When you really want to sink your teeth into a TV show, it’s of course to the dramas that we turn. But there are so many different types of dramas available – sci-fi dramas, historical dramas, thrillers, romance dramas – that it can be difficult to choose what to watch.
And that’s especially the case with Netflix, which is one of the greatest streaming services when it comes to dramas. In fact, there are plenty of dramas on Netflix that have not only been both critically acclaimed and beloved by fans, but they’ve also received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Best (or Outstanding) Drama. It doesn’t get much better (or more dramatic) than that!
That’s why we’ve rounded up the ten best dramas that are currently available to stream on Netflix, to help you choose what to watch this evening. Bingeing is very much encouraged!
3 Body Problem
Let’s be clear. If you’re looking for something to watch whilst you scroll on your phone, 3 Body Problem is not that show. Based on the first novel of Liu Cixin’s series Remembrance of Earth’s Past, the series is named after the classical physics problem that deals with Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation.
This time jumping sci-fi drama follows a group of friends called the Oxford Five – Jovan Adepo as Dr. Saul Durand, John Bradley as Jack Rooney, Eliza Gonzalez as Dr. Auggie Salazar and Jess Hong as Dr. Jin Cheng, and Alex Sharp as Dr. Will Downing – as their research into consciousness and time and other confusing (but surprisingly well explained) things like that bring them into contact with both MI6 and extraterrestrials.
Following its release on Netflix on 21 March 2024, the critically acclaimed first series of 3 Body Problem was nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Drama Series. N.B. It lost out to FX’s Shōgun.
Series two of 3 Body Problem is set to air on Netflix later this year, with series three following soon after - having been filmed back-to-back in Budapest in 2025 and early 2026. Now is therefore the perfect time to get to grips with the supernatural, and absorb the first series of 3 Body Problem.
Bodyguard
Jed Mercurio sure knows what he’s doing when it comes to political thrillers. Line of Duty will go down in history as one of the greatest police dramas of all time, and Bodyguard – which originally aired on the BBC and is now available on Netflix – is another of his critically acclaimed offerings. Indeed, Bodyguard won the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Actor: Television Series Drama (Richard Madden), and received a nomination at the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. N.B. It lost out to HBO’s Game of Thrones which ironically Richard Madden previously starred in.
Bodyguard centres around Police Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden) as he’s assigned to become the principal protection office for Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). Julia Montague desires to become Prime Minister, but her controversial politics leave her at odds with some voters, and additionally with Budd himself.
We defy you not to be instantly gripped by Bodyguard. Make sure you start the series on an evening when you have no plans because, at just six episodes long, you’ll definitely be inclined to binge-watch. The show is thrilling, sexy and actually addresses some major issues. Plus, there’s more than enough topless Richard Madden for everyone.
Bridgerton
If you haven’t started watching Bridgerton yet, this is your sign! Renewed for a fifth series following the release of series four earlier this year, this is the show that everyone’s watching. Don’t like your dramas too dramatic? Watch Bridgerton. A bit of a romantic? Watch Bridgerton. Want to watch a drama series filled with ridiculously attractive people? Watch Bridgerton.
The beautifully diverse show – which introduced us to now household names like Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Phoebe Dynevor, Simone Ashley and Rege-Jean Page - follows a different member of the noble Bridgerton family each series as they look for love in early 19th century society.
Although Bridgerton feels light-hearted, it’s actually critically acclaimed with numerous nominations over the years including several Primetime Emmy Awards, and a BAFTA Award.
Maid
This powerful limited series was without a doubt one of the best dramas to appear on our screens in 2021 and for that we have Netflix to thank. Oh, and Margaret Qualley whose performance as a young mother struggling to provide for her daughter after leaving an abusive relationship was just phenomenal. In fact, the actress – whose real-life mum Andie McDowell plays her on-screen mum in Maid – received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, a Critics Choice Television Award nomination, and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
The story is inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, and was adapted by Molly Smith Metzler with Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley serving as executive producers through their company LuckyChap Entertainment.
