10 New Netflix Shows That Have Blown Us Away This Year

Comedian Maria Bamford's Lady Dynamite is not only legitimately hilarious, but it's unlike any other show on TV right now. With her fourth-wall breaks, open acknowledgments that "this is a TV show," and the way she addresses mental illness (Bamford struggles with OCD and bipolar disorder in real life), it's an underrated triumph. As if all that wasn't enough, there are also TONS of memorable cameos from beloved comedians like Patton Oswalt, Ana Gasteyer, Jenny Slate, Judd Apatow, and Sarah Silverman.

Watch Lady Dynamite on Netflix now.

Now that Downton Abbey has bid us adieu, Netflix's grandiose aristocracy series The Crown is a more than suitable replacement. Although few things in this world can measure up to Lady Violet's sass, each episode of this show documenting a young Queen Elizabeth II's rise to power and the early days of her marriage to Prince Philip is more lavish than the next. It moves a little slow, but Claire Foy and Matt Smith give incredible, Emmy-worthy performances as Elizabeth and Philip that easily make up for it. Additionally, there are a few particularly stand out moments from Jared Harris (playing an ill King George VI) and John Lithgow (a pitch-perfect Winston Churchill), and with a rumored (and frankly jaw-dropping) $130 million budget, The Crown is visually spectacular.

Watch The Crown on Netflix now.

The music. THE MUSIC, you guys. Baz Luhrmann's mesmerizing hip-hop epic The Get Down — which follows a group of Bronx teenagers in the '70s — has one of the best original soundtracks to hit TV in some time. One of the biggest criticisms of the show is that it can come off as one big, messy whirlwind, but with an incredible cast (including Justice Smith, Jimmy Smits, and Shameik Moore) and some truly mind-blowing visuals anchoring the first half of its beautiful debut season, it shines. If nothing else, watch simply for the performance of "Set Me Free" in episode five. It's pure magic.

Watch The Get Down on Netflix now.

Regardless of how you felt about Chelsea Handler's late night talk show Chelsea Lately, trust us when we say that Chelsea Does is an entirely different beast. Rest assured Handler's biting wit and "did she really just say that?" brand of humor is still in full effect, but this time it's funneled into a thoughtful documentary style. Handler tackles a divisive new subject in each episode (drugs and racism are standouts), alternating between discussing the issues with friends and fellow comedians during a casual dinner setting, and going out into the world to investigate. It's funny, educational, and eye-opening.

Watch Chelsea Does on Netflix now.

Judd Apatow's Love premiered in February with little fanfare, but the show about the differing perspectives of a man and woman navigating the first few weeks of their blossoming relationship is funny, biting, and smart. Gillian Jacobs, playing the broken "cool girl" as per usual, gives an enjoyable performance, and it's a great introduction for many viewers to actor and writer Paul Rust, who loosely based the show on his own relationship with wife Lesley Arfin. While many (rightly) decried the "ugly guy" getting the "hot woman" trope, Love is still a solid series, and manages to succeed where other romantic-comedy-dramas failed this year.

Watch Love on Netflix now.

In recent years, shows about people mysteriously and miraculously returning from the dead have been popping up left and right. Let us assure you that Glitch is the first one worth watching since the original French version of The Returned (Les Revenants). Clocking in at just six episodes, this Australian sci-fi drama about a group of six strangers who pull themselves from their graves one night — naked, gasping, and in perfect health — is twisted, fantastically acted, and addicting. Struggling to piece together what brought these people back will have you on the edge of your seat, and the final few twists go right for the jugular.

Watch Glitch on Netflix now.

In the weeks leading up to the premiere of The Characters, Netflix touted the sketch series as "outlaw comedy," giving eight rising stars in the comedy world each 30 minutes to create their own hilarious world. Starring comedians like John T. Reynolds, Kate Berlant, John Early, and Natasha Rothwell, every half-hour episode is smart as hell and an utter delight. Of all the episodes, Rothwell's is an easy favorite thanks to a riff on Game of Thrones spoilers and a spot-on rap about basic b*tches with Saturday Night Live's Cecily Strong ("Got The Bachelor and Shonda on my DVR / I order a vodka cran at every bar").

Watch Netflix Presents: The Characters on Netflix now.

With the seemingly endless stream of reboots and remakes announced this year, it's no wonder they've become such a contentious topic for many TV watchers. That hasn't kept Fuller House from regaining its '90s popularity ever since hitting Netflix in February, giving loyal fans a glimpse into what the Tanner family is up to now. Is it cheesy? Yep. Do some of the jokes fall flat? You betcha. Is there a questionable Bollywood scene? Of course. Did any of that stop people from falling all over themselves to binge it this year? Not a chance.

Watch Fuller House on Netflix now.

After the success of Jessica Jones, Marvel fans were eager to get their hands on the next piece of The Defenders: Luke Cage. Not only is the show about the bullet-proof Harlem superhero one of the most diverse on TV, but it has phenomenal fight scenes, a killer soundtrack, and one of the most interesting (and clearest) origin stories of any previous Marvel property. Its 13-episode run might feel a hair too long, but at the end of the day, Luke Cage ends up being way more than just a show about superheroes.

Watch Luke Cage on Netflix now.

If you somehow managed not to get swept up in Stranger Things mania, our only question for you is: HOW?!?!?!?!? And actually, also: WHY?!?!?!?!? People went bananas over this sci-fi series thanks to its heavy '80s influence, complex characters, and original story. Even if you're not usually into sci-fi or the idea of a creature from another realm dragging you to your death, it's going to be around for a while, so you might as well get used to it.

Watch Stranger Things on Netflix now.