Nothing has shaken up the TV landscape in the history of the medium more than the advent of Netflix. Beginning as nothing more than a rental mail-in service, Netflix has evolved and grown into one of the major powerhouses of entertainment, rivaling mainstays of the industry, like Disney and Warner Bros.

It wasn’t until 2012 that Netflix entered the realm of original content production with the Norwegian/American crime series Lilyhammer. Since then, the platform has released a plethora of original content, both TV and movies, as it seeks to bolster its content library in an increasingly competitive marketplace. With dozens of great original Netflix series to choose from, fans on IMDb have been weighing in on which original Netflix series is the best.

Updated on September 4th, 2022 by Stuart Kilmartin: The landscape of quality Netflix originals continues to grow and evolve as the streaming platform pours more and more money into its film and television divisions. With more votes cast by IMDb users regarding the best Netflix original series, the order of things has slightly changed. While fan-favorites like Stranger Things and The Witcher continue to feature on the top ten list, horror series The Haunting Of Hill House has dropped out of the top ten in favor of a new entry.

The Last Kingdom (2015 - 2022)

Alexander Dreymon in The Last Kingdom Season 1 Episode 1

The Last Kingdom is an example of a Netflix original that is not technically a Netflix original, since it premiered on BBC in 2015 and ran for two seasons on the network, before being acquired by Netflix. The following three seasons were produced solely by Netflix.

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The Last Kingdom, based on The Saxon Stories by author Bernard Cornwall, follows Uhtred, a Saxon raised by Danish Vikings in the 9th century, and the battles occurring in England during this time between warring factions over control of the country. Despite recently ending its fifth, and final season, Netflix have confirmed (via Screen Rant) that a feature length movie titled Seven Kings Must Die is in the works, but no release date has been announced.

Ozark (2017 - 2022)

Laura Linney and Jason Bateman in Netflix's Ozark

Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney, Ozark is an edge-of-the-seat money-laundering crime drama series. Clearly inspired by the ground-breaking AMC show Breaking Bad, Ozark has a very similar premise and character journey. Both Marty Byrde and Walter White want the best for their families, and the lengths they will go to for this leads them on a path of criminality.

The series has been nominated for multiple different awards, including Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys and Best Television Series - Drama at the Golden Globes. Part 1 of the show’s final season is set to arrive on Netflix on January 21, 2022.

The Witcher (2019 - )

Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra in The Witcher Season 2

Popularized by the video game series of the same name, The Witcher is based on the fantasy series of books from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Starring Superman himself, Henry Cavill, in the title role of Geralt of Rivia, the series follows Geralt who is destined to protect Princess Cirilla in the fantastical world of The Continent.

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The first series premiered to mostly positive reviews and has become Netflix’s third most viewed English language series, though there were many who criticized the first season’s unnecessarily fractured timelines. The second series launched in December 2021 to much more positive reviews. The series has also spawned various different tie-in shows, including the animated The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, and the upcoming live-action The Witcher: Blood Origin.

BoJack Horseman (2014 - 2020)

BoJack holds a cell phone over a railing in BoJack Horseman.

Debuting in 2014 as Netflix’s first original animated series, BoJack Horseman’s first season was criticized for being somewhat uneven and unclear. But the show found its footing by the time it entered its second season, and after that, it grew to become one of the best animated shows of all time. IndieWire even gave it this accolade, beating animated classics like The Simpsons and South Park.

For a show with a surreal premise, BoJack Horseman dealt with many challenging subject matters, such as addiction, alcoholism, depression, existentialism, and trauma in a more nuanced and mature way than many other shows at the time. BoJack Horseman's best episodes, including “Free Churro” and “Stupid Piece of Sh*t” are emblematic of how creative and emotional the show could be.

Mindhunter (2017 - 2019)

One man holds a picture of a dead body as the other looks on in Mindhunter.

Joe Penhall’s crime series, Mindhunter, based on the book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, follows two FBI agents as they interview incarcerated serial killers, including portrayals of real-life criminals Ed Kemper and Charles Manson. Famed and prolific director David Fincher serves as the show’s executive producer and its most frequent director.

While the show has been critically applauded, it’s been put on indefinite hold, as David Fincher has moved on to other projects. Despite the uptick in fascination with true crime drama and documentaries, Mindhunter “never got the numbers to justify the cost,” according to Fincher in an interview with Vulture. Whether or not Mindhunter will return for a season 3 seems largely up to the fans, and whether they can convince Netflix to continue with the show.

Narcos (2015 - 2017)

Pedro Pascal in Narcos (2015)

This crime drama series follows the exploits of drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar and his exchanges with the D.E.A. in the 1970s, and the fallout brought upon by his takedown. Consisting of three seasons and a follow-up series, Narcos: Mexico, Narcos is one of Netflix’s most successful original series to date.

While the show received criticism for certain aspects of the series, such as the accents of some characters and the romanticizing of Escobar’s life, the overall quality and surreal nature of the story have been frequently praised by fans and critics alike.

When They See Us (2019)

Jharrel Jerome as Korey Wise in Netflix's When They See Us.

Netflix’s harrowing four-part drama series recounting the events of the Central Park Five case is a tour de force from director Ava DuVernay, who also created and co-wrote the miniseries. Based on the horrific miscarriage of justice based on the racial profile of those accused, When They See Us follows the falsely accused and their families during the original prosecution and eventual acquittal in 2002.

Exploring the racial disparity in the American justice system, When They See Us is an emotionally charged and powerful true-life account of the horrors of false incarceration. A companion to the show, Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now was released by Netflix in conjunction with the series, and it features the real-life people involved, along with the cast and creators of the show.

Black Mirror (2011 - )

USSS Callister Crew in Black Mirror

Although technically not a Netflix original series since it premiered on Channel 4 in the UK in 2011, Netflix picked up the show in 2016, and it’s featured exclusively on their platform ever since. Created by television satirist and social critic Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is an anthology series that explores the potential dystopian impact of speculative technology.

The series has grown substantially since its move to Netflix, achieving a pop-culture status that few television shows could ever dream of. The term “Black Mirror,” used to describe dystopian technology, has even entered the public vernacular in the same way that "Orwellian" is used to describe dystopian totalitarian states, highlighting the cultural impact the series has had around the world.

Stranger Things (2016 - )

stranger Things season 4 finale cast staring at the sky

Easily one of Netflix’s most popular and culturally influential original TV series to date, Stranger Things, created by the Duffer brothers, is a love letter to many coming-of-age dramas and sci-fi movies of the 1980s, such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Stand By Me, and Poltergeist.

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The series is full to the brim with '80s nostalgia, from the fashion to the jukebox soundtrack. Currently, the show has four seasons available to watch on Netflix, with Stranger Things season 5 set to end the fan-favorite series.

Dark (2017 - 2020)

Man walking out of a grassy cave on Netflix's Dark

Long before non-English language titles like Squid Game and Money Heist become worldwide juggernauts, Dark was Netflix’s crowning jewel of non-English programming. Netflix’s first German-language series, co-created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, Dark is a time-traveling science-fiction thriller set in the fictional town of Winden.

It’s difficult to explain the premise of Dark in one sentence, but the story spans multiple generations striving to uncover the mysteries of disappearances centered in their town. Running for three seasons, Dark is a mind-bending series that explores themes of time travel, predestination and paradoxes in a way that is thoroughly satisfying and prophetic. Truly innovative in nature, Dark is easily one of Netflix’s most ground-breaking and original series to date.

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