It’s no secret that Netflix boasts a huge catalogue of TV series – both original shows and classics from the archives – and that list is expanding, with the platform continuing to add new titles even as the COVID-19 pandemic wages on.

And with 2020 having seen far more people staying at home than usual we all have Netflix to thank – the average number of hours spent watching streaming services has soared this year, and so an offering of new programmes has been welcomed by many.

Of course, there is only one problem: with so many excellent series on the streamer, for some viewers, the choice can be daunting – and so to help out we’ve written this guide to the best telly Netflix has to offer.

The streamer has seen a variety of shows join its selection these past few months, from BBC Two drama The Fall and new episodes of intergalactic cartoon Rick and Morty to its hit Unsolved Mysteries reboot and The Umbrella Academy series two.

When it comes to pre-existing content, there’s still a number of old favourites that are worth a re-visit such as Friends, Doctor Who and Sherlock, while newer comedies such as After Life and Never Have I Ever are great if you’re looking for a lighter watch.

After something a bit darker? Netflix is renowned for its black comedies (BoJack Horseman), intense dramas (Ozark) and crime series (Mindhunter), so do check them out if you’re looking for a fan of a good thriller.

You can even use Netflix secret codes to explore different genres of TV shows – but don’t worry, we’ve got everything you need here in one place.

So stop what you’re doing and start streaming!

The Fall

All three seasons of the nail-biting BBC crime drama recently arrived on Netflix, and are wowing audiences all over again.

The psychological thriller, which is set in Northern Ireland, stars Gillian Anderson as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson, who has been drafted from the Metropolitan Police to catch a serial killer, played by Jamie Dornan.

The show originally aired between 2013 and 2016 on BBC Two (and RTE in Ireland) and won significant acclaim, being long-listed for best drama at the National Television Awards for all three of its series.

If you missed it the first time around, grab this chance with both hands. Fans will have been dismayed at the recent news that Netflix is cancelling this mind-bending sci-fi drama.

Altered Carbon 

Based on a “cyberpunk noir” novel by Richard K Morgan set 300 years in the future, Altered Carbon requires you to concentrate. New technology has allowed for human consciousness to be digitised, meaning that humans can theoretically live forever by hopping from body to body. Now little more than a vessel, the bodies that carry us around are referred to, rather glibly, as sleeves.

At the heart of the story is Takeshi Kovacs (aka House of Cards’s Joel Kinnaman), an elite, interstellar warrior whose consciousness has been awakened for the first time in over 200 years and placed inside the body of a US soldier. The man who brought him back, aristocrat Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), has done so in order for Kovacs to solve his own murder…

Kinnaman was replaced by Avengers star Anthony Mackie in series two, and there’s a slightly-less-head-scratching companion anime movie Altered Carbon: Resleeved to enjoy, too.

Source: Radio Times