In 2013, Netflix up and changed the TV game, rolling out House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black as its first original series. Just a few years later, "Netflix and chill" has entered the cultural lexicon, competing platforms like Amazon and Hulu have created their own shows, and Netflix releases a new original program what feels like every other week.
As is the case with good old-fashioned television channels, some Netflix shows are better than others. We took the liberty of ranking them all, except for kids shows, foreign series, miniseries, or nonfiction, and all had to be "true" Netflix originals -- not foreign shows branded as Netflix in the US (sorry, Chewing Gum) or shows that didn't begin life as Netflix originals (apologies to Arrested Development).
Let's do this.
38. Iron Fist
Jessica Henwick is very, very good as the character on Marvel's martial arts show that can actually fight. The rest of Iron Fist can unfortunately be summed up by this taxi cab flip: clumsy, irresponsible, and lame. --Sean Fitz-Gerald
37. Fuller House
No attempt was made in the creation of this sequel series to change the formula of the flagship program of ABC's 1989 TGIF programming block. The only differences are now D.J. is the one with kids and a dead spouse; Kimmy Gibbler, Urkel-like succubus, is in every other scene; and all the kids are slowly dying from staring at iPhones. In the premiere episode, John Stamos breaks the fourth wall to make a Mary-Kate and Ashley joke. In the second season, the family dog eats a corn cob and life lessons ensue. This is exactly what you think it is -- and it's not really for us. --Matt Patches
36. Hemlock Grove
This show lasted for three seasons. Three whole seasons. That's more than Freaks and Geeks, My So Called Life, Terriers, and the original run of Twin Peaks. While many cult favorites are canceled too soon, Hemlock Grove is unique for having lasted so long while being so terrible. Based on a novel by Brian McGreevy and produced by horror filmmaker Eli Roth, the series mashes together werewolves and vampires -- or "Upirs" as the characters say -- with lots of sex and violence and not-safe-for-the-CW language, but it fails to match the wit or storytelling velocity of The Vampire Diaries or similar recent supernatural hits. As insane and nonsensical as the plotting gets -- at one point Famke Janssen's matriarch Olivia Godfrey loses her bad British accent after getting her tongue ripped out and sewn back on -- the show's original sin is just being terrifyingly boring. --Dan Jackson
35. Flaked
Pavement's Stephen Malkmus wrote the theme song for this Will Arnett show! Things go downhill from there. At this point we should be wary of shows that rely on the struggle for sobriety to add conflict to the plot, since it's often done as a lazy caricature... but Flaked doesn't really make much effort at all to flesh out its characters, dialogue, or conflict, so the sobriety narrative becomes even more stilted. That the central romance resembles something out of middle school is fitting in this context. Spoiler: The kombucha is not what it seems. --Anthony Schneck
34. Daredevil
Marvel's inaugural Netflix series delivers R-rated superhero fans exactly what they seem to want: brutality, scenes ripped from comic book splash pages, and minimal thoughtfulness. Charlie Cox stars as a blind Hell's Kitchen lawyer who takes a crime insurgence into own hands under the guise of a sleek red devil. Season 1 pits "The Man Without Fear" against Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk, a classic villain with emotional tics, while Season 2 adds more characters (The Punisher! Electra!) with shallower motivations (kicking ass! More kicking ass!). Daredevil rides Cox's charisma and chemistry with Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple, which would go a long way if you didn't have to squint to see it -- the show is dark in tone and literal lighting. We appreciate the risk of such brutality. --MP
