Jason Bateman and Laura Linney – Credit: STEVE DIETL/NETFLIX
We’re officially more than a decade into Netflix making its own shows. If you have seen the best shows that Netflix has to offer by now, it’s finally time to turn back the clock and check out some of these classic Netflix shows.
Of course, “classic” is relative when talking about Netflix. The streamer has only been making shows since 2015, so you’re not going to find MASHor I Love Lucy or shows like that. You’re going to find shows that premiered in the early days of Netflix originals around the same time as House of Cardsand Orange is the New Black. I also included a more modern series that feels like it’s from the early days of Netflix.
Let’s get the list started with one of Netflix’s best shows ever, Ozark.
Ozark
- Premiere date: July 21, 2017
- Seasons: 4
- Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams
- Cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Lisa Emery, Janet McTeer, and more
Of all the classic Netflix shows,Ozarkis the one that I would recommend to everyone who can stomach a brutal crime thriller. The series premiered on Netflix in the summer of 2017 and burst on the scene.
Jason Bateman stars as Marty Byrde, an accountant who has been laundering money for a cartel. When the deal goes bad, Marty is forced to pivot into his career to start laundering even more money in a small community on the Lake of the Ozarks. As Marty and his wife, Wendy (Laura Linney), try to hold up their end of the bargain, they find themselves getting deeper and deeper into the world of organized crime.
Ozark ran for four seasons on Netflix, and it was a sad day when the hit series came to an end. This show is definitely not for everyone because it’s so intense, but it’s a must-watch for those who like crime thrillers.
Image Courtesy Netflix
Narcos
- Premiere date: Aug. 28, 2015
- Seasons: 3 (plus spinoffs)
- Created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro
- Cast: Wagner Moura, Pedro Pascal, Boyd Holbrook, Damián Alcázar, Joanna Christie, Maurice Compte, Alberto Ammann, and many more
Narcos premiered on Netflix in the summer of 2015, and it was one of the most successful shows right of the gate. The series told the enticing story of Pablo Escobar and captivated audiences around the globe.
After seasons 1 and 2 tell Escobar’s story, the series focuses on other cartels and organizations in Colombia. The series was so successful that we saw three seasons of the series between 2015 and 2018, which was quite impressive considering these shows were filmed on location in Central and South America.
We also saw a spinoff, Narcos: Mexico,from the same team that explored the rise of the War on Drugs in Mexico.
These shows are brutal, but they are definitely worth your time!
Stranger Things
- Premiere date: July 15, 2016
- Seasons: 5
- Created by Matt and Ross Duffer
- Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Matthew Modine, Dacre Montgomery, Jamie Campbell Bower, Joseph Quinn, Sean Astin, and more
Stranger Things is not the first major Netflix hit. Before the hit sci-fi series premiered in the summer of 2016, we’d already seen Orange is the New Black, House of Cards,and other hit Netflix original shows. Stranger Things, though, is the first big show that put Netflix on the map. It showed everyone what was possible when a show caught fire on a global level in real-time.
The little show that could became a global sensation in a few short months in 2016, and it never slowed down through the end of its five-season run on Netflix in 2026. It lived through a pandemic and a writer’s strike, and it still stuck the landing in its series finale on New Year’s Eve last year.
I feel like everyone has had a chance to check out Stranger Things so far, but if you haven’t, it’s finally time to get on the bandwagon. The series tells the story of a group of friends in Hawkins, Indiana. When Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), one of the kids in town, goes missing, his friends team up with a little girl with superpowers, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) to find him before a monster does.
All five seasons of Stranger Things are streaming now on Netflix.
The Diplomat
- Premiere date: April 23, 2023
- Seasons: 3
- Created by Debora Cahn
- Cast: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, Rory Kinnear, Allyson Janney, Ali Ahn, David Gyasi, Ato Essandoh, Bradley Whitford, Nana Mensah, and more
The Diplomat is the only current Netflix show on this list. I know it just premiered on Netflix in 2023, and it’s not a decade old like the other shows, but it feels like a show from a different time. The Diplomatfeels like Homelandor The West Wing. I don’t know that I can fully explain it, but it’s just more about the show’s vibe, you know?
The Diplomatfollows Kate Wyler, who is named the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom immediately following a terrorist attack on a British vessel. Kate tries to get to the bottom of the mystery while navigating the international political ecosystem. That’s just where this series begins.
This is one of my absolutely favorite Netflix shows of all time, and it’s not just because I’m a huge fan of Russell. There’s so much to love with this series. If there’s one series on Netflix that doesn’t get the love it deserves, it’s absolutely The Diplomat.
Good news! You have time to catch up beforeThe Diplomatseason 4premieres on Netflix in October 2026.
That’s the list of classic shows you need to watch if you haven’t already! You honestly can’t go wrong with any of these great shows. They’re all terrific in their own way.
