I think its time we have a thread dedicated to hive-mind recommended TV shows on Netflix. I know there are a ton of websites out there that offer recommendations, but the all tend to have the same list of shows on there which I’ve either seen or don’t really have and interest in seeing.
Here are some shows I’ve watched recently. There are other great shows on Netflix (Like Lost and Firefly) but these are specifically shows I’ve watched ON Netflix.
means the show is still ongoing or allegedly ongoing so don’t expect a neat conclusion
I’ll kick things off with shows people ought to watch:
[ul]
[li]*Sherlock (BBC): This show turned me into a male “Cumberbitch”[/li][li]*Luther (BBC): I think the only TV show that rivals Sherlock in writing, acting, and execution is this show. Idris Elba plays badass Sherlock (Some episodes get pretty dark)[/li][li]Breaking Bad: I’m sure everyone has seen this, no real description needed. Great show.[/li][li]*Daredevil: Really enjoyed this one, one of the Marvel/Netflix productions, haven’t seen the others[/li][li]*Gotham: Haven’t finished the first season (which is the only one available right now) but I’ve seen enough to say as of now that I am thoroughly enjoying it thus far. Its some fun dramatic irony since you know what happens to these notable characters 15-20 years down the line. It also unfortunately removes some tension because you know certain characters won’t die.[/li][li]*House of Cards: First season was great, second season was great - 1, third season was good. Not a good trend but its still good enough to fully recommend.[/li][/ul]
Shows you could watch:
[ul]
[li]Damages: First season was great, following seasons are good but no where near as good as the first. Best description is “Devil Wears Prada Legal”[/li][li]Everybody Loves Raymond: YMMV with this one, but as someone who has a crazy close family, I found it really funny. Its also funny to see how horrible they are at making an intro. 9 seasons and they never got a good one. Some of the first attempts are mindbogglingly horrible[/li][li]*Once Upon A Time: Bad show with horrible acting and really dumb plot twists, yet something compelling with how all the Disney stories collide. Structured a bit like Lost, clearly some of the Lost team transitioned to this show. I probably wouldn’t watch it if my wife wasn’t still into it. Henry needs to be written off somehow. (I’m a big Disney geek)[/li][li]Twin Peaks: With the amount of hype this show got I kept expecting it to actually build to something but it never did. Way too much filler. There could have been an interesting show somewhere in there, but it never showed itself. Its apparently being remade for Showtime, maybe wait for that.[/li][/ul]
Anyone else have anything they’ve watched recently (that’s interesting?)
This is a great idea. There is a thread like this, I believe, but it mentions the XBox in the title (iirc) which has always thrown me off.
I’ll add a few here, that I can remember enjoying quite a lot in the last year or two.
Frazier. OMG this is so funny!
Friends. I really enjoyed re-visiting these guys.
Gilmore Girls. Who knew? Amazing show.
West Wing. Must watch.
Supernatural. So much better than you may think if you go by it being on CW slash going off ads. Check it out.
Longmire. Excellent from the start, and continues to be amazing.
Ohh, neat idea! My big recommendations on Netflix would be:
The West Wing - The first 3-4 seasons are some of the best TV you will ever watch, period. Amazing cast with wonderful writing that’s still relevant today. The 5th season meanders a bit once the show’s creator leaves, but then the last two seasons are almost as strong as the first.
Supernatural - One long horror movie road trip about a pair of demon-hunting brothers that has heart, humor and self-reflection in the form of meta-aware episodes. For example, in one episode, the characters are thrown into an alternate dimension in which they’re pretending to be the actors playing their characters. Classic stuff. In another episode they go to a convention about…themselves. Long story why, but just so, so good.
Parks and Recreation - LITERALLY one of the funniest sitcoms ever made. The first season tries too much to be like the office, but thankfully they throw that out and make every character someone you love and want to see succeed. Unlike most sitcoms, there’s a tone of optimism and hopefulness running throughout the entire show.
I still need to watch Luther, but I can also second Damages, Daredevil and Sherlock.
There are likely a lot more shows to recommend on Netflix, but those are the big ones I’d recommend.
Let me also get behind Sherlock, Daredevil and Luthor. I’ve not yet watched the Netflix US version of House of Cards, but I loved the original UK version which I watched on Netflix a while ago.
And I’ll also mention Black Mirror an absolutely fascinating set of standalone stories set in the not too distant technofuture. After each one I watch I feel distinctly uncomfortable, but great stories.
And one of my favourite comedies in the last little while would be The Inbetweeners, the series and all the movies are available on Netflix - although that might require you be British, because my Canadian wife had to give up on watching the series because she found it a bit too crude, the films moreso.
Agree with all the recommendations above. In addition:
*Bob’s Burgers: I didn’t start watching this until season 4 was released on Netflix. When I saw the advertisements on Fox, the art style just made me assume I wouldn’t like it. Boy was I wrong. Seasons 1 and 2 are hit and miss (Art Crawl and the Moolissa episodes are high points for me). Season 3 is where the show really starts clicking, comedically.
