These Top 10 Netflix series have been highly rated and are popular among viewers. They span a variety of genres, from sci-fi and fantasy to crime dramas and documentaries, offering something for everyone.
Here are the Top 10 Netflix series of all time:
- Breaking Bad
- Stranger Things
- Money Heist
- Narcos
- Squid Game
- Top Boy
- Peaky Blinders
- Dark
- Black Mirror
- Friends
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is a critically acclaimed television series that aired from 2008 to 2013. The series is a drama created by Vince Gilligan.
The story revolves around Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine manufacturing drug dealer, after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. To secure his family’s financial future, he partners with former student Jesse Pinkman to produce and sell high-quality blue meth.
The series stars Bryan Cranston as Walter White, Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, and Anna Gunn as Skyler White. “Breaking Bad” has won a total of 16 Emmy Awards, including four Best Actor Emmys for star Bryan Cranston.
The series is known for its storytelling, character development, and portrayal of moral consequences. It is available for streaming on Netflix. If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Stranger Things
Stranger Things is a critically acclaimed television series that first aired on Netflix in 2016. The series is a science fiction horror drama created by the Duffer Brothers.
The story revolves around the residents of the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana. They are plagued by a hostile alternate dimension known as the Upside Down after a nearby human experimentation facility opens a gateway between it and the normal world. The ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, and Brett Gelman.
“Stranger Things” has been critically acclaimed for its characterization, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s films It has received numerous nominations and awards. As of 2023, the series has four seasons.
If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Money Heist
Money Heist, originally titled “La Casa de Papel”, is a Spanish television series that has gained international acclaim. The series first aired in 2017 and is available on Netflix.
The plot revolves around a group of robbers who plan and execute heists on the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain while using codenames based on cities and led by a character known as “The Professor”. The show is noted for its complex characters, gripping plot, emotional depth, and exploration of themes such as freedom, resistance, and love.
The main characters include The Professor (Álvaro Morte), Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó), Berlin (Pedro Alonso), Rio (Miguel Herrán), Denver (Jaime Lorente), and others. The series has been praised for its sophisticated plot, interpersonal dramas, and direction, and for trying to innovate Spanish television.
As of 2023, the series has five seasons. If you’re a fan of thrilling action and complex character dynamics, “Money Heist” is definitely worth a watch. Enjoy!
Narcos
Narcos is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro. The series, set and filmed in Colombia, is based on the story of Colombian narcoterrorist and drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of cocaine. The series also focuses on Escobar’s interactions with drug lords, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, and various opposition entities.
“Narcos” first aired in 2015 and has three seasons. The series was renewed for its third and fourth seasons. However, the directors announced that season 4 would instead reset as season 1 of a new Netflix original series, titled “Narcos: Mexico”, which was released in 2018.
The series has been praised for its sophisticated plot, interpersonal dramas, and direction, and for trying to innovate Spanish television. If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean television series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. The series revolves around a secret contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial hardship, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a ₩ 45.6 billion prize. The series’ title draws from a similarly named Korean children’s game.
Its cast includes Lee Jung-Jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, and Kim Joo-Ryoung. The series was released worldwide on September 17, 2021, to critical acclaim and international attention. It became Netflix’s most-watched series and the most-watched program in 94 countries, attracting more than 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks.
It has received numerous accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for O Yeong-su, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-Jae and HoYeon Jung, respectively.
A second season was officially announced in June 2022, along with a reality competition series titled “Squid Game: The Challenge”. Production for the second season began in July 2023. If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Top Boy
Top Boy is a British television crime drama series created and written by Ronan Bennett. The series is set on the fictional Summerhouse estate in the London Borough of Hackney and focuses on two drug dealers, Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson), along with others involved with drug dealing and gang violence in London. There are 32 episodes across five series.
The first two series, with 4 episodes each, were broadcast on Channel 4, with the first series airing over four consecutive nights from 31 October to 3 November 2011 and the second series airing from 20 August to 10 September 2013. Although storylines for a third series were proposed, the series was dropped by Channel 4 in 2014.
Following interest from Canadian rapper Drake, it was announced in 2017 that Netflix would revive the series, with both Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson, as well as the original crew, reprising their roles and Drake and his team executively producing. The third and fourth series premiered on Netflix in September 2019 and March 2022, respectively, and were presented as the first and second series of an original Netflix series, while the previous two series were added to Netflix under the name Top Boy: Summerhouse. A fifth and final series (third series produced by Netflix) was renewed on 31 March 2022 and aired on September 7, 2023.
The series has received critical acclaim for its acting, cinematography, themes, realism, writing, and soundtrack, with favorable comparisons to other crime shows such as The Wire, Snowfall, and Power. It has received several awards and nominations from the British Academy Television Awards, including nominations for the British Academy Television Award for Best Mini-Series and the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for Jasmine Jobson as well as wins for the British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Original Music, British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Director: Fiction, and British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Scripted Casting.
If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Peaky Blinders
“Peaky Blinders” is a British period crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. The show is set in Birmingham, England, and follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the direct aftermath of the First World War. The fictional gang is loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name who were active in the city from the 1880s to the 1910s.
The series features an ensemble cast led by Cillian Murphy, starring as Tommy Shelby, the gang’s leader. Other notable cast members include Helen McCrory as Elizabeth “Polly” Gray, Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, and Joe Cole as John Shelby.
The show began on 12 September 2013 and ended on 3 April 2022. It has a total of 6 seasons and 36 episodes. The series has been well-received, with an IMDb rating of 8.8/10. If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Dark
“Dark” is a German science fiction thriller television series co-created by Baran Bo Odar and Jantje Friese. The series is set in the fictional town of Winden, Germany, and follows the story of four estranged families as they uncover a time travel conspiracy that spans several generations. “Dark” explores the existential implications of time and its effect on human nature.
The series debuted on Netflix on 1 December 2017 and concluded with its third season on 27 June 2020. It consists of 26 episodes. The show has been critically acclaimed for its writing, direction, and the complexity of its narrative. In 2021, the BBC ranked the series as the 58th greatest TV series of the 21st century.
If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Black Mirror
“Black Mirror” is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. The series explores a variety of genres, but most episodes are set in near-future dystopias with sci-fi technology, a type of speculative fiction. “Black Mirror” is inspired by “The Twilight Zone” and uses the themes of technology and media to comment on contemporary social issues.
The series began on the British network Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013 and then moved to Netflix, where four more series aired in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2023. There are 27 episodes across six series and one special, in addition to the interactive film “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” (2018)1. A seventh series is currently in development.
The series has received critical acclaim and is considered by many reviewers to be one of the best television series of the 2010s. However, some critics have found the morality of the series obvious or cite declining quality over time. The program won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie three times consecutively for “San Junipero”, “USS Callister” and “Bandersnatch”.
If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
Friends
“Friends” is a hit sitcom that follows the merry misadventures of six 20-something pals as they navigate the pitfalls of work, life, and love in 1990s Manhattan. The series stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. It was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman.
The show was very popular and finished in primetime TV’s top 10 every season. However, please note that “Friends” is no longer available to stream on Netflix in the US, but it may still be available on Netflix in selective countries outside the US. Please check your local Netflix library for availability. If you are in the US, you can stream “Friends” on HBO Max.
If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s definitely worth a watch!
These Top 10 Netflix series have not only entertained us but also sparked conversations, made us think, and even moved us to tears. So, if you haven’t watched them yet, make sure to add them to your list before the year ends. Happy viewing! 🙂