Are most of your favorite network tv shows on hiatus for the summer? Never fear – there are plenty of good shows to watch on Netflix. In fact, here are the 5 best shows to watch on Netflix (in my opinion).
Updated June 2017 – 11 Best Shows To Watch On Netflix.
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I watch all my live streaming shows on my iPad, but you could also watch them on a Fire Tablet or on your TV using the Fire TV Stick Streaming Media Player.
Aquarius
Aquarius stars David Duchovny (X-files & Californication) as LAPD Det. Sam Hodiak in this period drama set in 1960’s Los Angeles. Charles Manson, crime, pop culture, romance, suspense – everything you need for a great binge watch!
June 2017 – Season 2 just dropped – can’t wait to get into it!
Narcos
Narcos is the story DEA agents who are pursuing notorious drug Kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) in 1970’s & 80’s Columbia. Cocaine has become the drug of choice in the US and no matter what DEA Agents Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) & Pena (Pedro Pascal) do, Escobar’s empire keeps growing. Another great period piece with well-developed characters and addicting storyline.
Bloodline
Bloodline is a family drama starring hunky Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) as Det. John Rayburn. Rayburn is one of four siblings in a prominent family in this small Florida Keys town. Things are going along just fine until his black sheep brother, played by Ben Mendelsohn comes back, dredging up hidden family secrets and wreaking havoc in the lives of the Rayburn siblings. Also starring Cissy Spacek and Sam Shepard as the matriarch and patriarch of this dysfunctional family.
June 2017 Update – The final season just aired. Very dark. A couple of murders, drug trafficking, and the dark side of some “squeaky clean” characters.
Flaked
Flaked is a quirky dramedy starring Will Arnett (Arrested Development) set it Venice, California. It’s the story of Chip, a recovering alcoholic, and his friends in this surfer-type town who wrestle with their pasts, romantic triangles, and recovery. I found this series both funny and endearing.
June 2017 Update – As the season opens, Chip’s life is a mess. He is homeless and has lost a lot of friends. As he tries to get his act together, it’s two steps forward, one step back. And even when he’s bad, you can’t help but root for him!
Fundamentals of Caring
Fundamentals of Caring is a movie, not a series starring Paul Rudd as Ben. After a series of losses, Ben takes the job as a caregiver to 18-year-old Trevor who is confined to a wheelchair with Muscular Dystrophy. To broaden Trevor’s horizons, Ben takes him on a road trip, where they both grow, wrestle with their painful pasts and come home with a new sense of bravery and purpose.
House of Cards
House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright is one of the best political dramas to come out in a long time. In the first season, we see Congressman Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire as a political power couple. The goal – the White House and ultimate power. Affairs, murder, and political intrigue that hauntingly resembles current events make this show a binge watcher for sure. Don’t start watching House of Cards if you want to get anything else done!
The Great British Baking Show
I like watching cooking shows more than I actually like cooking. The Great British Baking Show features amateur bakers from all over Great Britain. Each week, the bakers compete in 3 challenges designed to show their knowledge and skill of all kinds of baking. Not only should their “bakes” taste good, but they must also LOOK good. Judge Mary, who you will know if you watched The Great American Baking Show, is also a judge on this show. She is a tough cookie (pardon the pun) but is also kind, polite and charmingly British in her comments to the bakers, which I find refreshing.
Rectify
Rectify starring Aden Young is about Daniel Holden, who has spent 19 years on death row for the rape and murder of his girlfriend. When DNA evidence calls his conviction into question, he is released from prison and goes home to a family he barely knows. A lot has happened since he went to prison as a teenager. His father died. His mother remarried and had another child. The world has changed and moves a lot faster. Young’s performance perfectly captures a man who had his “coming of age” in prison and doesn’t know where he fits into a world where he is free.
Grace and Frankie
Grace and Frankie (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) are as different as night and day. When their law partner husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) reveal their 20-year affair, both couples divorce and Grace and Frankie end up living together. Despite their differences, their shared pain throws them into a remarkable friendship. Grace and Frankie is both hilarious and relatable as you watch these two women pick up the pieces and explore what life after a 40-year marriage will look like for them.
The Crown
The Crown is the perfect show for Anglophiles! It begins when then Princess Elizabeth (Claire Foy) marries Phillip and becomes Queen at age 25, shortly after her father dies. The series shows the struggle Elizabeth has in assuming her role in a changing world and what it does to the family dynamics. Being a royal is a lot harder than it looks! Great story telling and acting in this show.
Call the Midwife
The BBC drama, Call the Midwife takes place in a low-income area of London in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Since the pregnant women in this community could not afford doctors or hospitals when they had babies, most relied on the midwives from Nonnatus House for their prenatal care and home deliveries. The show addresses many modern issues such as what happens when people don’t have access to medical care, abortion, incest, depression and birth control. But no matter what the situation, the midwives care for the women of their community without judgment. I love this series and all the midwives! You will too.
What shows are you watching this summer?
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My husband and I recently got caught up with the seasons of How to Get Away with Murder that are on Netflix. Now we have some new shows to check out. Thanks for the recommendations!
Tara – I could never get into How to Get Away with Murder when it first came on TV, but I’ve heard so many good things about it, I may try it again on Netflix. I think you’ll like some of my recommendations!
Thanks for hosting the Party Cathy! Have a great week!
I’m missing the Olympics already, although since I was up until 3am this morning watching the closing ceremony I suspect my body will be thankful its over. We don’t have Netflix but all these shows sound fab!
