“Stranger Things.”Netflix
In 2017, Netflix looked back on “A Year in Bingeing” with an infographic that showcased the Netflix original series subscribers devoured throughout the year.
According to the release, Netflix members watched more than 140 million hours of shows, films, and documentaries per day in 2017. The most popular shows that people devoured (watched for more than two hours a day) in 2017 included “Riverdale,” “The OA,” “American Vandal,” and “The Keepers,” among others.
But 2018 has brought new series and new seasons of fan favorites, which means plenty of new opportunities to bang out 10 episodes in a weekend.
From true crime to feel-good makeovers, to sci-fi hits like “Stranger Things,” here are 9 Netflix original series worth binge-watching.
“Aggretsuko”
Don’t let her appearance as a cute red panda and Sanrio anime character fool you. By day, Retsuko is a 25-year-old who works in the accounting department of a trading firm in Tokyo and is often frustrated with the demands of her job. By night, she screams her heart out to death metal karaoke.
This animated original series is one of Netflix’s hidden gems. It has already been renewed for a second season in 2019, so don’t feel guilty about binge-watching every 15-minute episode.
“Black Mirror”
Created by screenwriter and producer Charlie Brooker and picked up by Netflix for seasons three and four after originally airing its first two seasons on UK’s Channel 4, “Black Mirror” is an anthology series that explores the complicated effects of technology on modern society.
It’s number six on Netflix’s list of the shows that had people cheating in 2017 — cheating that is, in watching it ahead of their significant others.
Netflix, which has renewed “Black Mirror” for a fifth season, will announce a premiere date and episode count in late 2018. The original series also received three Emmy Nominations in 2018 with “Black Mirror: USS Callister” nominated for best television movie, Jesse Plemons for the episode “USS Callister” as lead actor in a limited series or movie, and actress Letitia Wright for the episode “Black Museum” as supporting actress in a limited series or movie.
“Girlboss”
“Girlboss” received its share of criticism and was canceled after one season.
The half-hour series, which is billed as a “loose” retelling of Sophia Amoruso’s rise to fashion-flipping fame as the founder of clothing line Nasty Gal, but it does get some of the details right before she launched her eBay store.
Britt Robertson (portraying Amoruso) also brings grit and determination to her performance, making the character an edgy one to watch. If you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit and want a series with low commitment (read: one season only), ignore the critics and start watching this one.
“GLOW”
Two seasons deep with an Emmy nom for Best Comedy Series under its belt, it’s impossible to kick “GLOW” out of the binge-watching ring. “GLOW,” or “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling,” was originally a 1980s TV show, and its revitalized counterpart shares the elements that made it a hit back then.
A strong female ensemble cast, including Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin? Check. Wrestling names like “Zoya the Destroya” and “Liberty Belle”? Check. ’80s looks, hairstyles, and soundtrack? Check, check, and check.
“Mindhunter”
“Mindhunter,” directed by filmmaker David Fincher, depicts two FBI agents pushed to their limits as they explore the psychology of murder by getting alarmingly close to the killers themselves in the 1970s.
Netflix renewed “Mindhunter” for a second season a month after its premiere last year, and actor Cameron Britton received an Emmy nomination for guest actor in a drama series for his role as serial killer Ed Kemper.
If you haven’t caught up yet with the original series, which holds a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, now is the time to do it.
“Ozark”
In “Ozark,” the Byrde family moves from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, not necessarily for a more peaceful life, but because patriarch Marty Byrde (played by Jason Bateman) is a money launderer for a Mexican drug cartel.
If you’re seeking a series to fill the “Breaking Bad” hole, this could be the ticket. The show’s second season is available to stream now.
“Queer Eye”
There’s no way Netflix will be able to make 2018’s year in bingeing infographic without mentioning “Queer Eye,” which has already dropped two seasons this year alone, received a third season renewal, and nabbed an Emmy nomination for structured reality program.
A reboot of Bravo’s 2003-2007 “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” the series returned after over a decade with a brand-new Fab Five — Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Jonathan Van Ness, and Tan France.
They’re bubbling over with positivity and are ready to help reinvent the lives of men and women across the country.
“Stranger Things”
In the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana, a young boy named Will vanishes into thin air in the 1980s. What happens next is a science fiction adventure where Will’s friends and family try to find him and help him escape “the Upside Down,” a parallel universe that is just within their reach.
This is the plot for “Stranger Things,” one of Netflix’s biggest original series successes. An estimated 8.2 million watched it within the first 16 days it was out in 2016. According to TechCrunch, over 15 million people had watched “Stranger Things 2” by the third day of it being available, and 361,000 had finished the entire series the day it came out.
The series made overnight stars out of actors like Millie Bobby Brown. Even Kellogg’s Eggo waffles enjoyed a sales uptick after becoming a “star” of the show, as CNN Money reported.
A third season is coming, but it won’t be here until summer 2019. Until then, we’ll just have to enjoy the teaser for the grand opening of Starcourt Mall.
“The Crown”
I haven’t been able to get on the “The Crown” bandwagon yet. Yes, I know it’s a historical drama about the life of Queen Elizabeth II, and it looks good, even if it lacks “Stranger Things” ratings. Nielsen reported in 2017 that ratings for the show’s second season premiere attracted 3 million US viewers in its first three days, versus “Stranger Things” at 15 million.
And yet, viewers continue bowing to “The Crown.” The prestige drama is saturated in Emmy noms this year and has a third season on its way.
