51 episodes, each 30 minutes). Created by comedian Tina Fey, this comedy follows the adventures of Kimmy Schmidt who, after being rescued from a cult where she has lived for the past fifteen years, moves to New York City to start a new life and job as a nanny for a billionaire and his wife. The episodes humorously chronicles Kimmie’s first experiences with going to college, going to a club, etc. with her roommate, unemployed actor Titus, along for the ride. Rated TV-14 for mild language and sexual situations.
Best Drama TV Shows on Netflix
If you are missing Breaking Bad…
Ozark – Two seasons with a third season coming summer 2019. (20 episodes, each an hour) In this crime drama, Jason Bateman and Laura Linney portray a seemingly typical suburban Chicago financial planner, Marty Byrde, and his wife who are forced to move to the Ozarks after a money laundering scheme he is involved with goes awry. Once in Missouri, Marty gets tangled up with local criminals as he tries to launder $500 million to appease his boss – the head of a Mexican drug cartel. Rated TV-MA for subject matter, strong profanity, drug use and violence.
If you loved Downtown Abbey or are fascinated by the British royal family…
The Crown – Two seasons with a third season coming summer 2019 and a fourth season planned. (20 episodes, each an hour) The Crown chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947, through her coronation upon the sudden death of her father King George VI, her relationships with British prime ministers and the birth of her youngest son, Prince Edward, in 1964. The third season will continue the Queen’s story from 1964 through the 1970’s and introduce the adult Prince Charles and who would become his two wives – Lady Diana Spencer and Camila Shand. Rated TV-MA, primarily for sexual situations, mild nudity and language.
Best Crime Drama on Netflix
If you are a fan of CSI, NCIS or Criminal Minds…
Mindhunter – One season with a second season slated to be released in 2019. (10 episodes, each an hour) Set in 1977, the program chronicles the work of two FBI agents and a psychologist who are pioneers in criminal profiling. The three investigate cases by using psychology, anthropology and sociology to determine motive in the hopes that knowing the motive will lead to solving the crime. Rated TV-MA for subject matter, graphic violence, sexual content and profanity.
Best British TV Show on Netflix
If you are a fan of The Blacklist or the Jason Bourne thrillers…
Bodyguard – One six episode season released in 2018. Originally broadcast as a BBC miniseries, this program stars Richard Madden as David Budd, a British army war veteran suffering from PTSD, who is now working as a “protection officer,” or bodyguard, for a conservative and controversial female British parliament member whose politics he can’t stand. In this thriller, Budd struggles to reconcile his beliefs with his duty to protect his charge while thwarting potential terrorist attacks. Bodyguard is edge-of-your-seat entertainment and, at only six hours, easy to binge watch over a weekend. Rated MA-TV for subject matter, violence and profanity.
Best Sci-Fi TV Show on Netflix
If you are a fan of the Twilight Zone, Stephen King or are nostalgic for the 80’s…
Stanger Things – Two seasons with a third season coming July 2019. (17 episodes, each an hour). Set in 1980’s Indiana, this science fiction-horror show stars Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, the mother of a twelve year old boy, Will. When Will disappears, Joyce, aided by his friends and the local police chief, go on a search to find him. As they search for answers, they encounter supernatural and paranormal forces and discover a mystery involving secret scientific experiments conducted by the local US Department of Energy lab. Rated TV-14 for violence, subject matter and language.