I’m a huge Netflix fan! Thanks for sharing your list of must-see Netflix!
I haven’t seen any of these Cathy (and we don’t have netflix) but it’s always interesting to get an idea of what is new and interesting in case I ever get the chance to see them.
We don’t have Netflix but these look like my kind of shows. We watch NCIS, or Law And Order a lot. Love them both!
Linda, if you like those 2 series, you would probably like these.
Bloodline was AWESOME. I can’t wait for the new season.
I just love Kyle Chandler and the Florida Keys are beautiful!
There is too much good TV these days! I need like a month to just sit and watch in order to catch up!
I know – like we have nothing else we need to do! LOL!
Love Netflix! Just found Home Fires and love Blood Line. Thanks
I need to check out Home Fires.
Thank you for this wonderful list! I haven’t seen any of these. I have them jotted down and look forward to watching them.
Great, Ellen! Hope you like some of them!
Thank you for the recommendations. How do people get anything done with all the great TV there is now??
How do people get anything done anymore with all the great TV out now?? Thanks for the recommendations!
Seriously – I thought I watched way to much TV, but based on the reaction to this post, I’m not the only one!
We started watching Bloodline after loving Friday Night Lights (which I did not expect to like). Love it. He is a very purdy man 🙂
I didn’t think I’d like Friday Night Lights either and I ended up loving it! Yes, Kyle Chandler is the bomb!
I’m always cruising Netflix in search of something interesting to watch. Thanks Cathy! BTW, have you watched The Paradise?
Yes and I LOVED it!
I watched Aquarius last year, but not sure I want to keep watching.
I’m totally hooked on Aquarius and can’t wait for the new episodes! Narcos and Bloodline were two other gripping series I enjoyed. Flaked looks interesting. Thanks for the review!
Debbie – we could totally be TV watching buddies!
Hi Cathy! We have been watching a lot of Netflix this summer and have seen the movie “Fundamentals of Caring” and agree it is well worth the watch. We also watched Bloodline (the first season) but found the 2nd season just sort of sad and pathetic people. (good acting though and nice scenery.) I can only handle so much violence so we are particular about watching crime dramas. We did enjoy the new “Strange Things” and are now watching a show called “The Code” from Australia (a mini-series I think) that is unique and interesting. ~Kathy
I haven’t watched those, Kathy. I agree about Bloodline. I don’t know how they are going to get out of the whole they dug in the plot line of the 2nd season!
I love the Olympics and was feeling a bit lost. So glad you posted these netflix suggestions, seems your taste in shows is similar to mine. Can’t wait to check these out.
I stopped my Netflix subscription after “House of Cards.” Maybe I need to renew it again. Thanks for the tips on all these shows.
Judy – I LOVED House of Cards. Can’t wait for a new season!
My Fave is Frankie and Grace. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda are hilarious, and the writing is fantastic.
Suzi – I’m a big fan of Grace & Frankie!
I JUST got rid of directv. So this is perfectly timely. Thanks!
Anna – hope you like some of these!
We don’t subscribe to Netflix yet – I think we must be the only people in Australia who hasn’t. You have pushed me to join up. Thanks for the post Cathy and being a great co-host at Over the Moon.
You are probably more productive without Netflix, Sue! But there are some good shows!
Thanks for the Netflix list, I watched Scandal and now I’m watching The Good Wife, but I’m on the last season, this will give me some more shows to watch. I’m really enjoying the ability to watch and entire series and not have to wait another week for the next installment. Instant gratification. LOL I only watch when I lay down to rest or to go to bed so it takes me a while to get through the series, but it’s so addicting!
I’ve been watching Doc Martin-
Linda – have heard of it, but never watched it. I’ll have to put it on my list.
I love police procedurals, Cathy! And have seen every episode of Columbo, one of my all-time favorites. I remember decades ago, how we waited for The X-Files just to see David Duchovny. I must catch Fundamentals of Caring… I love Paul Rudd. Right now I am binge-watching Three’s Company on YouTube.
Some of those old shows are the best, Vidya!
Hi Cathy,
I didn’t know that you and some other have a linky party together. I don’t know those shows but don’t watch a lot of TV– blogging too often, LOL
Thanks for bringing your post to Blogger’s Pit Stop last week.
Janice, Pit Stop Crew
You had such a great blog, Janice! Glad you are blogging instead of watching TV! 🙂
We just finished watching Stranger Things and that was a great summer binge!
Julia – I have heard a lot of people like Stranger Things.
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I have only seen one on your list! I will totally have to share your list with my husband and start tuning into the others! Thanks for this!
Thanks for the suggestions Cathy. My husband and I like to binge watch Netflix late at night when we’re up at our cabin. Right now, it’s House of Cards–you described it perfectly. We’re almost at the end, so we’ll have to try one of your other suggestions. So far, my favorite series of all time was Breaking Bad!
~Christie
Great post on these shows. I have to admit that I am not a big Netflix person. I don’t see much TV.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful posts at Over The Moon Party.
See you next week.
Hugs,
Bev
Wow, lots of new-to-me shows listed here! Our summer tv cue is empty so thanks for the recommendations.
Wendy – I know you’ll find some you like on this list! Enjoy!
Fun recommendations! We take a break from Netflix in the summer, but will be looking for ideas when the cold weather and early darkness set in.
This post caught my eye in the Over the Moon link-up, Cathy! We just bought a smart TV that comes with Netflix and some other great programs. Will check out some of these suggestions for sure!