• Blog
• 2 Apr 2020
• The best TV on UK Netflix

Towering over its competitors, Netflix has changed the television landscape forever. Some of the best, most talked about shows have ended up on the platform. You’ve no doubt by this point dived into the thick nostalgia of the likes of Stranger Things and The Crown or wallowed in the surprise smash hits (BoJack Horseman, Sex Education). But what about the other shows you may have missed, the gems you never knew were there, or the television that really deserves your attention?

Well, Daily Info has you covered - you can spend hours working your way through our best picks.

Those in need of a laugh

Comedy has lately proved the perfect medium for exploring complicated philosophical questions, and two Netflix originals have used humour to grapple with big ideas and sci-fi concepts. Russian Doll twists the Groundhog Day-approach of a young adult being forced to live, die and repeat the same day on loop, giving it an acidic edge. Meanwhile, Living with Yourself is an existential comedy that gives you not one but two Paul Rudds, as a man sets out to become a better version of himself - literally.

But towering over all of these is The Good Place. Across four seasons, The Good Place has been a fascinating experiment of a show that has continually stretched and reshaped its concept as it follows four individuals through the afterlife, asking nearly every philosophical question there is to ask. It also has perhaps one of the most emotionally rewarding series finales ever, so is definitely a show you should be bingeing right now.

Netflix is awash with expertly crafted animation for adults. Rick & Morty takes a Back to the Future-like set-up of a teenage boy and his grandfather adventuring across time and space, and warps it to some deeply strange places. Another one that started as a spoof (this time of James Bond), Archer is a great watch, mixing adult humour, a wealth of in-jokes and an ever-expanding group of characters.

Tuca & Bertie initially seems too close to BoJack Horseman. But dig into it, and where BoJack Horseman trades in cynicism and existential dread (brilliantly so), Tuca & Bertie becomes a joyfully realised representation of modern adult life. And while not strictly aimed at adults, you will find few more fabulously silly comedies on Netflix than Teen Titans Go! If you have children, you can always pretend you’re watching it for them.

Netflix also has perhaps one of the greatest comedies ever conceived. I’m Alan Partridge is a tragi-comedy that is as heartbreaking as it is hilarious and is always worth a rewatch. Friday Night Dinner is back for another series on Channel 4, so now is the time to delve into previous seasons of this charming sitcom, complete with a quintet of truly fabulous performances at the centre of its ensemble.

Over 54 episodes Peep Show became one of the funniest and most painful representations of the trauma of adulthood as we followed the lives of flatmates Mark and Jez and the numerous failures they endure. And finally, and arguably the best British comedy in recent years, Derry Girls is a must-watch, a nicer version of The Inbetweeners set against the backdrop of the Troubles in 90s Northern Ireland. Mixing outlandish escapades, hilarious performances and political resonance, it is just as good as you’ve heard.

Two of the best American comedies in recent years have been fascinating portrayals of initially dislikeable characters who gradually become better people. In Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Jake Peralta at first seems a character who’d be grating. But over several seasons and thanks to the ensemble around him, Jake becomes a better, more likeable character in the kind of show that’s perfect for bingeing. Meanwhile, Schitt’s Creek (a show that we’ve all been sleeping on) takes the excessively rich Rose family, strips them of their wealth and places them in the back end of nowhere. It could have been a forgettable fish-out-of-water comedy, but instead becomes a touchingly funny portrayal of how people can become better people. It's one of the best shows you've never seen.

For something altogether meaner, there's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia with a colossal 154 episodes to enjoy. Following a group of friends who run a bar and are uniquely capable of offending everyone they meet, the show comes into its own with the arrival of Danny DeVito in the second season. And finally, the newest addition to the platform, there's all six seasons of the cult comedy Community, which is brilliant for the first three seasons, at the very least.

Those wanting to keep things real

At the forefront of Netflix’s success has been the wealth of true crime documentaries you can find on the platform. The likes of Evil Genius, Tiger King and Wild Wild Country tell outlandish stories that really happened and have been largely forgotten. And if you want to get really mad, try Dirty Money (from giant of the genre Alex Gibney), which breaks down a different financial scandal each episode.

