33. ‘Top Boy’ (2011)
The British crime drama “Top Boy” saw its first two seasons air on Channel 4 from 2011-2013, but Netflix bought the rights and revived the cult hit in 2019 for more gritty action. The series follows the exploits of a pair of drug dealers in London and stars a talented cast of nearly all black actors. The 2019 Netflix revival earned top marks with a 90% grade from critics at Rotten Tomatoes, giving the show an overall average grade of 95%.
32. ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (2015)
Tina Fey’s quirky sitcom, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” kept viewers and critics laughing for four seasons before ending in 2019. The show has a near-perfect grade of 96% at Rotten Tomatoes, even if viewers at IMDb have been a bit more tepid in their support, giving the show an average grade of 7.6 out of 10. The series followed an eternally optimistic woman, played by “The Office” star Ellie Kemper, who gets used to city life in New York after spending 15 years as a kidnapping victim in Indiana. While new seasons aren’t being made, the Emmy-nominated show is coming back in May 2020 with a new interactive special.
31. ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (2017)
Based on the popular book series by Lemony Snicket, Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” was consistently beloved by critics and viewers during its too-brief run. In three seasons, the show covered events from all of the novels, which followed a trio of young orphan siblings who try to outwit the evil Count Olaf, who is after their inheritance. Neil Patrick Harris starred as Olaf and did a wonderful job bringing the nasty character to life. The show’s visuals were highly praised and the final season earned a perfect grade from critics at Rotten Tomatoes.
30. ‘The End of the [Blank] World’ (2017)
This British production with a memorable title has been praised for its writing and acting. It follows a unique relationship between two teenage classmates who embark on a road trip across England together, while one plans to kill the other. The show won a prestigious Peabody Award in 2018, with the committee calling it “a wonderfully unorthodox coming-of-age story.” Unfortunately for fans, it appears the story was finished after just two seasons and 16 episodes.
29. ‘Unorthodox’ (2020)
As of this writing, “Unorthodox” has only been out for a couple months, but its reputation is already stellar. The miniseries tells the true story of a 19-year-old Orthodox Jewish woman who runs away from her marriage and tries to find her own way in life for the first time. The show has received top marks from viewers and critics, with Rotten Tomatoes critics giving its first season a 94% grade and calling star Shira Haas’ performance “captivating.” The series has also been praised for accurately depicting the customs of the Satmar Jewish community.
28. ‘Castlevania’ (2017)
“Castlevania” has been a beloved favorite of gamers since the 1980s, and Netflix has managed to make a TV series set in its world that has also earned a great reputation. This animated show has been running since 2017 and has consistently been praised for its visuals, lore and action. Seasons two and three each earned flawless grades at Rotten Tomatoes and a fourth season is on its way. As you’ll see on this list, Netflix has had a lot of success in animation and “Castlevania” is one of its best efforts.
27. ‘The Last Kingdom’ (2015)
Another British co-production that has been acclaimed for Netflix, “The Last Kingdom” debuted on BBC America in 2015 but moved to the streaming network starting with the second season. This historical fiction series follows the story of Uhtred, a Saxon-born warrior raised by Vikings who is attempting to claim his birthright. The show has been acclaimed as a thrilling epic from the start, earning a 91% average grade at Rotten Tomatoes, bolstered by the perfect grade earned by its third season in 2018. The long-awaited fourth season just debuted on Netflix days before this writing.
26. ‘Lovesick’ (2014)
“Lovesick” pulls you in with its unique premise before holding your attention with its cast of characters. This sitcom follows a young man in Britain who gets in touch with all his former lovers after getting diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease. Through its great use of flashbacks, it shows the personal changes undergone by the main character and his close friends. After its three-season run ended, “Lovesick” had stellar average scores of 98% at Rotten Tomatoes and 8.1/10 at IMDb. The only complaint to be registered is that it might have ended too quickly.
25. ‘Money Heist’ (2017)
If you haven’t watched “Money Heist” yet, you’re missing out on one of Netflix’s most addictive and intense original shows. In its two seasons so far — which have included 31 pulse-pounding episodes — this Spanish-language series has followed its characters as they try to pull off two incredible heists. The first season was highly praised, but the second season, released in installments over 2019 and 2020, “raised the stakes” even higher, according to Entertainment Weekly.
With more than 230,000 user ratings at IMDb giving it an average grade of 8.4 out of 10, “Money Heist” is one of the company’s most popular and acclaimed international offerings.
About The Delite
Somtimes it can feel like the world is full of negative news. Luckily, there is still a lot of good in the world. There are amazing people doing incredible things. Our goal is to help showcase some of these positive, inspiring stories in order to bring a smile to your face.
