As a digital technology expert, I‘ve witnessed firsthand how Netflix has revolutionized the television landscape over the past decade. By leveraging algorithmic recommendations, user data analysis, and innovative streaming technology, Netflix has upended traditional models and ushered in a new era of TV consumption. Central to its disruptive success are the groundbreaking original series that have captivated viewers and dominated cultural conversations.
To appreciate the full impact of Netflix‘s best shows, it‘s essential to understand its strategic advantages as a digital platform. Netflix doesn‘t just distribute content; it harnesses vast amounts of viewer data to inform creative decisions and hyper-target programming to niche tastes. Its sophisticated algorithms and user interfaces keep viewers hooked and binging. As Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos explained, "Our secret sauce has been a combination of great tech and great creative…the tech enables creative freedom and experiments at a scale never before possible."1
In this landscape of limitless choice and fierce competition, certain Netflix series have risen above the rest, pushing the boundaries of what TV can do. I‘ve analyzed the data, insights, and industry trends to determine the 10 best shows you should be streaming on Netflix right now. These series leverage Netflix‘s unique digital strengths while breaking new ground in storytelling. They‘re not just popular; they‘re game-changers.
1. Stranger Things
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Season 4 premiere viewership (3 days) | 286.79 million hours |
| Total viewership (28 days) | 1.15 billion hours |
| Twitter mentions (3 days after S4 premiere) | 4.6 million |
Few shows exemplify Netflix‘s global reach and cultural impact like "Stranger Things." The retro sci-fi phenomenon has shattered viewership records and spawned an entire cottage industry of merchandise, memes, and fan theories. The series‘ success showcases Netflix‘s ability to reach massive mainstream audiences while still cultivating niche appeal. Its nostalgic ‘80s setting and genre-blending storytelling click perfectly with Netflix‘s millennial user base.
Industry observers have marveled at how "Stranger Things" has achieved the kind of monocultural event status once reserved for the likes of "Game of Thrones" in an era of fragmented media. As Daily Beast entertainment reporter Laura Bradley noted, "Its meme-ability is a huge part of its success — Netflix shows tend to succeed when they target young viewers who can evangelize via social media."2
2. The Crown
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated budget per episode | $13 million |
| Total viewership (28 days) | 73 million households |
| Emmy wins | 21 |
"The Crown" showcases Netflix‘s ability to mount prestige dramas at a scale to rival Hollywood films. The historical epic‘s reported $13 million per episode budget (making it one of the most expensive TV series ever) enables cinema-quality production values and A-list talent.3 By investing heavily in a blue-chip property — a chronicle of the British royal family — Netflix is playing the long game, betting on a series that will keep users subscribed for years as it follows the Queen‘s 70-year reign.
The decision to swap in new actors every two seasons to portray the royals at different ages provides a novel twist on the biopic formula. Conceiving the series in six-season chunks has allowed creator Peter Morgan to craft an ambitious, cohesive arc that would be impossible within the constraints of a two-hour film or traditional TV season. In this way, "The Crown" embodies how Netflix is leveraging the unique parameters of streaming to reinvent well-worn genres.
3. Squid Game
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours viewed in first 28 days | 1.6 billion |
| Estimated impact on Netflix subscriptions | +4.4 million |
| Number of Emmys won | 6 |
Perhaps no series better illustrates the power of Netflix‘s global reach than "Squid Game." The dystopian Korean thriller transcended cultural and linguistic barriers to become Netflix‘s most-watched series ever. Within 28 days of its release, "Squid Game" had reached #1 in 94 countries and been viewed for over 1.6 billion hours — the equivalent of 182,000 years.4
"Squid Game" exemplifies Netflix‘s ability to transform foreign-language content into worldwide hits through its unparalleled international distribution network. The show‘s critique of economic inequality and cut-throat capitalism clearly resonated across borders. As Vulture‘s Kathryn VanArendonk observed, "For a significant number of viewers, there is no meaningful distinction between a Korean drama and an American sitcom. What matters is that it‘s available on Netflix."5
4. BoJack Horseman
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes critics score | 93% |
| Ratings increase from S1 to final season | +185% |
| Total Emmy nominations | 3 |
"BoJack Horseman" is a testament to Netflix‘s willingness to give niche projects room to grow. The series debuted to little fanfare and soft viewership but was nurtured by Netflix over six acclaimed seasons. Its slow-burn popularity mirrors how many users gradually discover hidden gem shows in Netflix‘s content library through word-of-mouth and algorithmic recommendations over time.
