Top 10 Series to Watch on Netflix

 

So I love watching Netflix!  As a kid growing up with only 5 channels I lived for Saturday morning cartoons.  I hated that my bedtime was at 9:00 on weeknights and I missed some of the best late night shows of the week.  Now as an adult I have access to hundreds of tv series and movies that I can watch on Netflix anytime I want.   It’s amazing!

Now I want to clarify that I have only binge watched Netflix a handfull of times.  Stranger Things was one and it took me the whole weekend to watch it.  If my husband isn’t traveling I have to consider that he is not going to want to watch many of the shows I find amusing and entertaining.  To be fair I don’t want to watch many of his favorite shows either. So we end up watching Castle or Criminal Minds(The two shows we can consistently watch together)  But when I find myself alone for the evening or weekend I turn to Netflix for some entertaining distraction.

Some of these shows I have binge watched and others I am making my way through slowly. There is a big difference between binge watching a season or a series and just watching a movie or two.  It is a big committment to watch hours and hours of a series, especially if it has more than 5 seasons.  So you have to carefully plan out your Netflix watching.   You don’t want to spend time watching hours and hours of a show that never picks up or has a horrible ending that makes you regret the hours you wasted watching it.    So I am here to give you some guidance.

Here are my top 10 Netflix series to watch this summer:

10.  13 Reasons Why

OK.  The first season wrecked me.  And full disclosure I haven’t watched the second season-but I plan to at some point this summer.  I tried to binge watch the first season like I have other series with much enjoyment and success, but it was not meant to be.  I tried.  I was pretty obsessed and it was all I thought about for a few weeks last year.  But even though as I was watching it,  I was screaming at Clay to just listen to all the tapes and get it over with,  I was unable to watch the episodes.  Like Clay, I needed time to process what was happening in each tape/episode.    It was powerful and made me think about how one person can affect so much for another person, how we are all in our own heads and not paying attention to those people hurting all around us.  It deals with teen suicide and drug use so be cautious if that would be hard for you to watch.  I will be watching Season 2 soon and,  fingers crossed, it is as good as I am hoping it will be.

9.  Friends

I had to list this old standby because it is the classic show from my life.  It never fails to make me feel better.  I will binge watch this show on an odd weekend.  I will watch the episodes when Ross and Rachel finally got together.  I will look for all the episodes when they went back in time to when they were in high school or in an alternate reality.  I love watching when Pheobe had the babies and the end of the series when Monica and Chandler adopted theirs.  I love rewatching the episode with Monica and Ross’s routine and when Joey moves out and Chandler has that weird roomate.  This series just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I want to connect with some old friends.

8.  The Magicians

This one was recently recommended to me by my daughter.  She described it as a show where Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts by way of Narnia and hangs out with the cast of Charmed.    It has all the feel good elements.  The main character is obsessed with a book series (hello!) and finds out that the place and people in his books are real.  There are a lot of interesting characters and some mystery as well as suspense.  Check it out if you are a fan of Harry Potter or Charmed.  But be warned it is a bit gory and violent.  It isn’t for the young.

7.  Scandal

I came to this one late in the game.  My sister was watching this for years.  But I was kinda over Grays Anatomy at the time it started and didn’t want another venture into Shondaland.  Actually I started watching it one weekend when I had absolutely nothing to do and was shocked that it was nothing like I thought it would be.  I thought it was all politics and sex scandals.  I did not realize they solved actual problems and solved mysteries in a way.  The more I watched the more I liked it.  I must admit that I am only on season 5 and it has stalled a bit.  I tried to watch enough to catch up so I could watch the series finale this spring but I did not get that accomplished.  I plan to push on through.  My sister said it gets better again.  And I am trusting her on that!

6.  Safe

I am a big Harlan Coban fan.  His mystery thriller books have kept me entertained for years.  When my mom told me about this series on netflix that was by him I had to check it out.  I am only halfway through but so far it is very good!  Twists and turns that keep me watching.  Michael C Hall is great as a Brit.  Love his accent.  There are plenty of wonderful actors and writing on this show.

5.  Travelers

This show I did binge watch.  The first season last year was amazing!  I got so hooked!  When it ended I was hopeful that there would be a second season and that it would not just end.  I really like Eric McCormack and the other fine actors in this series about a group of people traveling back in time directly into people who were about to die in random ways in order to save the future world.    This series is perfect.  It  has time travel, saving the human race, and many ethical questions to answer.  I can’t wait to watch season 2.

4.  Riverdale

If you grew up with Archie, Veronica, Betty and Jughead you will enjoy this series that takes a dark look at their world.  Even if you have never heard of Archie comics you may enjoy it.  It is a teen series so if you don’t enjoy those then pass this one up.  A grown up Cole Sprouse of Suite Life of Zach and Cody fame is especially dark and broody as Jughead.  Lots of teen drama.  Fun to watch if you are familiar with the characters from the comics.  Lots of cliffhangers at the end of episodes so good for a nice binge watch.

3.  Sherlock

So I don’t know if you know this about me, but I loved Encyclopedia Brown in the 3rd grade.  I moved on to the mysteries of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys next.  By middle school I had read all of the Agatha Christie books in the library.  I love a mystery!  This series is that and so much more.  Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as the famous detective!  His sidekick Dr Watson is played so well by Martin Freeman.  My favorite character though comes a bit later on so I won’t spoil it for you.  Each of the 4 seasons just has 3 episodes so it is perfect to binge watch on a weekend.  If you like a mystery, watch this!

2.  Stranger Things

I grew up in the 80s.  Many of my friends played Dungeons and Dragons.  This series had me with this angle alone, but it kept me hooked because of the plotline.  I was a little afraid that season 2 wouldn’t be as good as season 1,  but it delivered.  If you don’t like shows where a good lovable character dies for the greater good you may want to skip this.  It was reminiscent of when Doyle died on Angel for me.  But as a whole I loved it!  This group of kids are amazing.  I love every character!  The best writing ever!  And Winona Ryder is awesome!

1.Gilmore Girls

This is my favorite!  I have loved this show since it first aired in 2000.  I loved the relationship between Lorelai and Rory.  I loved the fast witty banter, the pop culture jokes, and the weird quirky characters that inhabit Stars Hollow.  I am totally Team Jess and Rory and Team Luke and Lorelai!!  I was thrilled when they announced they were releasing 4 new episodes-one for each season-spring, summer, fall and winter.  I love searching for the episodes where Jess and Rory fall in love, when Luke and Lorelai first kiss,  and, my favorite, when Lorelai sings “I Will Always Love You” Dolly Parton style to Rory (but really to Luke when he walks in midway).  There are so many things I love about this show I could write a whole post on it.  Maybe I will.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post.  I also hope  you got a few ideas for a new series to watch on a rainy day this summer.  Of course there are a few shows that deserve honorable mention.  There are many shows I watch often like Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and The Office.  These almost made the cut.  But my top 10 stand as written.  And be on the lookout for my future post on the best shows on Amazon and Hulu!