Best TV Shows & Original Series on Netflix Right Now (July 2022)

It’s the weekend, or a sick day, or just a regular Tuesday night, and you need to binge-watch something. You don’t just want it, you need it. Where to begin? Fear not — we’re here to help. Below you’ll find an ever-expanding recommended list of TV shows available on Netflix, curated by us TV-obsessives. The mix covers a myriad of genres, lengths, countries of origins, and much more, but the one thing they have in common is that they are all excellent. If you want the full monty, peruse our picks for the best series and TV shows on Netflix right now below.

Editor’s note: This article was last updated on July 1st to include Squid Game.

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The Lincoln Lawyer

Created by: David E. Kelley

Cast: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson, Christopher Gorham

The Lincoln Lawyer is everything a great legal drama should be: suspenseful, compelling, and unpredictable. Anchored by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo’s excellent performance as Mickey Haller, a skeptical yet optimistic criminal defense attorney as well as a recovering addict who runs his practice out of his town car, The Lincoln Lawyer is a solid adaptation of the Michael Connelly novel of the same name. Other standouts include Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson, Halley’s first wife and a criminal prosecutor. If you’re looking for a sleek, sophisticated series, The Lincoln Lawyer is sure to deliver. – Taylor Gates

Squid Game

Created by: Hwang Dong-hyuk

Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Wi Ha-joon, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung

Squid Game is one of the biggest cultural phenomena we’ve seen in recent years, breaking records left and right when it was released in the fall of 2021. The South Korean series centers around a group of 456 people who risk their lives playing children’s games to win a large sum of money. The catch? The games have a deadly twist, and only one winner will make it out alive. Squid Game’s popularity and critical acclaim are well-earned. Not only is it full of smart, daring writing and excellent performances, but the social commentary it offers on class and society is as searing and relevant as well. – Taylor Gates

God’s Favorite Idiot

Created by: Ben Falcone

Cast: Ben Falcone, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Bibb, Kevin Dunn

Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy are frequent collaborators, acting alongside each other in popular films like Bridesmaids and Spy. The husband and wife duo are a recipe for success and laughs, evident by their newest project: God’s Favorite Idiot. The show sees a shy tech support worker being struck by lightning – something that tasks him with preventing the Apocolypse and becoming God’s messenger. If you’re a fan of supernatural sitcoms like The Good Place and workplace comedies like Abbott Elementary, God’s Favorite Idiot might just be your new favorite watch. – Taylor Gates

First Kill

Created by: Victoria Schwab

Cast: Sarah Catherine Hook, Imani Lewis, Elizabeth Mitchell, Aubin Wise, Gracie Dzienny, Dominic Goodman, Phillip Mullings, Jr., Jason R. Moore

From Buffy to Twilight to The Vampire Diaries, vampires have always been a part of teen media, and First Kill honors the genre with some fun twists. The series is a classic Romeo and Juliet – or shall we say Calliope and Juliet – as it centers around a monster hunter (Imani Lewis) and vampire (Sarah Catherine Hook). Though they’re destined to be enemies, they end up falling in love, hereby complicating everything. Both campy and earnest, the chemistry between the two leads is excellent, giving viewers a sapphic love story to die for. – Taylor Gates

Love on the Spectrum U.S.

Created by: Cian O’Clery

Love on the Spectrum U.S. is a classic dating show with a compelling twist, as it follows people on the autism spectrum as they try to find love. Told in a sensitive and warm way, the show allows viewers to see both the unique challenges and joys of dating with a disability. It’s impossible not to root for the array of people we follow, including pun-loving 63-year-old Steve and animal-loving TikTok star Abbey. – Taylor Gates

Heartstopper

Developed by: Alice Oseman (based on the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name)

Cast: Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Olivia Colman, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Sebastian Croft, Cormac Hyde-Corrin

