Sorry, Haters — These Are the Best Dramas on Netflix Right Now

By Sabienna Bowman

Updated on 6/7/2018 at 3:05 PM

Everett Collection

Everett Collection

If comedies are TV's comfort food, then great dramas are the televisual equivalent of a fine dining experience. There's nothing quite like getting invested in a show that serves up depth, twists, and all of the emotions a person can possibly handle experiencing in a single hour. Thankfully, Netflix has some of the greatest dramatic TV shows of all time available on the streaming site.

From modern classics to original series and must-see throwbacks, Netflix's drama category is stacked. Of course, this also means choosing a show to become way too emotionally invested in isn't easy. Don't let the sheer number of choices available keep you from diving into a new-to-you hour-long show that will feed your mind while also keeping you up late into the night watching episodes.

Read on to discover the 22 dramatic TV shows on Netflix that you need in your life.

01

Mad Men — Everett Collection

Mad Men

The world of New York City's '60s advertising business provides the backdrop to one of TV's greatest dramas. While Don Draper and his perpetual existential crisis drive the series, Mad Men is at its best when it puts the feminist awakenings of its female characters like Peggy, Joan, and Betty front and center.

02

Orange Is the New Black — Everett Collection

Orange Is the New Black

Netflix's women in prison drama is a wonderfully inclusive series that balances humor with heartbreak in every single episode. No other show is quite as committed to telling women's stories as this one.

03

Breaking Bad — Everett Collection

Breaking Bad

Walter White's journey from high school chemistry teacher to ruthless drug dealer is a character study for the ages. Breaking Bad isn't always easy to watch, but it is always rewarding. (The show's underrated spinoff, Better Call Saul, is available on Netflix too.)

04

The Crown — Everett Collection

The Crown

Queen Elizabeth II's rise to power makes for a breathtaking viewing experience. From the incredible visual decadence to the quietly powerful performance from Claire Foy, this is one Netflix original that shouldn't be missed.

05

Jane the Virgin — Everett Collection

Jane the Virgin

Not all dramas are dark and dreary. Jane the Virgin finds drama in everyday life as it follows three generations of women chasing their dreams, falling in love, and facing the trials of motherhood at every stage.

06

13 Reasons Why — Everett Collection

13 Reasons Why

There's nothing easy about watching Hannah Baker's story unfold, but this searing drama won't let you look away from her pain or stop rooting for her friends to find justice for her.

07

Scandal

Olivia Pope's boss status is legendary for good reason. Scandal is a juicy, addictive drama with one of TV's most badass leads.

08

Dexter — Everett Collection

Dexter

The less said about the last two seasons, the better, but for most of its run, Dexter was a compulsively watchable drama about a serial killer who channeled his bloody urges into killing killers.

09

Marvel's Jessica Jones — Everett Collection

Marvel's Jessica Jones

The superhero P.I. is by far the most compelling of Netflix's Marvel heroes. A hard-drinking cynic, Jessica knows the world is unjust better than most, but that only makes her quest for justice all the more moving.

10

Luther — Everett Collection

Luther

Idris Elba poured his heart and soul into the character of Luther, and his immense talent will keep you queuing up episode after episode of this crime series.

11

Mindhunter — Everett Collection

Mindhunter

Who knew watching people discover what makes serial killers tick would make for such fascinating TV? Apparently, Netflix did, because that's how the world ended up with the slow-burn series Mindhuter.

12

Riverdale — Everett Collection

Riverdale

Archie gets dark in this thrilling, pulpy teen drama that mixes sipping milkshakes and murder to create a nostalgia-tinged romp.

13

Happy Valley — Everett Collection

Happy Valley

A tough, wise-cracking cop balances her troubled home life with her even more troubling job in this delicious British import.

14

The West Wing — Everett Collection

The West Wing

An oldie, but a goodie. The world will always need the wisdom of President Bartlet.

15

Parenthood — Everett Collection

Parenthood

Before This Is Us was making you sob on a weekly basis, the Bravermans were keeping viewers reaching for the tissues with their emotional family dramas.

16

The Fall — Everett Collection

The Fall

Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan play an epic game of cat and mouse in this series about a cop hot on the trail of a serial killer who's leading a double life.

17

Ozark — Everett Collection

Ozark

Ozark is like Breaking Bad with an added dose of family unity that makes the central couple's life of crime all the more compelling.

18

Gilmore Girls — Everett Collection

Gilmore Girls

Once you visit Stars Hollow and meet the fast-talking, coffee-swigging Gilmores, you'll never want to leave.

19

Broadchurch — Everett Collection

Broadchurch

A small town is rocked by the murder of a child in this brilliant but bleak British mystery series starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman.

20

Penny Dreadful — Everett Collection

Penny Dreadful

A gothic masterpiece, Penny Dreadful is a reminder that genre TV can be highbrow and entertaining.

21

Bates Motel — Everett Collection

Bates Motel

Norman and Norma Bates's relationship is twisted, disturbing, and impossible to look away from.

22

Peaky Blinders — Everett Collection

Peaky Blinders

Centered on a dangerous gang in post-World War I London, Peaky Blinders is a bloody good time.