*Orphan Black: A woman sees a twin of herself commit suicide and steals her identify. I won’t spoil the twists and turns that this sends her down, you have to watch it for yourself. Some of the best acting you’ll see on TV/Netflix. Seasons 1 and 2 were great. Season 3 hit the meh-o-meter for me.
*Arrow: you’ve probably been watching this one since it came out, but I didn’t. It wasn’t until season 2 was released on Netflix that I started watching. There are now 3 seasons available to binge watch. Comic book show anchored in a realish world (similar to The Dark Knight and Daredevil). As the show progresses, it moves more and more in to “comic book”, but in a way that feels natural as opposed to jarring. My only knock is that there is a lot of “I hate my parents” angst from multiple characters that can get old.
Archer - Best animated show for adults there is
Bojack Horseman - Not quite as good, but still great, animated show for adults
Arrested Development - Best sitcom ever
Better Call Saul - Liked Breaking Bad? You’ll like this.
Community - Best nerdy sitcom. I mean, there’s an episode which is a 16-bit RPG.
Continuum - Time travel cop show that’s better than it has any right to be.
All David Attenborough nature documentaries, eg Blue Planet, Planet Earth, The Life of Mammals
Fargo - Magnificent TV-isation of the basic premise of Fargo the movie. Midwestern family man gets in over his head, much bloodshed ensues.
W/ Bob and David - Sketch comedy revival.
I’m Alan Partridge - Fantastic UK comedy that Americans are shockingly unfamiliar with
Almost any comedy special - Netflix has a special for pretty much every good standup. I particularly recommend Stewart Lee, Jen Kirkman, Maria Bamford, Doug Stanhope, John JHodgman, Tim Minchin and of course Richard Pryor
Yep. It’s completely seamless. You can log in from the US and it’ll show US shows, then switch to the UK and it’ll show UK shows, all from the same account (it even keeps the watchlist). I do it all the time to watch stuff like Bob’s Burgers and Comedy Bang Bang that aren’t available in the UK.
My god, random side note. I’d just recently heard about this British satirical news show called The Day Today, so I tuned into YouTube to watch it, and holy crap, first episode, Alan Partridge. Kind of hilarious.
Strong rec here for Continuum as well. Starts out kinda okayish, but really finds itself toward the end of the first season and then dives fully into the meat of what makes it different from other sci-fi/drama/adventure shows. This may be overselling it a little, but this show does the best job of posing the freedom-vs-security and free-market-vs-human-interest questions without shoving the author/director’s views down your throat that I’ve seen in some time. The lead (Rachel Nichols) thankfully grows into her role by the end of the first season as well – she starts off a little stiff, but she gets there.
Luther, Sherlock, Archer, Parks & Rec - of course.
Supernatural in many ways out-Buffys Buffy. It’s definitely aimed at adults rather than teens, which is nice if you’re an adult. Jensen Ackles is my spirit animal. Just watch it.
The League is crude in so many ways, but absolutely hilarious. It’s not about football, though a few of the jokes will miss if you don’t have a cursory knowledge of the NFL. Seth Rogen’s cameos are absurdly funny.
Count me in on Longmire as well. It gets a little pat from time to time - how many murders can this one remote Wyoming county really have? It’s got to be depopulated by now! - but strong acting from the leads and writing that at its worst at least isn’t stupid carry it past the weak bits and let the strong parts really shine. Bonus props for engaging with the (fictional, yes, but grounded enough) struggles of the Cherokee nation in an honest way. SUPER BONUS: Katee Sackoff is actually pretty good in this! My suspicion that much of the writing in BSG was turd-awful is reinforced.
I’ve recently been burning (heh) through Burn Notice. Really love the adventurous, almost whimsical feeling they evoke much of the time despite dealing with spies, intrigue, murder, assassination, blackmail, and whatnot. Seriously though, if that much shit blew up in Miami on the reg it would be a freaking martial-law wasteland. Sheesh.
Attack on Titan is badly overrated. You heard it here first!
I’ve seen The Thick of It and LOVED it, so when I heard Iannucci along with Chris Morris of The IT Crowd created this and Brass Eye, I realized I had to see them.
I’ve recently been burning (heh) through Burn Notice. Really love the adventurous, almost whimsical feeling they evoke much of the time despite dealing with spies, intrigue, murder, assassination, blackmail, and whatnot. Seriously though, if that much shit blew up in Miami on the reg it would be a freaking martial-law wasteland. Sheesh.
I burned out (groan) on Burn Notice. The first few seasons it was a really fun guilty pleasure, and of course it has Bruce Campbell. But the episode structure is so rigid, and the lengths they went to to spin out the plot were so ridiculous, that it became a bit of a chore.
Yeah, I’m on S3 and it’s still pretty fun. I don’t have a problem with contrived overarching plotting so long as the episodes stay tight and fun, which they mostly have so far. Bigger issue I have is people making obviously stupid decisions over and over to keep the drama going, which is totally a thing with me.