There’s something incredibly warming about the range of queer stories that are premiering in this day and age, and Heartstopper feels like the coziest and warmest among them thus far to date. Oseman, who adapts the original story they wrote for the comic, maintains that same sense of genuineness and empathy in a tale that follows two teens who come to the conclusion that their friendship may, in fact, be something more than merely platonic. There’s romance, to be sure, but there’s a commitment to showcasing the highs and lows of being a teenager, when everything seems so intense and unexplored in terms of emotion and that first major crush, and the only thing stopping you from what might be a game-changing relationship is yourself. – Carly Lane

Human Resources

Created by: Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Kelly Galuska, Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett

Cast: Aidy Bryant, Randall Park, Keke Palmer, David Thewlis, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Maya Rudolph, Nick Kroll

Maybe it was a little inevitable that the world of Big Mouth would eventually grow beyond its origins on the streamer — especially when it came to the monsters who serve as “shoulder angels” of sorts to guide their very hormonal young humans. Human Resources (an absolutely genius title in and of itself) adopts the workplace comedy spin and flips the script on Big Mouth to go behind-the-scenes at Hormone Monster HQ, leading to some hilarious and surprisingly vulnerable antics in the process. This is definitely a more adult comedy than its predecessor, but it also succeeds in doing what all great spinoffs should: growing out the world that the original series only hinted at before. (Not to mention this voice cast is utterly toppling over with talent.) – Carly Lane

Firefly Lane

Created by: Maggie Friedman (based on the book by Kristin Hannah)

Cast: Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke

Netflix has somehow asserted itself as a major streaming home for book adaptations and turning them into long-running series, no less. Some of them leave a little more to be desired in the execution, but one that seems to be picking up significantly more steam is Firefly Lane — which eschews the small-town drama format for a decades-spanning story between two friends, following them through the ups and downs of their relationships both independently and with each other. Heigl returns in fine form as the outgoing talk show host Tully, whose extroverted personality masks some deeper vulnerabilities, while her BFF Kate (Chalke) is a recent divorcee trying to find a place for herself back in the workforce. The two of them have been friends since they were 14 and Tully first moved in across the street (the titular Firefly Lane), and it’s their connection that grounds the series even while other plotlines are less compelling or rewarding. – Carly Lane

Vikings: Valhalla

Created by: Jeb Stuart

Cast: Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, Leo Suter, Bradley Freegard, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Caroline Henderson

Set 100 years after the events of its predecessor series Vikings, Valhalla picks up at the height of a bloody clash between the Vikings and the English, who have been warring over the differences between their Christian and Pagan beliefs. An era that began will soon see its end, as Valhalla is also poised to showcase the end of the Vikings’ time raiding and conquering various places for their own means. It’s also poised to showcase Leik Erikson (played by Corlett) becoming the first European to set foot on continental North America, years before Columbus could ever claim the same. It’s a natural evolution for the series we first saw grow up on the History Channel, with characters who could potentially become just as compelling, with a lot more religious conflict to boot. – Carly Lane

The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window

Created by: Rachel Ramras & Hugh Davidson & Larry Dorf

Cast: Kristen Bell, Michael Ealy, Tom Riley, Mary Holland, Cameron Britton, Samsara Yett

Just judging from the title, you can probably guess what you’re in for when it comes to Netflix’s latest original series — a parody meant for those of us who avidly devour thriller paperbacks from the airport bookstore that have some derivative of the show’s title on the front cover. From the jump, The Woman in the House… is a series that doesn’t take itself seriously at all (Kristen Bell literally hosing wine is another big clue on that front), but it’s a throughline that continues all the way through to finding out exactly who the killer is. Come for the obvious wink at thriller movies (and the resulting hilarious deadpanning through dark comedy), stay for the absolutely bonkers celebrity cameo at the very end. – Carly Lane

All of Us Are Dead

Created by: Lee Jae-kyoo, Chun Sung-il, Kim Nam-su

Cast: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi, Kim Byung-chul, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jeon Bae-soo

