Netflix recently continued their string of show cancellations after a short period, with the news that Chaos will not be renewed for a second season – however, the streaming giant isn’t entirely living up to its axe-happy reputation, as it announced that the popular romance drama Virgin River will continue for at least two more seasons. The sixth season of the book adaptation will air in December, with a seventh season already confirmed as well. Hugely popular fantasy series The wizard also has several future seasons planned, however, with Henry Cavill replaced by Liam Hemsworth next season, there are fears that the show will not be able to live up to the success of the first few seasons.
Meanwhile, some of Netflix’s biggest hits have recently come to an end, with Sweet tooth, Cobra Kaiand The Umbrella Academy all ending in 2024, and Stranger Things coming to an end next year. That’s not to say the streaming service doesn’t have great shows. True crime aficionados continue to love the Monster series, which highlighted the Menendez brothers this year, and the live-action anime adaptation One piece proving that it is possible to adapt an anime successfully. These are the best recent hits to stream on Netflix, from Netflix original series to shows from the network.
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Chaos
(2024) [Comedy Drama] – Jeff Goldblum stars as the God we all know he exists within, in a modern fantasy take on Greek mythology.
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Guide to Murder a Good Girl
(2024) [Crime Drama] – A young investigator searches for the truth about the murder of a young woman, not trusting that the police have found the right person.
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Cobra Kai
(2018-2024) [Action Drama] – A return to the world of The Karate Kid, for those who thought Ralph Macchio received unfair treatment in the original.
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Eric
(2024) [Drama] – Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Vincent, a puppeteer in a failed marriage whose son disappears, in this disturbing drama set in the 1980s.
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The gentlemen
(2024) [Crime Drama] – Guy Ritchie directs this darkly comic series about a man who inherits an estate that also houses a drug empire.
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The Crown
(2016-2023) [Historical Drama] – Epic Emmy-winning fiction from the Royal Family and the historic reign of Queen Elizabeth.
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squid game
(2021-present) [Drama] – A violent critique of capitalism through deadly Korean children’s games.
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Better call Saul
(2015–2022) [Drama] – The Breaking Bad spin-off focused on Bob Odenkirk’s slippery lawyer actually achieves the unthinkable for many, surpassing the greatness of the original.
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Band of Brothers
(2001) [War Drama] – Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Band of brothers is much more than a story of the Second World War.
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Suits
(2011-2019) [Drama] – Before marrying into royalty, Meghan Markle stars in a drama about office politics and legal drama.
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Sex Education
(2019-2023) [Teen Comedy] – Teenage son of a sex therapist creates his own sex counseling service for other teens. What could go wrong?
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Supercell (2024)
(2024) [Superhero Drama] – Black British superheroes are persecuted by a shadowy organization in this brilliant social commentary.
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Sweet tooth
(2021-2024) [Fantasy] – A boy with horns embarks on a post-apocalyptic mission.
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3Body Problem
(2024) [Sci-Fi] – A detective joins forces with a group of scientists after an unknown force begins killing scientists around the world.
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Black Mirror
(2011-present) [Horror] – Increasingly gruesome technology-based episodes going to a very dark place in this horror anthology.
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One Piece (live action)
(2023-present) [Fantasy] – A band of pirates in a fantasy world join forces (reluctantly) under the command of an annoyingly cheerful young man with superpowers.
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The wizard
(2019-present) [Fantasy] – Henry Cavill manages to capture the audience despite saying almost nothing (except ‘f*ck’) in this multi-chronological high fantasy epic.
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Stranger Things
(2016-present) [Fantasy Drama] – Pre-teens play D&D in this horror fantasy that perfectly combines Amblin’s 80s nostalgia with an undeniable Stephen King vibe.
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Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
(2024 – present) [Fantasy] – Live-action adaptation of the animated series that may actually live up to the original.
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The Umbrella Academy
(2019 – 2024) [Fantasy] – Impeccable vibes and dark humor make this gloriously dysfunctional superhero family one of the best shows Netflix has ever created.
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Bridgerton
(2020-present) [Historical Romance] – Regency folks also love sex and gossip, in this adaptation of the hit novel series.
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Heartbreaker
(2022-present) [Romance] – A celebration of LGBTQ teen romance, centered on two boys in love.
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Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez
(2024) [True-Crime] – Two young men kill their parents in this gripping sequel to Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
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Evil
(2019-2024) [Horror] – A priest, a clinical psychologist and a contractor enter a bar… and begin solving paranormal mysteries to discover the origin of evil.
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Baby reindeer
(2024) [Dark Drama] – A disturbing story of stalking, sexual assault and obsession, inspired by a true story.
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The Fall of the House of Usher
(2023) [Horror] – Succession meets Slasher, when a curse begins to destroy the children of tyrannical pharmaceutical CEO Roderick Usher.
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Wednesday
(2022-present) [Supernatural Drama] – Return to the lives of the Addams Family, as Wednesday Addams goes to school and comes of age while learning to control her psychic abilities.
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Terminator Zero (2024)
(2024) [Sci-Fi Animation] – The Terminator franchise is lively, with a new take on the time-traveling assassin arriving in the present (or in this case, 1997) to kill/protect a figure essential to the robotic uprising of the future.
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Big mouth
(2017-present) [Comedy Animation] – Scary comedy as hormones (monsters) literally run wild.
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BoJack Knight
(2014-2020) [Black Comedy Animation] – A comedy about anthropomorphic animals living in the world with people who will make you question whether or not you need therapy (by the end of the show, the answer is probably yes).
If you’re looking for more to watch on Netflix, you can read our lists on the 35 Best Action Series to Stream on Netflix, 25 Best Detective Series on Netflix, or, if you have less time, the 30 Best Movies on Netflix.
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