There’s plenty of feel-good reality TV to be found on Netflix. The likes of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Queer Eye have a huge fanbase (including members of the Daily Info team) and at times it feels like they were tailor-made to be uplifting watches. The latest to join this collective is Love Is Blind, marrying a terrific set-up (prospective couples get to know each other without coming face-to-face until the very end) with a charming ensemble of characters.

David Attenborough has had a huge impact on our understanding of the planet and the delicate balance of the natural world. And even at the age of 93, his work hasn’t ceased: his latest work is an ambitiously sprawling look at the effect that climate change has had on the planet.

Those seeking the dramatic life

Netflix has become the home for fresh takes and new adaptations. Daniel Handler’s A Series of Unfortunate Events previously came to the screen as a big-budget Jim Carrey film and has now, perhaps wisely, been taken on as a television show, with each of the thirteen instalments told over two episodes. Benefitting from a deliciously warped sense of humour and committed turns from the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Warburton and Lucy Punch, it’s the feel-bad show worth your time.

When it was announced that Hannibal Lecter would return in a prequel television series, fans shuddered at the thought. They shouldn't have worried. Across three seasons Hannibal became addictive viewing, drawing from Thomas Harris' source material whilst forging its own path. And in Mads Mikkelsen you had a Lecter that, at times, was better than Anthony Hopkins'. Like Fargo (also Netflix, also worth your time), Hannibal is a brilliantly conceived spin-off that sits comfortably alongside its forebear.

Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has received a number of adaptations with an iconic 60s version and a regrettable late 90s remake. It takes the creative gumption of a director like Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep) to come up with something new, and that’s what he has done for Netflix, crafting one of the scariest, most interesting and most emotionally rewarding horror stories of the last decade. The team will be back soon for a whole new ghost story, The Haunting of Bly Manor, so now is the time to get up to date.

And if there’s any prequel show that has managed to come close to its predecessor, it’s Better Call Saul (and if you want to see its predecessor, the entirety of Breaking Bad is also on Netflix). Across several delicately-paced seasons we’ve watched as Jimmy McGill transforms into Saul Goodman. It has been a heart-breaking watch, heightened by a faultless ensemble and driven by one of the most fascinating portrayals of sibling rivalry you're ever likely to see.

Masterfully constructed, engaging and packed with fascinating details, if you watch one television show about real-life serial killers, it should be Mindhunter. Combining the creative talents of David Fincher and Joe Penhall (Enduring Love, The Road), it is a slow watch that rewards the patient viewer.

How does a neo-noir set in a swampy Missouri sound? Ozark offers you just that. Laundered money, drug bosses and Jason Bateman collide in one of the better post-Breaking Bad crime shows. Plus Laura Linney is Bateman’s co-star, so you get two amazing actors in one show.

Netflix adds an impressive amount of content each month. But one of the best and most devastating programmes of the last few months is Unbelievable. Covering a harrowing true story about the detectives tracking down a serial rapist, it certainly isn’t the easiest watch. But along with the equally brilliant When They See Us, it is very much worth your time.

Perhaps the biggest hit in Netflix’s vast collection is Stranger Things. But it’s not the only case of a nostalgia-driven programme proving a rewarding watch. Glow looks at the stars of women's professional wrestling in the 80s and has morphed into a sweet, endearing show with a rich roster of characters, led by terrific turns from Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin.

For viewers of a certain age, Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a firm staple of our upbringing. And now the character is back, reimagined with darker hues and more adult themes in the surprisingly compelling Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Thankfully, all the horror tropes doesn’t stop the show from being a delightfully silly teen watch.

And it’s best to end with a contender for one of the greatest shows ever produced. Mad Men follows an ad executive through the tumultuous 60s and benefits from a precise pace and some of the finest performances in television history. The likes of Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, and John Slattery have all never been better than they are here. You could say the same for their co-stars Elisabeth Moss and Jared Harris, but they are two of the most consistently brilliant performers of their generation. In short, Mad Men is a masterpiece, and there are seven seasons to envelop you.

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