NETFLIX has plenty of TV series to choose from – whether you’re looking for drama, comedy or something in-between.
Some shows are based on real-life stories, while others are complete works of fiction. Nevertheless, several now-huge stars had early major roles in Netflix productions.
The list below comprises a combination of ongoing series, since-ended shows and in one case, a “gone too soon” situation.
Keep scrolling to check them all out – and how many are you watching?
Cobra Kai
Created by: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Heneggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan and Mary Mouser – among others
Airing from 2018 to 2015, Cobra Kai served as a continuation to beloved 80s film franchise The Karate Kid.
Ralph Macchio returned as protagonist Daniel LaRusso, with William Zabka back as his original rival, Johnny Lawrence.
Several other familiar faces make return appearances. From villains such as John Kreese, Chozen Toguchi and Terry Silver, to Daniel’s mom Lucille.
However, the show is primarily focused on the tribulations of a new, younger ensemble.
The franchise newcomers included Xolo Maridueña (Miguel), Tanner Buchanan (Robby), Mary Mouser (Sam), Jacob Bertrand (Hawk), Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri) and Peyton List (Tory).
If you’re into thrilling fight scenes combined with teen drama – Cobra Kai may be just the right show for you.
Bonus: Check out our interviews with cast members Gianni DeCenzo, Aedin Mincks, Owen Morgan and Nathaniel Oh.
Ginny and Georgia
Created by: Sarah Lampert
Starring: Brianne Howey, Antonia Gentry, Diesel La Torraca, Jennifer Robertson, Felix Mallard, Scott Porter, Nathan Mitchell
Comedy-drama Ginny and Georgia follows the titular atypical mother and daughter duo.
Georgia (Brianne Howey) is a child abuse survivor who had Ginny (Antonia Gentry) as a teenager.
The pair – along with Ginny’s younger brother Austin (Diesel La Torraca) – have moved several times around the country.
The show’s storyline begins as they land in Wellsbury, MA for a fresh start.
Ginny – who is mixed race – deals with thinly veiled racism. She also feels more mature than her mother.
Viewers also meet town mayor Paul Randolph (Scott Porter), who becomes Georgia’s love interest. Meanwhile, Zion Miller (Nathan Mitchell) is Ginny’s biological father.
Ginny also has multiple love interests; artist Marcus (Felix Mallard) and band member Hunter (Mason Temple).
As of writing, Ginny and Georgia has aired three seasons and is renewed for a fourth.
Black Mirror
Created by: Charlie Brooker
Starring: Various (Anthology)
Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is a sharp, satirical sci-fi anthology bearing echoes to The Twilight Zone.
It originally launched on Channel 4 in 2011, before moving to Netflix in 2016.
Almost every episode is a standalone drama, featuring different ensemble casts. They are usually set in a near, dystopian future and utilise sci-fi technology.
One of the most famous episodes, USS Callister, blends reality with a fictitious popular online multiplayer game. The episode featured Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti and Jimmi Simpson in lead roles.
In 2025, it became the first Black Mirror episode to receive a sequel, with Into Infinity.
Another instalment, San Junipero, seemingly follows a beach resort town in the 80s – although all is not as it seems. That episode featured Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis/
Big name guest stars over the years include Jon Hamm, Bryce Dallas Howard, Daniel Kaluuya and Aaron Paul.
Seven seasons – or series – have aired to date.
The Crown
Created by: Peter Morgan
Starring: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, John Lithgow, Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Dominic West – among others
First premiering in 2016, historical drama The Crown dramatised Queen Elizabeth II’s reign over several decades. The storyline spans her wedding in 1947 up until 2005, when Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
Three actresses starred as Queen Elizabeth II throughout the show’s run. They are Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton, respectively.
Meanwhile, Matt Smith, Tobias Menzies and Jonathan Pryce each played Prince Philip for two seasons.
Other historical figures featured include the now-King Charles III (Dominic West and Josh O’Connor), Winston Churchill (John Lithgow) and Elizabeth’s father, King George VI (Jared Harris).
The Crown concluded in December 2023, having aired six seasons.
Bridgerton
Created by: Chris Van Dusen
Starring: Adjoa Andoh, Julie Andrews, Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Phoebe Dynevor, Ben Miller, Regé-Jean Page
Based on Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name, Bridgerton is a regency romance set during an alternative history.
The show follows the powerful titular family – with eight siblings – as they search for love in London high society.
Notable cast members include Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton), Simone Ashley (Kathani “Kate” Sharma) and the legendary Dame Julie Andrews, who voices Lady Whistledown.
Season 1 memorably featured breakout performances from Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor, although both left the show by season 2.
Three seasons have aired to date – with a fourth, fifth and sixth all still to come.
