We’ve all been there: stuck between seasons with nothing to watch. Naturally, that makes one crave a new series to binge, ideally one that is fully available and ready to watch from beginning to end. Netflix established its brand by making shows available in this manner, revolutionizing how we binge-watch television. The streaming giant started by collecting shows and movies, but has since begun making its own content and negotiating deals for exclusive rights. Many of these shows are worth binging, even if you’ve seen them before; they all come with no worry about unfinished business or cliffhanger season finales.
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Fall is already set up to be a solid season for fans of Netflix, with The Great British Baking Show officially off to the races, Wake Up Dead Man (A Knives Out Sequel) on the horizon, and slightly beyond that, the final season of Stranger Things. These are just a few examples of what is new and anticipated on the platform, but there’s plenty worth looking back for as well. So grab a cozy blanket and a bowl of popcorn and get settled in.
7) Orange Is the New Black – 7 Seasons
Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) is one of those series that didn’t start out on Netflix, but it lives there now. OITNB is an American comedy-drama series that people fell head over heels for, thanks to the expansive cast and the portrayed relationships between them. The series was originally based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison.
Naturally, the series revolves around Piper Chapman, a woman who has been sentenced to 15 months in prison. Her crime occurred ten years in the past, so the charge understandably shakes up her life, to put it mildly. OITNB explores dozens of characters within Litchfield Penitentiary, plus women’s prisons as a whole.
To say that OITNB is a wildly popular series would be an understatement. This series was breaking records and winning awards left and right, including three Emmys, a Producers Guild of America Award, and an American Film Institute Award, to name a few. It stars a massive cast of actors, including Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, and Uzo Aduba, among many others.
6) Peaky Blinders – 6 Seasons
If comedy isn’t your cup of tea, there’s always a historical crime drama like Peaky Blinders. Peaky Blinders is a heavy-hitting series revolving around a real gang active between 1880 and 1920. So it may not be everyone’s pick for a relaxing series, but it will get one emotionally invested before the end.
At the center of Peaky Blinders is one family, with Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) at the helm. Their ambitions have drawn the wrong sort of attention, so now the Royal Irish Constabulary is on the hunt. Obviously, there are plenty of other complications outside of the police, as interpersonal drama, vendettas, and ambition also get in the way.
Fans who fell in love with the world of Peaky Blinders don’t have to say goodbye right away, as there’s a new project on the horizon. The Immortal Man will be a Netflix original film set in the same world. It hasn’t been released yet, but it will be set a few years after the series finale. So stay tuned for more information about that! Peaky Blinders features an expansive ensemble cast, which includes Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Sam Neill, Annabelle Wallis, and many others.
5) Dark – 3 Seasons
Those craving a sci-fi mystery with a dash of thriller elements should consider binge-watching Dark. This German series hits hard, as it revolves around a small fictional town in which children have started to go missing.
What begins as a search for the missing children quickly brings many secrets to light, from double lives to dark pasts, as the biggest families in the town have spent generations manipulating everyone around them. Dark is a prime example of how wealth, power, and time travel should probably never mix.
Dark is a critically acclaimed series with intense writing, stunning visuals, and much more. If time-travel and mind-bending plots are your cup of tea, you really ought to give this series a try. It stars an ensemble cast, as the time jumps call for multiple actors to play the same characters through different points in their lives. For example, the role of Jonas Kahnwald is played by Louis Hofmann, Andreas Pietschmann, and Dietrich Hollinderbäumer.
4) The Crown – 6 Seasons
When it comes to historical dramas, The Crown is one of the most popular series to choose from. The series lasted for six seasons and covered almost six decades in that timeframe. It revolves around the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, starting just before her marriage and going up through Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles’ wedding.
History buffs have a lot to say about The Crown, and so do critics, as this show has been heavily praised for its bold takes, acting, and more. Later seasons did garner more criticism for their historical inaccuracies, so if that is the sort of thing that will bother you, keep that in mind before diving in.
The Crown starred an extensive cast, including Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Eileen Atkins, Jeremy Northam, Victoria Hamilton, Ben Miles, and Greg Wise, among others.
3) Castlevania – 4 Seasons
If dark fantasy and animation are more what you’re craving, there’s always Castlevania. This animated series was written by Warren Ellis for Netflix and is based on the hit Castlevania games. The series was originally meant to be a film, but fans can all agree that this tale was better suited for a series.
The series begins with the spiral of the infamous Dracula, following the sudden, brutal, and needless death of his wife. This kicks off a series of events that humanity will regret for generations, as Dracula unleashes an army of demons onto the land. Enter Trevor Belmont, Sypha Belnades, and Alucard, the heroes of this story.
The first two seasons revolve around Dracula’s threat, while the latter two seasons deal with secondary concerns, characters, and the fallout from previous seasons. The best part about binge-watching Castlevania is that those not ready to let go can dive right into the spin-off series, Castlevania: Nocturne. Castlevania: Nocturne is actively ongoing.
Castlevania starred the voices of Richard Armitage, James Callis, Graham McTavish, Alejandro Reynoso, Tony Amendola, Matt Frewer, Emily Swallow, Theo James, and many others. For those curious, Castlevania largely plays around with plots, themes, and characters introduced in Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
2) BoJack Horseman – 6 Seasons
BoJack Horseman is an incredibly popular animated series available on Netflix. It’s marketed as a tragicomedy, which is a blend of comedy and tragedy, obviously. The humor leans on a darker and more satirical edge, with some psychological drama thrown in for good measure.
BoJack Horseman revolves around the titular character, an anthropomorphic horse who also happens to be a washed-up sitcom star. While his celebrity status may be a thing of the past, he’s convinced that his big comeback is just around the corner. He just needs to finish that autobiography…
While the series received mixed reviews at first, BoJack Horseman gained a vast and dedicated following long before the end. BoJack Horseman starred the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul.
1) Breaking Bad – 5 Seasons
Finally, there’s always the immensely popular crime drama, Breaking Bad. If you’ve ever wondered what all those pizza-on-the-roof memes are about, now is your time to find out. Breaking Bad dives headfirst into the methamphetamine and drug world, with a surprising lead character.
It all begins when Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. He knows his family doesn’t have the funds to cover his treatment, and they certainly couldn’t survive without his income. So he does the math and comes to the natural and obvious conclusion: he’s going to become a crime lord.
Okay, that’s not the obvious conclusion for most people, but it made sense to Walter White, as his extensive chemistry knowledge (and access to the school’s tools) makes him the perfect person to create high quality product. Naturally, nothing goes quite as planned, as a former student becomes his partner, family drama crops up, and local gangs react to the new business.
Breaking Bad is one of the most popular series of all time. It’s also become a decent part of the internet and meme culture, so it’s worth watching just to gain a better understanding of those jokes. Best of all, the series has already spawned a spin-off: Better Call Saul. Breaking Bad starred Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, and many others.
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