CNET has released a guide featuring 55 of the best TV shows available on Netflix to assist viewers in selecting engaging series. The list spans classics, originals, and recent additions, including award-winning dramas and comedies. Highlights emphasize timely watches ahead of new seasons and arrivals.
CNET's latest roundup aims to cut through Netflix's vast library, offering recommendations for binge-worthy content amid the endless scrolling challenge. The selection covers a diverse range, from early 2000s gems to current hits, ensuring options for various tastes in genres like mystery, drama, and comedy.
Among the standout entries is Veronica Mars (2004-2007), now streaming seasons 1 to 3, where Kristen Bell plays a high school investigator solving crimes in Neptune, California, alongside her father, portrayed by Enrico Colantoni. The series explores class tensions and features early roles by Amanda Seyfried and Tessa Thompson.
For period romance, Bridgerton (2020-) delivers aesthetic appeal in Regency-era England, focusing on the Bridgerton family's romantic pursuits amid societal gossip. Its third season secured three Emmys, including for Julie Andrews' voice-over work, with season 4 set to premiere in two parts starting January 29, 2026.
Recent releases like Adolescence (2025) have captivated audiences with its story of a boy accused of murder, filmed in continuous takes for a theatrical feel. It garnered 13 Emmy nominations, eight wins, and four Golden Globes, with honors for Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham, and Erin Doherty.
Other notables include Stranger Things (2016-), wrapping its final season with a feature-length episode on New Year's Eve, blending 1980s nostalgia, horror, and drama in Indiana; Peaky Blinders (2013-2022), ahead of its upcoming movie The Immortal Man on March 20, 2026; and Beef (2023-), an anthology expanding with a second season featuring Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan.
The guide also spotlights arrivals like all seven seasons of The West Wing (1999-2006) in December, political intrigue in The Diplomat (2023-) with Keri Russell's Golden Globe-nominated role, and historical tales in Death By Lightning (2025), starring Michael Shannon as President James Garfield.
CNET encourages prioritizing shows like these, noting departures and new drops to optimize viewing lists, while providing alternatives such as their best movies picks for variety.
