As the undisputed market leaders in the streaming wars, by default Netflix are under the most pressure to deliver the strongest lineup of content to their subscribers. The other combatants are still in the process of building their in-house libraries, while Netflix already have some of the biggest and most popular TV shows on the planet at their disposal.
Stranger Things is unquestionably the marquee title, but The Witcher isn’t far behind after racking up a massive 76 million viewers in a matter of weeks, while the recent return of The Umbrella Academy cemented the comic book adaptation’s status as one of the platform’s heaviest hitters. Throw in prestige dramas like The Crown, hit comedies GLOW and Sex Education along with buzzy new additions Warrior Nun and Cursed, and Netflix’s lineup is one that any streaming service or network would be envious of.
One problem people often find, though, is that there’s so much content available that deciding what to pick is an arduous and agonizing decision, and you frequently find yourself spending almost as long choosing something as you do actually sitting back and watching it. Luckily, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb gather the general consensus under one roof, and you can check out the ten highest-rated Netflix original shows based on their ratings below.
- Master of None Seasons 1-2 – 100%/ 8.3
- The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Seasons 1-4 – 96%/7.6
- Peaky Blinders Seasons 1-5 – 93%/8.8
- Bojack Horseman Seasons 1-6 – 93%/9.7
- Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp – 93%/7.4
- Daredevil Seasons 1-3 – 90%/8.6
- Orange Is the New Black Seasons 1-7 – 90%/8.1
- Jessica Jones Seasons 1-3 – 83%/7.9
- House of Cards Seasons 1-6 – 77%/8.7
- Arrested Development Seasons 1-5 – 75%/8.7
Of course, there should probably be an asterisk next to Peaky Blinders, which initially airs on the BBC before being made available on Netflix, but the other nine are all true originals. Each one offers something completely different to appeal to almost every taste, and if you’re on the fence, then there are certainly worse ways of making a decision than settling on a show that’s unanimously popular with fans and critics.
