Since its inception as a streaming service back in 2007, Netflix has produced plenty of original series. Some of its most popular, fromOrange is the New BlacktoStranger Things,Squid Game, andBridgerton, get all the glory. But there are forgottenNetflix original showsthat are worth revisiting.
In some cases, the shows fell off the radar because they haven’t had new seasons in a while. In others, they just ran their course and got lost in the shuffle with so many other new shows that viewers forgot to watch them. Some are actually returning with new seasons after long hiatuses, making watching (or re-watching) previous seasons worth the time investment to catch up.
10‘The Watcher’ (2022- )
Created by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan
The Watcherreceived relatively decent reviews, and though it was designed to be a miniseries, the favorable reception led to a second season. But since the show premiered way back in October 2022, some fans may have already forgotten about it. A mystery thriller,The Watcheris loosely based on an article that was purportedly about a true story. A family moves into their dream home, but the happiness is short-lived when they start getting terrorized by a mysterious stalker who claims to have been watching the house and the people who live in it for years.
As strange things continue to happen and the family becomes torn apart, the story is as much about how this man has a psychological hold on the family as it is social commentary about wealth and excess. While it isn’t one ofRyan Murphy’s best shows,The Watcherhas all the right bumps in the night for those in the mood for a light dose of horror.
The Watcher (2022)
Watch on Netflix
9‘Mo’ (2022- )
Created by Mo Amer, Ramy Youssef
Despite it being almost two years since the first season ofMopremiered, the comedy-drama will be returning for a second and final season.MostarsMo Ameras the titular character, and it’s loosely based on his real life. He’s a Palestinian refugee living in Texas and trying his best to acclimate and gain citizenship.
Mois one of an illustrious group of shows that has maintained a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic score.
Widely praised for being the first major American TV show to highlight the story of a Palestinian-American refugee as the title character, and to tell the story from his perspective,Mois one of an illustrious group of shows that has maintained a perfect100% Rotten Tomatoes critic score.
8‘FUBAR’ (2023-)
Created by Nick Santora
Created byNick Santora, who is behind hit shows likeThe Sopranos,Prison Break,Lie to Me, andScorpion,FUBARis a love letter to fans ofArnold Schwarzeneggerandhis best movies. As his first leading role in a scripted TV series, Schwarzenegger stars alongsideMonica Barbaroas Emma, his daughter. Both have long worked as CIA operatives but have never revealed these secret jobs to one another.
Once the cat is out of the bag, the pair are assigned to work together, and the parent-child relationship gets in the way. Renewed for a second season,FUBARreceived polarizing reviews, which is partly why it didn’t get a lot of attention. But it’s fun and exactly what fans might hope from a Schwarzenegger project.
7‘Love, Death & Robots’ (2019- )
Created by Tim Miller
Love, Death & Robotshas three seasons under its belt and has been renewed for a fourth. It hasn’t been out since August 2022, though, so it may have fallen off the radar by now. The adult animated anthology series tells a differentcompartmentalized story in every season, which is partly why fans haven’t been clamoring for a new season: there’s no singular plotline that hangs in the balance. But the show received positive reviews and even won several Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Each episode explores a different theme, like comedy, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, and is presented like a collection of short films. In the inaugural episode, for example, a young woman fights in underground battles controlled by bioengineered beasts. In another episode, a U.S. army team fights cybernetically enhanced grizzly bears. Viewers don’t know what to expect from one episode to the next, and that’s the beauty of the show.
Love Death and Robots
6‘Lupin’ (2021- )
Created by George Kay and Francois Uzan
Lupinhasn’t officially been renewed for a fourth season, but fans are hopeful. The series, which premiered its latest season in October 2023, starsOmar Syas Assane Diop, who becomes fascinated by the antics of master thiefArsene Lupin, a character created by writerMaurice Leblancin the 1900s. Looking to avenge his father’s death, Assane learns everything he can about thievery and sets out to find and take down the man who indirectly caused his father’s death.
At one point, being named the most-watched non-English series on Netflix (it’s available in French with subtitles),Lupinis gripping, exciting, and filled with action. New season or not, the story is worth watching. With only five episodes each in the first two seasons and seven in season three, it’s a quick binge-watch as well.
