Netflix churns out new original series [1] so fast, we can barely keep up with them all, and we're not afraid to admit that not all of them are winners. (Sorry, Netflix. We love you, but surely you know this to be true.) So how are we supposed to know the great series from the ho-hum ones? Of course, there are the dozens of Netflix shows that people can't stop talking about [2], but there are also plenty that have flown under the radar in 2019, and we're here to make sure they get the viewership they deserve. From underrated series that returned this year to brand-new ones that just made their debut, here are the shows that haven't gotten all of the attention they deserve.
Workin' Moms
If you're sick of TV moms who always make child-rearing look easy, then you're going to want to tune in to Workin' Moms. This Canadian series follows four friends — an ambitious PR executive, a no-nonsense psychiatrist, an IT tech with an identity crisis, and an unfailingly optimistic real estate agent — who share a bond as women attempting to balance careers and family. From postpartum depression to the agonies of breastfeeding, this dramedy is never afraid to show the less glamorous side of being a new mom, and — best of all — there are three full seasons to binge.
Watch Workin' Moms on Netflix [4].
Special
Based on the hilarious Ryan O'Connell's part-memoir, part-manifesto I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, this coming-of-age comedy series follows O'Connell's own challenges and triumphs as a gay man navigating the world with mild cerebral palsy. There has only been one season so far, but the revolutionary show has already proved itself to be tightly constructed, painfully honest, and seriously laugh-out-loud funny.
Watch Special on Netflix [5].
Derry Girls
Taking place in early-1990s Northern Ireland during the Troubles, this comedy series follows 16-year-old Erin and her friends as they navigate their adolescence amid the country's political unrest. Though you think the setting might make the show a bit morose, the talented young cast and the funny trials they face in their Catholic girls' secondary school make the show surprisingly lighthearted. Goods news: the second season is just as good as the first.
Watch Derry Girls on Netflix [6].
Elite
In this Netflix crime drama, three working-class teens displaced by an earthquake are enrolled in the most exclusive school in Spain, and the clash between the classes erupts into a battle that eventually turns fatal. Think Gossip Girl [7] set in Spain (but perhaps even more dramatic, if that's possible).
Watch Elite on Netflix [8].
Easy
With a stacked cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Dave Franco, Orlando Bloom [9], Jake Johnson, and Emily Ratajkowski, among many others, this series revolves around beautiful people living in Chicago and navigating the complicated trappings of modern romance — what more could you want from a show? The third season of the series recently premiered, so if you're in the mood for a show you can binge-watch, this is the perfect pick.
Watch Easy on Netflix [10].
Cable Girls
Based around four women working at the brand-new National Telephone Company in 1920s Madrid, this series follows Lidia, Carlota, Ángeles, and Marga as they discover new talents, find their voices, and overcome their own private tragedies. Boasting incredible acting and awesome costuming, this show has flown under the radar for far too long.
Watch Cable Girls on Netflix [11].
Terrace House: Opening New Doors
If you need more feel-good shows in your life, then you seriously need to start watching Terrace House: Opening New Doors. Japan's Real World-esque reality TV phenomenon debuted its sixth installment in 2019, following six housemates as they go to work, make dinner together, and generally act far more well-behaved than any Real World cast members ever have.
Watch Terrace House: Opening New Doors on Netflix [12].
The Rain
In this Danish postapocalyptic series, two siblings, Simone and Rasmus, navigate the world alongside a ragtag team of survivors five years after a virus spread by rainfall wipes out almost all of Scandinavia. The show is perfect for fans of The Walking Dead [13], and though the second season of the series only debuted in 2019, it's looking likely that the show will be renewed for a third!
Watch The Rain on Netflix [14].
Bonding
In this short-form dark comedy series, two former high school BFFs, Pete and Tiff, reconnect years later in New York City only to discover that Pete is gay and that Tiff (who attends grad school by day) is secretly one of the city's top dominatrices, introducing Pete to a whole new underground world of sexual secrecy and BDSM. Yes, the premise is totally crazy, but it's crazy in a great way, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it returns for a second season.
Watch Bonding on Netflix [15].
Love, Death & Robots
Produced by Tim Miller and David Fincher, this adult animated series fluctuates between sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and dark comedy — as well as from 2D to photo-real 3D CGI — to tell 18 thought-provoking stories that will make you see robots in a whole new light. We guarantee that it's stranger and cooler than anything else you've ever seen.
Watch Love, Death & Robots on Netflix [16].
Osmosis
Set in near-future Paris, this French sci-fi series is basically an extended episode of Black Mirror, following the effects of a dating app — created by tech company Osmosis and run by brother-sister duo Paul and Esther — that matches people with their supposed soulmates based on an algorithm that uses brain data and personal memories.
Watch Osmosis on Netflix [17].
Atypical
Atypical is the rare show that keeps getting better and better. The majority of season one revolves around Sam Gardner, but by the time season three rolls around, we're getting heavy, realistic portrayals of marriage, friendship, and sexual discovery via Sam's immediate family and friends. It hasn't been met with the same fanfare as some of Netflix's marquee shows, which is a damn shame — especially because Brigette Lundy-Paine [18] deserves all the attention.
Watch Atypical on Netflix [19].
Big Mouth
If you blocked out everything about going through puberty, Big Mouth is here to remind you of how painfully awkward it all was. Don't be fooled by the animation style — the fact that it's a cartoon gives its creators free rein to go even further with raunchy jokes.
Watch Big Mouth on Netflix [20].
Living With Yourself
Why didn't Living With Yourself make more headlines? Blame Netflix for enlisting so many A-list stars in 2019, crowding our already packed watchlists. This Paul Rudd [21] vehicle about a man who accidentally creates a clone of himself is very watchable, if not truly bizarre. (The clone is, of course, better than the original man in every way.)
Watch Living With Yourself on Netflix [22].
