11 streaming TV shows on Netflix you should be watching — but aren’t
American Vandal may be Netflix’s most-marathoned series, but there are plenty of other streaming TV shows that don’t involve phallic artwork (unless you’re into that kind of thing, in which case, enjoy, it’s hilarious). We know: It sometimes feels overwhelming to keep up when there’s a hot show everyone’s talking about going up daily, and there’s definitely not enough time in the day to finish all the new shows you want to watch *and* catch up on retro series.
But for when you do have time — and really, you should make time for these gems you might not have seen — we’ve rounded up some underrated favorites to squeeze into your streaming queue between buzzy hits like Stranger Things and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Whether you’re a sci-fi aficionado or a sucker for British crime procedurals (aren’t we all?), there’s a good chance Netflix has a solid streaming TV show pick just waiting for you to discover it. And, lucky for you, we just cut out all that extra work of actually discovering it. You’re welcome.
1. Easy
Big names from Dave Franco to Hannibal Buress to Gugu Mbatha-Raw to Orlando Bloom show up in this anthology comedy series that follows several characters navigating life, culture, love, and technology. The show’s other star? The city of Chicago.
2. Alias Grace
After the success of The Handmaid’s Tale, another unsettling, lady-powered adaptation from author Margaret Atwood could be just the story you’re looking for. This one centers on Irish immigrant Grace Marks, a domestic servant in 1843 Canada who’s convicted of a brutal double murder.
3. Trollhunters
Director Guillermo del Toro’s already getting a ton of buzz for his likely Oscar contender The Shape of Water, but he’s also behind this charming animated series about a group of kids who, you guessed it, find themselves facing a magical world of trolls under their town. Late actor Anton Yelchin, who died at 27 last year, voices Larry Lake Jr. on the show through Season 2, which just went up December 15th.
4. Peaky Blinders
If you love The Crown, here’s another British drama for you: Peaky Blinders tells the story of Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), a notorious gang boss in 1919 England. Intrigued? You should be.
5. Being Mary Jane
All hail Gabrielle Union. The actress will hook you right in playing the titular Mary Jane Paul, a TV host juggling work and family while looking for love in this BET drama. Though the series was canceled in October, you still have time to catch up before fans say goodbye to the show for good with a two-hour TV movie in 2018.
6. Lady Dynamite
Actress/comedian Maria Bamford is the heart of this semi-autobiographical half-hour comedy series from the same people who brought us Arrested Development and South Park, if that gives you an idea of the kind of humor we’re talking here. The show features plot points from Bamford’s real-life comedy career and struggle with bipolar disorder, and Ana Gasteyer as a Hollywood agent with some seriously epic glasses.
7. Godless
Downton Abbey‘s Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) has traded in her prim and proper gowns for a cowboy hat and work boots in this Western about an outlaw (Jeff Daniels, who’s already landed a SAG Award nomination for the part) searching for a former member of his gang in a town populated only by women.
8. The Magicians
Think of this Syfy series as Harry Potter goes to college. Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) discovers a whole new fantastical world at a school that specializes in magic — and Season 2 just became available.
9. Luther
The fact that Idris Elba stars as a tormented British detective in this psychological BBC drama should really be enough to convince you to watch.
10. Big Mouth
With all the hilarious and horrifying pitfalls that come along with puberty, we’re honestly a little surprised no one has thought to make a comedy series about it before. This one’s delightfully animated (but pretty R-rated), and voiced by stars like Jenny Slate, John Mulaney, and Jessi Klein. It’s created by Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, so you know you’re in good (clammy cartoon teenage) hands.
11. Broadchurch
And in case you still didn’t get your British crime procedural fix, there’s always Broadchurch, a favorite among serious whodunit fans. Detective Alec Hardy (David Tennant) gets brought in to help Detective Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) solve the murder of a young boy in a small town. Classic.
Happy streaming!