5‘Alice in Borderland’ (2020- )
Created by Yoshiki Watabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu, and Shinsuke Sato
Renewed for a third season,Alice in Borderlandreleased its second in December 2022, and fans haven’t heard anything about it for a while. But the Japanese sci-fi thriller drama that’s based on theHaro Asomanga has widely been praised.
Drawing comparisons toBattle Royaleand with a similar premise toSquid Game,Alice in Borderlandfollows Ryohei (Kento Yamazaki) and Yuzuha Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) as two people trapped in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo and forced to compete in dangerous games to extend their visas. If the visas expire, the player is executed. While there’s no official launch date for season three, it’s imminent, making this show worth catching up on.
Alice in Borderland
Created by Chun Sung-il, Lee Jae-kyoo, and Kim Nam-su
This South Korean coming-of-age zombie apocalypse horror series is one of many in the genre, but one worth checking out for those who haven’t already. As expected,All of Us Are Deadfocuses on a group of survivors trying to make it out of the zombie apocalypse alive, dodging flesh-eating former humans at every turn. The unique twist? The main cast is all high school students.
Based on theJoo Dong-geunwebtoon of the same name,All of Us Are Dead,one of themost watched series ever on Netflix, will be returning with a second season. But it isn’t scheduled until 2025, which would be three years after the show first debuted. Bottom line: don’t forget about this show, as itwillbe back.
All Of Us Are Dead
3‘Rhythm + Flow’ (2019- )
Created by Jeff Gaspin, Jesse Collins, Mike Jackson Ty Stiklorius, Nikki Boella, and John Legend
WhenRhythm + Flowdebuted in 2019, it was praised for bringing the singing competition genre to the world of hip-hop. But then things went quiet, and fans weren’t shown what was going on with the series. Now, five years later, it has been confirmed that the show will be returning.
WhenRhythm + Flowdebuted in 2019, it was praised for bringing the singing competition genre to the world of hip-hop.
The first season featuredCardi B., Chance the Rapper, andT.I.as judges, offering their critiques and guidance to aspiring rappers competing for the quarter-million-dollar prize. For season 2, the judging panel has changed to includeDJ Khaled, Ludacris, andLatto; whileEminemhas also been confirmed to be a special guest during the battle rounds. It’s unclear when season 2 will arrive, but it is anticipated to be before the end of 2024. While it isn’t essential to watch the first season ofRhythm + Flow, fans of the music genre might like to get a feel for the pace, tone, and structure before diving into season two.
Rhythm and Flow
2‘Love on the Spectrum’ (2022- )
Created by Cian O’Cleary
Forget aboutThe Bachelor,Love is Blind, or other corny reality dating shows.Love on the Spectrumis the sweetest, most heartwarming dating show, and one ofthe best reality dating shows on Netflix right now. Based on the Australian version of the same name, which is also streaming on Netflix,Love on the Spectrumfollows several individuals who are all on the autism spectrum and looking to find love. From the difficulties they face in social situations to trouble engaging in casual conversation, suffering from ADHD, and more, each individual has their own unique challenges. But they all have one thing in common: they want to find their special person.
Follow the cast as they receive expert coaching, chat with their families, attend speed-dating events, and go on special dates. The show is downright sweet. With two seasons under its belt that feature both new participants and updates on returning ones (including those who successfully found matches),Love on the Spectrumprovides a new understanding of autism. Viewers feel warm and fuzzy inside after watching it.
Love on the Spectrum
1‘Money Heist’ (2017-2021)
Created by Alex Pina
For four years,Money Heistwas one of the most talked about Netflix shows. The Spanish heist crime drama is about two major heists and the work that went into completing them: the Professor’s (Alvaro Morte) heist at the Royal Mint of Spain and one at the Bank of Spain. The latter is told from the perspective of Tokyo (Ursula Corbero), one of the robbers who was involved. As fans watch, they feel as though they are following along in real time while seeing flashbacks, time jumps, and realizing different motivations from the unreliable narrator that brings the story together.
Money Heistwas so successful that it went from a limited series to three seasons, told in five parts. With so many years that have passed sinceMoney Heistended, however, those who never got around to watching might have completely forgotten about it. With the ability to now watch the entire story from start to finish, it’s worth checking out.