"BoJack" also spotlights Netflix‘s ability to experiment with format and push the medium in new directions. The show‘s premise — a washed-up sitcom star who happens to be a talking horse — sounds like a bizarre Adult Swim-style gimmick. But the series continually subverted expectations, delivering one of the most poignant explorations of depression, addiction, and trauma ever depicted on television. As creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg explained, "We asked Netflix, can we have a TV show that gets more depressing and more experimental as it goes on?…To Netflix‘s credit, they kept supporting us and trusting us."6
5. Orange Is the New Black
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours viewed in first week | 105.8 million |
| Twitter mentions in 24 hours after final season premiere | 126,000 |
| SAG Award wins for ensemble cast | 3 |
"Orange Is the New Black" was a watershed moment for Netflix, proving it could create zeitgeist-dominating original series to rival the best of cable TV. The show‘s diverse, women-led ensemble and frank exploration of sexuality, race, and the prison industrial complex felt revolutionary when it debuted in 2013.
The series also showcased how Netflix‘s all-at-once release model could drive appointment viewing in the streaming era. Like "Stranger Things," "OITNB" generated must-see digital water cooler moments, from its shocking twists to its breakout performances. Binge-watching changed the pace and intensity through which viewers connected to these characters and became invested in their journeys.
6. Making a Murderer
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours viewed in first 35 days | 19.3 million |
| Google search increase for Steven Avery | +1,900% |
| Emmy wins | 4 |
Netflix didn‘t invent the true crime genre, but it transformed it into a cultural juggernaut. "Making a Murderer" was an early example of how a slow-burn docuseries could grip viewers and generate massive mainstream conversation through Netflix‘s binge model. The series‘ 10 episodes unfolded a complex web of corruption and moral ambiguity that sparked unprecedented social media sleuthing and armchair detective work.
"Making a Murderer" highlights Netflix‘s crucial role in the documentary renaissance of the past decade. No longer bound to stodgy PBS or film festival one-offs, nonfiction storytellers have embraced the creative possibilities of episodic streaming. Netflix has given documentarians a powerful global platform — and the budgets to match their ambitions. The streamer‘s subscriber base has proven uniquely receptive to smart, artfully crafted nonfiction programming.
7. Bridgerton
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Season 1 viewership in first 28 days | 625.5 million hours |
| Instagram followers | 3.4 million |
| Google search increase for "Regency era" | +7,000% |
Period romances are nothing new, but "Bridgerton" injects the genre with a shot of adrenaline. The Shonda Rhimes-produced series courts a new generation of viewers by marrying the lavish trappings of Regency England with the pacing and tone of a CW soap. "Bridgerton" plays with form by weaving in contemporary music and deliberately inclusive casting that imagines people of color in 19th century British high society.
As a sexy, meme-friendly romp, "Bridgerton" is tailored to thrive in Netflix‘s digital ecosystem. The series generated over 3 million Instagram followers in its first season, sparking viral TikTok trends and fashion deep dives. Online buzz has also boosted the popularity of Julia Quinn‘s original romance novels, with print sales increasing 1,387% after the show‘s premiere.7 "Bridgerton" shows how Netflix can use its platform to resurrect forgotten IP and launch sprawling multimedia franchises.
8. When They See Us
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Viewership in first month | 23 million accounts |
| Twitter mentions in first week | 2.1 million |
| Emmy nominations | 11 |
"When They See Us" demonstrates the power of streaming television to illuminate social injustice and drive change. Ava DuVernay‘s harrowing account of the Central Park Five case uses the intimacy of the medium to devastating effect. By devoting four episodes to the boys‘ stories, DuVernay makes viewers bear witness to the ripple effects of systemic racism across decades.