Let’s face it: high school is already tough, but when you throw in an unexpected zombie apocalypse on top of all the other hell that we know can happen, it ratchets everything up to a level that is honestly unparalleled. Themes like the traumatic effects of bullying, the pervasiveness of social media, and the confining aspects of that happen when you end up trapped in school surrounded by a deadly threat. There’s a reason All of Us Are Dead has quickly ascended to the streamer’s Top 10 list in the wake of other successful Korean series like Squid Game; it’s laden with the same kind of deft social commentary beneath its genre trappings that makes this title a must-watch. – Carly Lane

Queer Eye

Created by: David Collins

Cast: Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness

Since its premiere back in 2018, this Netflix reality makeover show (itself a revamping of the Bravo series of a similar name) has rarely left a dry eye in its wake — and it’s all thanks to a title that takes what came before and builds upon its foundations. No longer are the newest Fab Five merely helping “the straight guy,” but in search of heroes who range from older women to trans men to a high school’s entire prom committee. From a freshly tailored wardrobe to revamped digs to a new outlook on life, this show is about helping people find the best versions of themselves within as it is about redecorating the outer layers. – Carly Lane

Virgin River

Created by: Sue Tenney (based on the books by Robyn Carr)

Cast: Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence, Jenny Cooper, Lauren Hammersley, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Grayson Gurnsey, Sarah Dugdale, Zibby Allen, Marco Grazzini

I might be telling on myself a little with this pick, but Virgin River arguably showed up on Netflix at a time when I needed it most, with its small-town sensibilities providing a perfect antidote to pandemic doldrums. Plus there’s the bonus injection of romance, which this devotee of the genre always enjoys. Breckenridge plays Mel Monroe, a city-bred doctor who accepts a job in the remote mountain town of Virgin River after a personal tragedy, although when she shows up, the current doc-in-residence (Matheson) isn’t expecting her. Combine that with handsome local bar owner Jack Sheridan (Henderson) and a lot of memorable locals rounding out the supporting cast, and you’ve got a recipe for comfort-food viewing practically baked into the very premise. – Carly Lane

Midnight Mass

Created by: Mike Flanagan

Cast: Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Kristin Lehman, Samantha Sloyan, Igby Rigney, Rahul Kohli, Annarah Cymone, Annabeth Gish, Alex Essoe, Rahul Abburi, Matt Biedel, Michael Trucco, Crystal Balint, Louis Oliver, Henry Thomas, Hamish Linklater

It seems impossible to say that Mike Flanagan has done the damn thing yet again, but with Midnight Mass, a project that the writer-director describes as his most personal and longest-running plan in the works, he’s probably crafted the closest thing to an original magnum opus. Like his previous adaptations of Hill House and Bly Manor, there are plenty of monsters to provide frights, but similarly, there’s just as much emotional heartbreak wrapped up in the human story, not to mention characters who can be as terrifying as any ghost or as menacing as any vampire. Midnight Mass is a series that’s more likely to make you weep than gasp, but that doesn’t diminish its impact — or its staying power, not only on Netflix but in the annals of horror storytelling, period. – Carly Lane

Crash Landing on You

Created by: Park Ji-eun

Cast: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-hyun, Seo Ji-hye

It’s a tale as old as time — a successful South Korean businesswoman and heiress goes paragliding and winds up crashing in the North Korean section of the DMZ, where she ultimately crosses paths with a North Korean army captain. Rather than turn her in, however, he decides to help her hide out, and if you’ve seen any kind of romantic TV before, you know where this is going. A lot of Netflix viewers found this K-drama over the COVID lockdown period because, as it turns out, some of us really want to follow along with not only one of the best romantic K-dramas out there but one of the most epic love stories you’ll ever see on TV, period. – Carly Lane

You

Created by: Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble (developed from the books by Caroline Kepnes)