33. G.L.O.W.
Produced by Jenji Kohan (Orange Is the New Black), this series (arriving on June 23) traces the origins mid-'80s female wrestling league Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Traces being the optimal word -- there's something hollow and manufactured about G.L.O.W. that impedes star Alison Brie's tour-de-force performance as a down-on-her-luck actress who turns to body-slamming and glam. From her character's dedication to "serious acting" to rarely seen sex drive to a dramatic edge we rarely saw in Community, Brie has it all. G.L.O.W. doesn't. Some of it's on Marc Maron, who struggles to play the money-grubbing founder of the league, but even with a diverse cast suiting up for the drama, this series limps through the ring. --MP
32. The Crown
The Crown is a well-made and well-acted show. The costumes and sets are designed with careful attention to detail, but for a show that engages with the minutia in such a thoughtful manner, it's remarkably disengaged with the macro geopolitical shifts that characterize Elizabeth II's long reign as Queen of England. She chides her husband for making fun of an African crown, but otherwise decolonization receives little attention; meanwhile, the Great Smog of London -- an important public health crisis, but come on -- gets its own major storyline. If you love royalist porn, this will be like a long, slow massage. Everyone else can skip. --AS
31. Marco Polo
You look at this thing, and you think, Dang, Netflix working on the story of Marco Polo and Kublai Khan with a giant budget… cool! Then you hit play, and you think, Oh my God, I don't miss falling asleep in my history classes. The show is fine. It shouldn't be completely written off. But unless you're in love with historical dramas, you might find it a disappointing and plodding saga, one that, as you'll recall, swiftly and rightfully got the axe. --SFG
30. Luke Cage
You would think shows based on comic books would have an easier time with side adventures and plot detailing -- that why they invented punching bad guys! -- but the promising Luke Cage, ripe with Harlem rhythm and actor Mike Colter's gruff attitude, loses its way over 10 Netflix-mandated episodes. Just when you're warming up to Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as "Cottonmouth" Stokes, a classic mafia villain, and Alfre Woodard as an corrupt, enabling councilwoman, Luke Cage reverses course with a clunky, mythology-focused backstory that feels out of place in a show first concerned with neighborhood politics. Just let the man be a hero, Marvel. --MP
29. The Ranch
Netflix's commitment to old-fashioned sitcom junk food like The Ranch is endearing. While it's probably tempting to just chase awards with single-camera, auteur-driven comedies like Master of None, they also realize that some people just want to watch Sam Elliott zing Ashton Kutcher with a Red Foreman-level burn. For a show that seems to exist as an excuse for Kutcher to hang out with his That '70s Show pal Danny Masterson, The Ranch is surprisingly boundary-pushing in its own quiet way: The language is coarse, the emotions are real, and the characters, especially Elliott and Debra Winger's, have more depth than you'd expect. It's the rare yuk-fest where the best moments come in between the sound of the laugh-track. --DJ
28. Santa Clarita Diet
The latest from Better Off Ted creator Victor Fresco gives the typical suburban family an undead twist. Unlike most shows about the struggle of surviving with zombies, Santa Clarita Diet is set up like a typical sitcom, with Drew Barrymore as the flesh-hungering monster and her husband (Timothy Olyphant) as a tireless zombie-pleaser trying to placate her in Little Shop of Horrors-like fashion. A 30-minute format establishes a laid-back pace with quirky jokes and an excessive amount of gore. Not for the weak-stomached. --Evan Lockhart
27. Haters Back Off!
Not bingeworthy, but definitely a must-watch, Haters Back Off! gives web celebrity Miranda Sings the show she's wanted and deserved for years. You'll laugh, cringe, and maybe cry, as Colleen Ballinger's viral YouTube character strives for fame at all costs. Also, shout-out to Angela Kinsey, who's great as a bad mom. --SFG
26. Sense8
It's an unfortunate first impression that the name of this show could also be a vanity license plate. Netflix's first big sci-fi series, from Matrix-creating legends The Wachowskis, boasted a novel idea: "Eight strangers from cities around the globe begin having experiences that defy explanation." Well, let us try our hand at an explanation: They're linked mentally and being hunted by a mysterious group that's trying to destroy them/the world. It was always an ambitious show, but tedious in pace and execution, leading Netflix to cancel the big-budget series after two seasons. --AS & SFG
25. 13 Reasons Why
Whether you've read the source material or not, Brian Yorkey's adaptation of the YA sensation will ensnare you. The saga follows Clay (Dylan Minnette), a loner of a high schooler, as he tries to defog his crush's mysterious rationale for suicide. (Viewer discretion advised, as such heavy topics as death, drinking, and sexual consent come in the mix.) Yeah, the heartbreak is real. --SFG
24. A Series of Unfortunate Events
The televised plight of Lemony Snicket's Baudelaire orphans isn't perfect with all its niche stylings, but it's deliciously dark -- think Tim Burton. It's the kind of kids series that isn't just for kids, complete with campiness, a nice pinch of self-aware humor, and Neil Patrick Harris throwing everything he has into the villainous Count Olaf. As our critic wrote, the latter will make you forget about Jim Carrey. (Hey, we still love ya, Jim!) --SFG