Orange Is the New Black
Nothing seemed to grip public consciousness quite as much as Orange Is The New Black did when it first aired on Netflix back in 2013.
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir Orange Is The New Black: My Year In A Women’s Prison released in 2010, the story revolves around Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) as she is sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary – a minimum-security women’s prison in New York. The series not only deals with the interactions between the women in the prison – the show turned Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Samira Wiley and Laverne Cox into household names – but also with the institutional problems of incarceration in America.
From 2013-2016, Orange Is The New Black was Netflix’s most-watched as well as its longest-running series, and garnered 16 Emmy Award nominations and six Golden Globe Award nominations.
Ozark
Ozark is one of the shows that always seemed to dominate at awards ceremonies during its run from 2017-2022 and was lauded by critics, but no regular TV watcher seemed to have seen it. So if you’re one of those people, now is the time to change that.
The show – which received a total of 45 (!) Primetime Emmy Award nominations – follows the Byrde family, consisting of Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, Laura Linney as his wife Wendy Byrde, Sofia Hublitz as their daughter Charlotte, and Skylar Gaertner as their son Jonah, as they become involved in a drug laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel. Whilst Ozark is most definitely a drama, there are some truly funny moments in it which gives it an edge over some of the other Netflix dramas available.
Squid Game
To say that the phenomenon of series one of Squid Game only occurred because of lockdown, would be to dismiss the gripping plot and political commentary of this South Korean thriller.
The series – which received six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe – details a secret contest where players risk their lives in a series of traditional children’s games for the chance to win 45.6billion South Korean Won aka $39.86million. After a major twist at the end of the first series, the show returned for two more – both led by the phenomenal Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun.
Stranger Things
Speaking of cultural phenomena, has there been a bigger one from Netflix than Stranger Things? From the very first episode of the Duffer Brothers sci-fi horror series, viewers were hooked by the lives of best friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) as their lives were upturned by the disappearance of their pal Will (Noah Schnapp) and the arrival of a strange girl known as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). In fact, viewers became so obsessed with them that the final episode of Stranger Things pulled in a whopping 31.5million views making series five Netflix’s ninth most-watched English language series ever.
There was just something about this incredible series that captured the imagination. Maybe it was the phenomenal cast. Maybe it was the nostalgia of the show being set in 1980s. Maybe it was the gripping storyline. Whatever it was, if you haven’t managed to watch the series yet, we highly recommend that you do.
The Crown
Another Netflix drama, another cultural phenomenon. For some reason (please note the sarcasm here), the entire world was obsessed with watching a series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Whether you love the royal family, or believe that it shouldn’t exist, The Crown catered to everyone, and again – this seems to be Netflix’s speciality – introduced us to a collection of actors who have gone on to become Hollywood darlings. We’re talking Vanessa Kirby, Josh O’Connor, Emma Corrin, and Elizabeth Debicki to name just a few. And we’re not even mentioning the rest of the cast which was a veritable who’s who of British acting royalty.
The Crown has everything – drama, romance, historical accuracy (ish). What more could you want from your next bingewatch?
The Diplomat
A slightly (very) unlikely premise, The Diplomat follows Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) as she is unexpectedly appointed the new US Ambassador to the Uniter Kingdom. Not only does Kate have to juggle multiple international crises over the three series (soon to be four) as well as forging strategic allegiances, but she’s also dealing with her rollercoaster of a marriage to fellow diplomat Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell).
In addition to being a lot of fun (in a constantly on the edge of your seat kind of way), The Diplomat is also critically acclaimed with a BAFTA nomination, 11 Critics’ Choice Television Award nominations, seven Golden Globe Award nominations and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations – including for Outstanding Dramas Series in 2025. N.B. It lost out to HBO Max’s The Pitt.
Daisy Hall became a writer for TVChoice after realising that she could make a career out of her incredible ability to extensively name an actor's credits when they randomly pop up in whatever she's watching. Her friends find it infuriating, but hopefully you find it useful!