Cast: Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Shay Mitchell, Ambyr Childers, Victoria Pedretti, James Scully, Saffron Burrows, Tati Gabrielle, Shalita Grant, Travis Van Winkle, Dylan Arnold, Scott Speedman

After Badgley’s very memorable curtain call on Gossip Girl, the question of his next TV project was definitely circling around — but thanks to being cast as the sociopathic lead of You, he may have just found his true calling (not to mention cornered the market on a rather pleasing talent at voiceovers). As Joe Goldberg, Badgley has to walk the line between seduction and obsession, with the audience privy to every single one of his most intimate thoughts about his latest romantic fixation — no matter how disturbing. Initially enjoying a brief stint on Lifetime, You found new life on Netflix, where it has remained ever since and continues to remain one of the streamer’s most popular titles; it was renewed for a fourth season before the third even aired this year. – Carly Lane

Dear White People

Created by: Justin Simien

Cast: Logan Browning, Brandon P. Bell, DeRon Horton, Antoinette Robertson, John Patrick Amedori, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Marque Richardson, Jemar Michael, Courtney Sauls

From its deeply felt, character-driven stories to its hilarious pop culture parodies, Dear White People might have originally inspired controversy thanks to the title, but it represents a smart and unique voice in the TV space that goes well beyond the conversations about race it inspires. But those conversations are welcome and valid and nuanced in how they approach the topic from individual points-of-view, which combined with the occasional deviation into alternate realities or other genre-bending escapades makes for sometimes heartfelt, sometimes hilarious viewing. – Liz Shannon Miller

One Day at a Time

Developed by: Gloria Calderón Kellett and Mike Royce

Cast: Justina Machado, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez, Marcel Ruiz, Stephen Tobolowsky, Rita Moreno

One of the best examples yet of why sitcom reboots aren’t automatically the worst, this 21st century reimagining of a Norman Lear favorite was a topical, heartfelt, progressive, and hilarious addition to the Netflix line-up that Netflix sadly canceled after three seasons. (A fourth was aired by PopTV.) Focused on a struggling Cuban-American family living in East Los Angeles, the series soared thanks to rock-solid lead Justine Machado, with of course Rita Moreno stealing hearts and minds and scenes with every moment she’s on screen. Plus, future stars Isabella Gomez and Marcel Ruiz proved that young people in sitcoms can be just as whip-smart and compelling as their adult counterparts. We might never get more of One Day at a Time, but it’s the kind of show that taught us to appreciate what we got. – Liz Shannon Miller

The Baby-Sitters Club

Created by: Rachel Shukert

Cast: Sophie Grace, Momona Tamada, Shay Rudolph, Malia Baker, Alicia Silverstone, Mark Feuerstein, Xochitl Gomez, Vivian Watson, Kyndra Sanchez, Anais Lee

Based on the iconic books by Ann M. Martin, The Baby-Sitters Club offers up a fresh and smart look at the lives of young women that never felt pandering or false, anchored by the dynamite casting that brought together a brilliant ensemble who felt real, engaged, and unique. Those who grew up reading about the adventures of Kristy, Mary-Anne, Stacey, Dawn, and Claudia have no reason to feel disappointed by showrunner Rachel Shukert‘s take on their stories, while an entirely new generation gets to know these wonderful girls, with their stories going even deeper in Season 2. – Liz Shannon Miller

Maid

Created by: Molly Smith Metzler

Cast: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Tracy Vilar, Billy Burke, Andie MacDowell

A deeply emotional drama that does feature surprising bursts of comedy, Maid features Margaret Qualley as a young woman struggling to reclaim her life after finally deciding to leave her abusive ex (Nick Robinson). Creator Molly Smith Metzler manages to make Alex’s difficulties with the intense bureaucracy of the American welfare system relatable and engaging, and Qualley’s performance is truly remarkable, especially when she bounces off her real-life mother Andie MacDowell. It’s a short, cathartic, and ultimately uplifting narrative — a binge you’ll feel good about afterwards. – Liz Shannon Miller