23. The Characters
Eight comedians, one episode each. Such talents as Lauren Lapkus, Natasha Rothwell, and Tim Robinson all get a shot to unveil their best -- you guessed it! -- characters in 30ish minutes. Each episode is a different flavor, making for a nice blend of weird, fucked up, and side-splitting. There's something in here for everyone, and you'll have a good time passionately arguing with your friends about the MVP. (Spoiler alert: It's obviously John Early.) (Editor's note: No, it's definitely Robinson.) (Other editor's note: No way. It's Kate Berlant, you idiots.) --SFG
22. The Get Down
Years from now, it's very possible that Baz Luhrman's The Get Down, a fiendishly ambitious retelling of hip-hop's birth as a hyper-stylized, kung-fu superhero origin story, will be viewed as an underrated flop-masterpiece. Like the Heaven's Gate of peak TV. But for now, this prematurely canceled series will live on as a bizarre curio, an expensive cautionary tale of miscalculating your audience's love of Jimmy Smits acting like he's in a lost Brian De Palma movie. (Let's be clear: This show is often ridiculous.) If you can make it past the overwhelming 90-minute pilot, there's so much to love here, from the youthful performances of Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, and Herizen F. Guardiolam to the clever threading of real New York rap history into the melodrama. Watch all 11 episodes now and you could be on the ground floor of its inevitable "cult" revival. --DJ
21. W/Bob & David
The sketch titans behind Mr. Show reunited for this small dose of hilarity, replete with the absurdity, creativity, and genre-bending that made viewers love them so much so many years ago. As you'll see, if you haven't already, W/Bob & David's biggest drawback is its shortage of episodes. (Hurry up, guys.) --SFG
20. F Is for Family
Bill Burr and Michael Price's animated comedy is equal parts funny and poignant, with an all-star voice cast to boot (including Burr, Justin Long, Mo Collins, and Laura Dern). The show follows the Murphy family, who live in an unnamed 1970s Rust Belt city, as they battle suburban ennui and try to connect with one another. Amid irreverent zingers, of course. Tonally, it's kind of like BoJack Horseman minus all the animals and Hollywood bullshit -- worth a shot. --SFG
19. Love
The glut of shows available on Netflix -- not to mention on traditional networks and other streaming services -- means that creators have been emboldened to follow some of their more idiosyncratic ideas. That's largely a good thing, but it can also lead to a show like Love, a slow-motion dissection of a romantic relationship that perhaps doesn't require that level of scrutiny. The two protagonists Gus (Paul Rust) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) are flawed, complex individuals, and Jacobs, a stand-out on NBC's Community, brings a raw emotional vulnerability to her role as an addict. She's never been better than her adventures with Andy Dick or her grueling trip to the Magic Castle in Season 1. But too often even the best episodes, like Season 2's free-wheeling "Shrooms," feel like deleted scenes from producer Judd Apatow's Knocked Up or Funny People stretched into overstuffed short films. Like many long-term love affairs, it's enjoyable and maddening at the same time. --DJ
18. Bloodline
If you stick with this slow burn, it proves irresistible. Each installment of the Rayburn saga unwinds family drama and large-scale crime during hourlong episodes that feel like a mix of antediluvian parable and contemporary prestige TV. Watching Ben Mendelsohn and Kyle Chandler play feuding brothers is a treat you won't want to miss. Just strap in. Because, yeah, it is a slowwwwwww burn. --SFG
17. House of Cards
Netflix's first original program remains one of its most addictive, though House of Cards' penchant for over-the-top plot twists makes it difficult to take too seriously. Adapted from the BBC miniseries of the same name, Beau Willimon's long-running drama provides a dark glimpse at the power players and backstabbers who run D.C. Star Kevin Spacey's sinister Jim-facing somehow hasn't gotten old yet. Long may House Underwood reign. --SFG
16. Girlboss
Netflix's adaptation of Sophia Amoruso's making-it memoir, from 30 Rock writer Kay Cannon, is the antidote to every bro businessman story of the last 25 years. Women can be dicks, too, especially if they're as intuitive and driven as Sophia (Tomorrowland's Britt Robertson), who finds herself hovering above the poverty line in San Francisco as she tries to make it in fashion on her own terms. The first season of Girlboss finds the essential middle-ground between a bingeable "one long movie" arc and your typical episodic sitcom, making for a coming-of-age story that can dedicate an episode to The O.C. or stage chat room conversations in a Dr. Strangelove-esque war room. Full of color and ferocity, there's not much like it on Netflix or the equivalents. --MP
15. Jessica Jones
Like Veronica Mars and many standout British crime series, Jessica Jones follows a private investigator searching for the answer to her own mystery. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) possess superhuman strength... and crippling PTSD from a run in with Kilgrave (David Tennant), a troubled man with mind-control powers who forces the heroine to commit heinous acts against her will. Jessica Jones still meanders in the mid-section as Jessica sloooowly unravels the past, but the frightful conceit, all-too-real social parallels, and Ritter's roaring performance make this the bar for Marvel's Netflix projects. --MP
