When Netflix’s streaming service first launched, it fundamentally changed what television was. In the years since, the streaming service has become the home to so many shows that I find it impossible to keep track. What shows are worth watching, which ones aren’t, and how long will they remain relevant?
This week, we’ve pulled together three great, deeply underrated shows that are well worth your time, each for very different reasons.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on HBO Max, and the best shows on Disney+.
Building the Band (2025-)
One of the smartest reality competition series to air on Netflix, Building the Band follows musicians who, as contestants, receive the chance to form bands of their own, auditioning one another. As the bands begin to solidify, they discover just how difficult it is to meld musical styles, personalities, and performance types.
The show has celebrity panels who help and advise, but Building the Band turns an almost radical amount of power over to its contestants, and you’ll ultimately find yourself deeply invested in the bands that they form.
You can watch Building the Band on Netflix.
Mom (2013-2021)
It never had the ratings of The Big Bang Theory, but Mom was arguably the superior CBS sitcom. What was most surprising about Mom was the way the series managed to meld its most serious ideas with genuine comedy.
The series follows a struggling single mother who is also a recovering alcoholic as her mom, another recovering alcoholic, waltzes back into her life. Mom took addiction seriously, and Anna Faris and Allison Janney were both up to the task of playing complex characters. Without fail, Mom was also deeply funny, and that’s why it works.
You can watch Mom on Netflix.
House of Lies (2012-2016)
Although it was never the most popular prestige comedy of its era, House of Lies was nonetheless a dark and funny series with an all-star cast. The show follows a group of consultants who are deeply clever and convince corporations of all kinds to pay for services from them that they almost definitely don’t need.
Led by Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, this ensemble comedy was a little bit of a precursor to shows like Succession, although the characters on this show aren’t quite that wealthy. Unfortunately, though, they might be just as depraved, and that’s what makes them so entertaining.
You can watch House of Lies on Netflix.