Squid Game
Created by: Hwang Dont-hyuk
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon, Lee Byung-hun
Squid Game became a worldwide sensation upon debuting on Netflix in 2021.
Set in South Korea, the survival thriller follows over 450 players – each in financial difficulty – as they play rounds of deadly children’s games.
The protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, is a gambling addict – and he strives to end the games for good after his own experience.
He’s up against a shadowy figure known as The Front Man – who oversees the games alongside masked guards.
Seasons two and three were filmed back-to-back; with the latter set to conclude Squid Game.
Sex Education
Created by: Laurie Nunn
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Connor Swindells, Mimi Keene, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Aimee Lou Wood
Created by Laurie Nunn, Sex Education also became a worldwide hit during its four-season Netflix tenure.
The premise follows Otis (Asa Butterfield), a socially awkward teenager in the UK, who gives sex advice to his classmates. As it happens, his mother Jean (Gillian Anderson), is a well-known sex therapist.
At school, Otis teams up with fellow student Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) to start their own sex therapy clinic.
As well as familiar faces like Butterfield and Anderson, Sex Education also marked breakout roles for several cast members.
Some notable examples include Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who), Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus) and Connor Swindells (Vigil).
The show also attracted big-name guest stars – Jason Isaacs, Stephen Fry, Jack Gleeson and Schitt’s Creek co-creator/star, Dan Levy, to name a few.
Sex Education concluded in September 2023.
Stranger Things
Created by: Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Noah Schnapp
Stranger Things launched in summer 2016 and soon became a worldwide phenomenon.
Set in 1980s Indiana, the show combines government conspiracy and sci-fi horror with coming-of-age themes.
The main characters – primarily a group of children/teens – grapple with the sinister force of The Upside Down.
Cast members include familiar 80s stars such as Winona Ryder, Sean Astin and Paul Reiser.
It also marked breakthrough roles for Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), David Harbour (Jim Hopper) and Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler).
Although the show debuted almost a decade ago, only four seasons have aired so far.
The fifth and final season will premiere on Netflix in late 2025.
The OA
Created by: Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij
Starring: Brit Marling, Emory Cohen, Scott Wilson, Phyllis Smith, Patrick Gibson, Brendan Meyer, Ian Alexander, Jason Isaacs
Mystery drama The OA had a more short-lived run than other shows on this list. Despite its premature ending, the show has a cult following and fans hope for a comeback.
Co-creator Brit Marling starred as Prairie Johnson, a blind woman who had been missing for seven years before resurfacing.
Now able to see, Prairie had nicknamed herself “The OA” – or “Original Angel” – while refusing to tell loved ones or the authorities where she had been.
However, viewers discover what transpired through flashbacks told to five strangers.
Alongside Marling, the cast also included The Office‘s Phyllis Smith as high school teacher Betty Broderick-Allen.
The late actor Scott Wilson – known for Hershel Greene on The Walking Dead – starred as Abel, Prairie’s adoptive father.
Acclaimed actor Jason Isaacs delivered a sinister performance as Hunter Aloysius “Hap” Percy, the antagonist.
Season 2 also featured Zendaya in a recurring role – prior to her breakthrough with Euphoria and film projects.
The OA ended its run in 2019 – although given the nature of its conclusion, fans were left wanting more.
Orange Is The New Black
Created by: Jenji Kohan
Starring: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Harney, Uzo Aduba
Orange Is the New Black followed Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who is sentenced to 15 months in a New York federal women’s prison.
Piper’s crime occurred 10 years before the series too place. She transported a suitcase full of drug money for her then-girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon).
But upon arriving behind bars, she is soon reunited with Alex – who had named Piper in her trial, leading to the latter’s arrest.
Other major characters include inmates Galina “Red” Reznikov (Kate Mulgrew) and Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Aduba), as well as correctional officer Sam Healy (Michael Harney).
The series also used flashbacks to show significant events from either inmates’ or guards’ respective pasts.
Inspiration for the comedy-drama came from Piper Kerman’s 2010 memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison.
Similar to the fictionalised Piper, Kerman was indicted on charges of money laundering and drug trafficking.
She’d been romantically involved with heroin dealer Catherine Cleary Wolters, who was affiliated with an alleged Nigerian drug kingpin.
Having pled guilty to the charges, Kerman served 13 months at FCI Danbury, which is in Connecticut.
Orange Is the New Black concluded in July 2019, after seven seasons.
Follow writer Conor O’Brien on X.
A lifelong TV and Film buff, Conor founded Courageous Nerd in 2019. He has conducted hundreds of interviews for the site, as well as written comprehensive feature articles on a variety of topics. You can find him on X: @conorrcn.
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