14. The OA
The OA is goofy as hell. Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the filmmakers behind mind-bending thrillers like The Sound of My Voice and The East, the show follows a young blind woman named Prairie Johnson (Marling) who returns to her sleepy hometown with her eyesight mysteriously restored after she disappeared for seven years. Things only get stranger as we ping pong between her story in the present, which finds her mentoring a group of rowdy teenagers, and flashbacks to her time away, which involves an underground prison run by Jason Isaacs's evil Dr. Hap. Yes, there's interpretive dancing, too. Most of this shouldn't work -- and some of it, like Emory Cohen's bizarre trip to Cuba, really doesn't -- but Marling and Batmanglij attack this wonky material with so much passion and sincerity that it's hard not to get swept up in their brain-scrambling vision. Bring on the next Movement. --DJ
13. One Day at a Time
Like The Ranch, its red state cousin, One Day at a Time is a throwback family sitcom in a world that can be unkind to audience laughter, big comedic performances, and that stage-bound multi-camera look. But single-camera purists should get over their hang-ups. This clever remake of Norman Lear's '70s hit about a single mother raising two teenage daughters is more charming and funny than many of its seemingly "edgier" peers. Anchored by a lived-in performance from Justina Machado (Six Feet Under), the show finds familiar laughs in the way generations clash and families wage war, but it's also culturally specific, socially engaged, and leisurely paced in a way that makes it stand out from your average CBS family show -- or Netflix's own dire Fuller House. --DJ
12. Easy
Joe Swanberg's bingeable anthology tackles the trials of love, sex, and art in Chicago. Sitting down to watch this series is like ripping through a string of short films, or like having a more romantic High Maintenance marathon. The good news? These episodes are all 10 times better than what you probably think of when you see the words "short" and "film" together. Bad news? There's only eight! More please. --SFG
11. Narcos
This thriller is a treat for history buffs, unpacking the horrifying, drug-laden history of Colombia during the reign of legendary kingpin Pablo Escobar. As Escobar, Wagner Moura is both terrifying and captivating, and his opposition, two DEA agents fighting their way through a convoluted mystery, give a scarily real sense of the American efforts to end the war on drugs. Moura is SO convincing that I'd probably spit on him if I ran into him on the street on behalf of the Colombian people -- he's that good at being bad. Narcos' mix of archival footage and contemporary fictionalization keeps you engaged, and reminds you that a literal genocide had to happen just so yuppies could blow coke in the Hamptons during the '80s (only kind of kidding). -- Julie Cerick
10. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return
Could a new crew of comedians revive the effortless magic of public-acess-born Mystery Science Theater 3000. Absolutely. With the nerdy Jonah Ray (The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail) locked in the new spaceship, once again backed by Crow and Tom Servo (but with new voices, Hampton Yount and Baron Vaughn), spearheaded by former Daily Show head writer Elliot Kalan, and produced by original host Joel Hodgson, the new incarnation pelts jokes at late-night schlock and half-assed blockbusters with relentless force. There's a musicality to the jokes in MST3K: The Return, punctuating every bit of dead air in the god forsaken movie choices, and everyone is at the top of their game. "Cry Wilderness," about a little kid who pals around with Bigfoot, stands up to any of the classic episodes. --MP
9. Stranger Things
There's no denying that Stranger Things was a phenomenon. But was it a "good" phenomenon? That's a controversial question, and it will probably only become harder to answer when the show returns for its eagerly anticipated second season in October. (There hasn't been a show with this much pressure riding on it since True Detective Season 2 and, uh, we all remember how that turned out.) But, for now, all we have of the show are the eight episodes -- or "chapters" if you want to be insufferable -- the Duffer Brothers gifted to the internet back in the dog days of summer 2016. While swiping elements from beloved '80s films like E.T., Stand By Me, and The Goonies, the show's creators were able to cobble together some fun sci-fi concepts ("The Upside Down"), break-out characters (Eleven), and a nightmare-inspiring monster (The Demogorgon). That's enough to make you a nostalgia-rich pop culture sensation, but is it enough to earn you the top spot on this list? Not quite. --DJ
8. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
Reboots and spinoffs often fall flat; not so with Netflix's eight-episode prequel to the 2001 cult comedy classic Wet Hot American Summer. The strength of this series is its willingness to poke fun at the very nature of the repetitive, sequel-driven boom TV and movies are experiencing, with the same actors playing the characters they originally portrayed as though no time has passed in the decade-and-a-half since the movie appeared. A-listers Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, and Elizabeth Banks give game performances that are bolstered by new faces like John Slattery and Jordan Peele. The show never makes you feel as though you're participating in a cynical nostalgia play (though, let's face it, you kind of are), a rarity in the current media landscape. --AS
7. Lady Dynamite
