Best Netflix series and TV shows: Searching for a TV show to watch on Netflix but not sure which one? You’ve come to the right place as we’ve listed the best series and limited shows you should be watching as part of your subscription.
Netflix’s library is so big that there’s a little something for everyone. From action, to thought provoking sci-fi and humour, this guide will direct you to the must-watch TV shows on the streaming service.
Most of what we’ve highlighted is in 4K HDR, but for a full list of everything in 4K HDR, check our guide on how to find 4K HDR content on Netflix.
Best Series on Netflix UK: TV shows to watch on Netflix
Credit: Netflix
Altered Carbon
2 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos
Altered Carbon is a story of a specially trained soldier – an “envoy” – called Takeshi Kovacs. It takes place in a future where consciousness and memories can be transferred from body to body, or “re-sleeved”, allowing humans to survive death.
The first season is a neo-noir detective story where Kovacs (played by Joel Kinnaman) has been downloaded from an off-world prison to investigate the mysterious death of a wealthy aristocrat. Playing with notions of identity, death and free will, Carbon is a Blade Runner-esque, neon-lit world where it’s constantly raining and the rich live in the skies above. The second series Anthony Mackie inherits the Kovac’ name and while it isn’t as good the first, it’s definitely worth watching for the series.
Credit: Netflix
Black Mirror
5 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is an anthology series that examines society and technology with a satirical tone. With the British tone of the early series giving way to a Hollywood influence, stories have gotten bigger and more ambitious. A good episode to get a sense of Black Mirror‘s tone is the first – The National Anthem – which goes to some very amusing places.
Credit: Netflix
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
2 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos
Drive to Survive goes behind the scenes of F1 to give viewers insight into the politics, drama and people behind the sport. With access to the teams (Ferrari and Mercedes joined the second series), it’s an engaging take at a sport that’s often viewed as just for fanatics. Sweary Haas’ Team Principal Guenther Steiner is one of the standout characters in both series with his memorable rants. Whether you’re a fan, or looking to see what F1 is all about, Drive to Survive is an entertaining advert for the motorsport.
Credit: Netflix
Love, Death + Robots
1 volume: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos
Created by Tim Miller (Deadpool), and with David Fincher (The Social Network) as executive producer, Love, Death + Robots is an animated anthology about, well, love, death and robots. Delivered in a distinctive style – some episodes are a mix of live action and animation – stories span sci-fi, horror and fantasy genres. They’re short too, with no episode longer than 17 minutes. Perfect for when you need to kill some time.
Credit: Marvel/Netflix
Marvel’s Daredevil
3 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos
Blinded by a chemical spill when he was a child, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) developed superhuman senses that helped him to fight crime on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen in New York. Taking on a variety of foes, including Vincent D’Onofrio’s fantastic Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, Cox’s performance as lawyer by day, vigilante at night is easily the best incarnation of the character to date. The stunts are excellent too, with the series noted “one-shot” action sequences spectacularly good.
Credit: Netflix
Money Heist
4 parts: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
Money Heist is a Spanish drama series and a massive Netflix hit. It follows two heists planned by The Professor (Álvaro Morte) with one targeting the Royal Mint of Spain, and the other the Bank of Spain.
Recruiting eight people to help him, the Professor’s plan is to enter the Royal Mint, take the people inside the bank hostage, print as much money as they can, while also dealing with police special forces for eleven days. Though it was only meant to be a two-part limited series, Netflix bought the rights, re-cut the series into 22 episodes and added two more parts.
Credit: Netflix
Mindhunter
2 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
Mindhunter follows the FBI’s attempts to profile serial killers to help them solve new murders. While that doesn’t sound like the most cheerful premise, the stories – based on real events and murderers – make for compelling viewing. Starring Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv; they form the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit – the organisation’s response to the rise in chilling murders in the 1970s. The cast is uniformly good, as is the meticulous direction.
- Watch Mindhunter on Netflix UK
Credit: Netflix
Star Trek: Discovery
2 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
The seventh Star Trek series is set ten years before the original Enterprise series. Discovery follows Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham (the first black woman to lead a Star Trek series) and the story of the first season sees the Klingons start a war against the Federation, while the second follows the discovery of a figure known as the Red Angel. While it can be inconsistent, visually it’s spectacular, especially in 4K HDR.
Credit: ESPN/Netflix
The Last Dance
10 episodes: 4K Ultra HD/5.1
The 1997/98 season of Chicago Bulls basketball team is documented in The Last Dance. The show not only re-lives that season but the genesis of how the all-conquering Bulls came to be. With unaired footage from the season (though it’s mostly of Michael Jordan), it goes through the highs, lows, politics and behind-the-scenes drama. For those who aren’t familiar, this is an entertaining overview of the era telling the story of great teams, rivalries and how a dynasty ended. Like Jordan, when it ends, you’ll take it very personally.
Credit: Adult Swim/Netflix
Rick and Morty
4 seasons: HD/5.1
Rick and Morty is back for its fourth season! Or the first half of it, at least. It continues the weird, R-rated adventures of crazy scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith as they get into various intergalactic shenanigans. Highlights of the fourth season include time-travelling snakes and the return of Professor Poopybutthole. The second half of the season is due at a yet unspecified date.
Russian Doll
1 season: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
This mind-bending drama/comedy sees Natasha Lyonne’s Nadia stuck in Groundhog Day-esque loop where she reliving her birthday party. Despite the conceit, Russian Doll manages to do fun things with as well as throw in a few unexpected turns. The series finishes rather abruptly, but the second is due to appear later this year. At least we hope so.
Credit: Netflix
Stranger Things
3 seasons: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
Stranger Things owes a debt to 80’s Amblin and John Carpenter films. A sci-fi/horror series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana; it’s a place where strange and supernatural things are taking place. Though it felt too much of a copy of popular Eighties’ culture at first, it’s since found its own path and fleshed out its characters, while also throwing in some entertaining references.
Credit: Netflix
The Umbrella Academy
1 season: 4K HDR/Dolby Vision/5.1
Based on the comic of the same name, The Umbrella Academy is about a dysfunctional family of adopted superhero siblings who reunite to solve the murder of their father. And avert an impending apocalypse. And their father is also an alien. It’s a peculiar story about a peculiar characters – Netflix’s take on the X-Men. It’s also has a fantastic soundtrack. Season 2 arrives July 31st
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