While difficult to watch, "When They See Us" clearly connected with viewers, drawing 23 million accounts in its first month.8 It sparked a widespread reassessment of the original case and the reputations of several public figures involved. This highlights how Netflix can give filmmakers like DuVernay a mainstream platform to bring activist art to the masses without dulling its impact.
9. Unorthodox
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Netflix‘s first primarily Yiddish production | Yes |
| Increase in U.S. Google searches for "Hasidic Judaism" after premiere | +300% |
"Unorthodox" is a prime example of how Netflix‘s global scale allows it to serve highly specific audience niches. The miniseries follows a young Hasidic Jewish woman who flees her arranged marriage in Brooklyn for a secular life in Berlin. It‘s an intimate portrait of a largely insular community rarely depicted on screen, made with meticulous cultural specificity (down to the authentic wardrobe and use of Yiddish).
Yet "Unorthodox" clearly struck a chord beyond Jewish viewers. In the first month after its debut, U.S. Google searches for terms like "Hasidic Judaism" increased by up to 300% as curious viewers sought to learn more.9 By taking a chance on an ultra-niche premise and little-known creators, Netflix tapped into the universal resonance of a coming-of-age quest for self-discovery.
10. Russian Doll
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Emmy nominations for lead actress Natasha Lyonne | 2 |
| Rotten Tomatoes critics score | 97% |
At first glance, "Russian Doll" seems to put a millennial spin on a familiar "Groundhog Day"-esque premise. But the series, co-created by and starring Natasha Lyonne, is a wildly inventive exploration of trauma, mortality, and human connection masquerading as an acerbic comedy. It‘s a show that rewards close viewing and multiple rewatches to fully unpack its intricate, time-looping puzzle box.
"Russian Doll" is the kind of high-concept, creatively ambitious project that once might have been deemed too niche for TV. Netflix‘s hands-off creative approach and highly engaged subscriber base have made it a vital launchpad for visionary writer-performers like Lyonne, Michaela Coel ("I May Destroy You") and Phoebe Waller-Bridge ("Fleabag"). By trusting these singular voices, Netflix has become the go-to home for genre-bending, form-breaking storytelling.
As these 10 shows illustrate, Netflix has permanently transformed our expectations of what television can be. In the pre-streaming era, the traditional constraints of time slots, episode lengths, and advertiser demands greatly limited the creative possibilities of the medium. Netflix‘s digital platform and data-driven strategy have enabled a new golden age of narrative experimentation and niche programming.
No other media company has so fundamentally altered how we watch, discuss, and value TV content. Netflix‘s embrace of binge-viewing has made marathon sessions the new norm. Its all-at-once release model has changed the week-to-week water cooler conversation. Its recommendation algorithm has pushed unknown shows and genres into the mainstream. And as the streamer‘s user base has expanded globally, so too has the potential for non-English language series to have worldwide impact.
Yet Netflix now finds itself at an inflection point. With tech giants like Apple, Amazon, and Disney pouring billions into their own streaming services, Netflix faces stiffer competition for viewers and top talent. It‘s no longer the only game in town, and recent subscriber losses have raised questions about its long-term growth potential.
To stay ahead in the streaming wars, Netflix will have to keep refining its platform and producing shows that push the envelope. It will need to strike a delicate balance between data-driven efficiency and risk-taking on unproven ideas. The breakout hits that have defined Netflix‘s brand thus far – the "Stranger Things" and "Squid Games" – can‘t be engineered from algorithms alone.
Ultimately, Netflix‘s enduring advantage in the streaming landscape will be its ability to innovate – both technologically and creatively. No media company is better equipped to discover the next groundbreaking show and deliver it to the widest possible audience. The question is whether it can keep taking chances on the kind of bold, boundary-pushing storytelling that built its empire in the first place. One thing is certain: the future of television will be shaped by what Netflix does next.
