4. Stranger Things
2 Seasons, 45 minutes per Episode

I know that Stranger Things is considered by many to be a mainstream television show, but seriously, everyone owes it to themselves to watch this show. The story of a small town in Indiana starts off slowly and seems rather unusual, but after three to four episodes the story picks up and the mystery surrounding the town and characters continues to grow. At its best, Stranger Things shows the true meaning of friendship and reminds us of a past full of riding bikes and trick or treating. And a its worst, well, at least it has good child actors. (Seriously though, there aren’t many low points). The story told in the first season and the arguably better second season can only be described as strange. (In an endearing way, of course).

3. Narcos
3 Seasons, 57 Minutes per Episode

Everyone has heard of the drug lord Pablo Escobar and the infamous Medellín Cartel. In the first two seasons, Narcos tells the story of Pablo’s rise as the king of cocaine, his struggles, and his ultimate fall from grace. By following the stories of the DEA Agents that brought him down, it’s plain to see how one mans quest for money, power, and destruction can bring an entire country to its knees. The most astounding part of Narcos, however, is how amid all of his hatred and corruption, one can still feel empathy for Pablo Escobar. In its most recent season, Narcos follows the lives of the the Cali Godfathers, leaders of the Cali Cartel and Pablo’s successors. With help from within the Cartel, the DEA is tasked with dismantling a cartel even larger than Pablo’s…

2. Arrested Development
4 Seasons, 25 Minutes per Episode

The only sitcom on the list, Arrested Development is the predecessor to all of the greatest sitcoms on Netflix (save Friends), the writers of this show went on to help work on The Office, Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother, and Modern Family, to name a few. The bland humor and horribly distorted life of the Bluth’s appears almost as a satire on the life of the American family. The subtle jokes and unusual situations will take and unusual situations will take an almost dark and childish sense of humor to appreciate (The fourth season is a serious blemish on the first three, I would almost recommend avoiding it entirely.)

 

1. Sherlock
4 Seasons, 90 Minutes per Episode

Having finished Sherlock rather recently, I can say it finishes second in my list of all time favorite shows, trailing only Game of Thrones. The 90 minute episodes watch like movies, and once you give the show a chance it will really suck you in. I honestly believe that Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman have done the single greatest portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the stories himself. Set in modern day London, the genius detective stories of Sherlock Holmes meet modern science and technology. Instead of portraying Sherlock as a quiet detective, Cumberbatch portrays him as a genius, bordering on lunatic sociopath whose astute observations and deductions make him appear pompous and arrogant. As the show goes on however, you realize that the man living at 221B Baker Street isn’t really the cold shell he portrays, rather something else entirely.