Maria Bamford is a weirdo. In the days before Netflix produced original shows, her talent might have been relegated to minor roles and voice work, but Lady Dynamite is a fresh example of what the freedom Netflix offers can produce when given the right material and execution. The show is autobiographical, but absurdist and fictionalized, jumping across time and place; it breaks the fourth wall in ways that don't feel stock; Bamford plays several versions of herself in a sometimes disturbing, sometimes roll-on-the-floor-laughing exploration of mental illness; and Fred Melamed kills his role as Bamford's obsequious and incompetent, yet charming, agent. Lady Dynamite is a must-watch for sure. --AS
6. Orange Is the New Black
As Netflix’s second original series, OITNB deserves plenty of credit for signaling the streaming service’s ambition: It put the spotlight on voices traditionally underrepresented in media, tackling America’s infatuation with mass incarceration along the way. Creator and showrunner Jenji Kohan adapted Piper Kerman's memoir of the same name into a show that treats deadly serious topics with a humorous touch, while not shying away from format changes and cliffhangers to keep the audience coming back for more. --AS
5. Grace and Frankie
Netflix users of a certain age have likely overlooked this dramedy from Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (The Starter Wife), about two septuagenarian friends (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) who shack up together after their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) announce they're in love and intend to marry. With notes of The Odd Couple and The Brady Bunch -- both couples have grown kids as equally knocked out by the news -- Grace and Frankie is down-to-earth viewing that's rich with observational wit on the progressive notion of being true to one's identity, and the time-worn cliche that everyone gets older with age. If you've indulged in the low-key, picture-perfect comedies of Nancy Meyers (It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give), give this one a try. --MP
4. Dear White People
Writer-director Justin Simien stretched his own feature debut and Sundance breakout, Dear White People, into a 10-episode Netflix series, and the result is even more cunning, tense, and consistently hysterical than the original. Race relations on the campus of Winchester University are boiling after a group of white students throw a blackface party, and each member of the black student union reacts in his or her own fashion. Dear White People weaves through the perspectives of class leaders, local rebels, the college newspaper reporter, and Sam, host of the provocative "Dear White People" radio show (who also happens to have a white boyfriend). Familiar college-age behavior breathes life into the political and social questions, and Simien raises the stakes to heart-pounding intensity in the fifth episode, just when you wonder what else it can say. Dear White People is the most human show on Netflix, period. --MP
3. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
A castaway from NBC's primetime line-up, creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock's 30 Rock follow-up found life in the early days of Netflix original programming, and became a gut-busting beacon of hope for the platform. If 30 Rock was the sitcom tradition done to perfection, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the Elon Musk approach to comedy hijinks. The idea of throwing together a childlike kidnapping survivor, a gay black man with the voice of angels, a conspiracy-theorizing old lady, and an upper-crust divorcee is an even bigger risk when there's room left to explore the tragic side of the situation. But the keys are star Ellie Kemper, delivering amped-on-Pixie-Sticks-level commitment, and Tituss Burgess, who gives the show a song-filled backbone (from "Pinot Noir" to "Boobs in California"). Even if Season 3 stumbles, it's still a joy to see just what Fey and Carlock cook up with the freedom of Netflix. --MP
2. BoJack Horseman
When you write it, it sounds strange: A cartoon about a talking horse is one of the funniest and most accurate representations of depression on TV today. But it's true. As you join the title character, voiced by Will Arnett, on his quest for Hollywood redemption, you'll encounter killer visual gags, whip-smart dialogue, complex-as-hell characters, and genuine feels -- the kinds that will make you evaluate (and re-evaluate, and re-re-evaluate) your own bittersweet life. We can't recommend BoJack enough. --SFG
1. Master of None
Master of None is the platonic ideal of a Netflix series: It's about the anxiety of unlimited choice, that slow drip of dread that starts every time you fire up your Roku or Apple TV or whatever device you use to fill the void of emptiness left by modern life. Sounds funny, right? Thankfully, the show, which was co-created by comedian Aziz Ansari and former Parks and Recreation writer Alan Yang, is able to find laughs in seemingly mundane topics, like the difficulty of online dating and the hunt for the perfect plate of pasta. Taking inspiration from Louis CK's ground-breaking FX comedy Louie, Ansari has made a show that's formally nimble enough to make room for poignant digressions like the Season 1's "Parents" and Season Two's "Thanksgiving," but still grounded in a specific comedic tone. Even if the romantic arc of the second season, which found Ansari pursuing his engaged Italian friend Francesca, felt a little undercooked, this show remains Netflix's most consistently pleasing dish. --DJ
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