In addition to its library of movies, Netflix is home to some of the best shows available to stream. If, after you’ve finished your holiday festivities, you’re looking for something great to watch, the streaming service has plenty to offer regardless of what you might be interested in.
There are a couple of great shows that just premiered this year and several older titles that are worth catching up on. Here are five shows on Netflix you should check out after Christmas.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)
Netflix introduced two great new animated series late in the year, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was one of them. The show is a retelling of the Scott Pilgrim story that gives it more room to breathe, following Scott as he battles against Ramona Flowers’ evil exes in an attempt to win her heart.
Bringing back much of the cast of the 2010 movie to voice their parts, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a delight from the second it starts, perfectly paying tribute both to the original comic and to the movie.
Blue Eye Samurai (2023)
No Netflix show has come out of nowhere quite the way Blue Eye Samurai did. The series tells the story of Mizu, a woman disguising herself as a Japanese samurai during an era in Japanese history when white people were banned from the country. Mizu’s blue eyes are a giveaway that she has mixed heritage, which makes her life a living hell.
Blue Eye Samurai is laser-focused on Mizu, but it also has plenty of time to thoroughly build out its world. Featuring some thrilling action and ultra-precise plotting, few shows ever released on Netflix make for a more perfect binge.
Sex Education (2019)
If you’re looking for something substantial that isn’t too heavy, Sex Education may be just what you need. The show tells the story of a group of teenagers as they navigate their desires and sex lives. The show’s main character, Otis, is an amateur sex therapist who has his own struggles in spite of his vast knowledge of intimacy and sex.
While the show can be fairly explicit, Sex Education is one of the more open and accepting shows on TV. It’s also wonderfully acted by its young cast, and never gets too preachy in spite of its subject matter.
Never Have I Ever (2020)
Another great teen comedy, Never Have I Ever tells the story of Devi, a young girl who recently lost her father and is trying not to self-destruct. As dour as that may sound, the show is mostly focused on how Devi navigates friendships and romantic love, and it’s remarkably light on its feet thanks in part to the narration of John McEnroe.
Devi is one of the more compelling, complicated characters to center a show like this, partly because she often has trouble getting out of her own way. Thankfully, she’s also surrounded by an ensemble of equally compelling, fleshed-out people.
Cunk on Earth (2023)
Diane Morgan’s Philomena Cunk is already a major sensation in the U.K., but Cunk on Earth allowed her to bring her unique comedic skills to a much wider audience. Morgan’s Cunk plays the part of a reporter/documentarian, and Cunk on Earth follows her as she attempts to tell the entire story of humanity from pre-history to the modern day.
Describing exactly what makes Cunk so brilliant is difficult, but Morgan’s ability to make an interview on even the driest subject matter endlessly hilarious makes Cunk on Earth a journey that’s well worth taking.
