“Stranger Things” (Season 1 on Netflix)
There’s no reason to not have watched this ’80s horror-adventure pastiche, unless you’ve been in the upside-down. (You’ll get the reference when you watch.) It’s only eight episodes, and “Stranger Things” has the best kid cast we’ve seen in years — plus Winona Ryder.
“Narcos” (Season 1 on Netflix)
Most people know the Pablo Escobar story, but the 10-episode first season on Netflix is unmissable. Wagner Moura scored a Golden Globe for his performance as Escobar, and for those missing the Red Viper from “Game of Thrones,” Pedro Pascal is here for your viewing pleasure. Season 2 drops Sept. 2.
“Casual” (Seasons 1-2 on Hulu)
The Season 2 finale of Hulu’s dark (like, really dark), spiky family comedy dropped on Tuesday, meaning all 23 episodes are there for you to laugh and cry to. Which is particularly good for the misanthropes among us.
“Halt and Catch Fire” (Seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix, 3 airing now on AMC)
If you’re really in a rush to catch up with the new season, which premiered Aug. 23, you can skip the first and just watch the 10-episode second installment, but season 1 is hardly devoid of worth. Lee Pace, Mackenzie Davis, Kerry Bishé and Scoot McNairy are as compelling as the ’80s tech world their characters inhabit.
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (Season 1 on Netflix)
There’s still eight weeks left until the return of The CW’s sharp musical comedy starring Rachel Bloom, so why not catch up on Netflix and support linear TV when it comes back? Guaranteed earworms include “Sexy Getting Ready Song” and “JAP Battle.”
“Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp” (Season 1 on Netflix)
We’re not sure about another season, but what better way to say farewell to summer than with saying hello to Amy Poehler, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, Bradley Cooper and Chris Meloni 15 years after we said goodbye to them in the “Wet Hot American Summer” movie?
“The Get Down” (Season 1 on Netflix)
Few people seem to be talking about Baz Luhrmann‘s Netflix series, which cost a reported $120 million to make. That doesn’t mean this exploration of the hip-hop scene in 1977 New York isn’t worth your time, particularly once you get past the 90-minute first episode.
“Black Mirror” (Seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix)
Tired of hearing “Oh my God, that’s just like an episode of ‘Black Mirror,’ I can’t believe it” and not knowing what that means? Enter creator Charlie Brooker’s dystopic anthology world for six episodes and a Christmas special that features Jon Hamm. Season 3 drops on Netflix on Oct. 21.
“The Americans” (Seasons 1-3 on Amazon, Season 4 on FX.com)
FX’s Cold War spy drama finally earned a bunch of Emmy nominations this year for its recently concluded fourth season, but that doesn’t mean the previous seasons of “Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell are any less thrilling.
“Lucifer” (Season 1 on Hulu)
Sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned “He’s a/she’s a” crime-solving show, wherein one protagonist has some sort of special ability (in this case, being the actual devil), and the other is a cop, and they team up and solve crimes. Because it’s a crime show, you don’t have to watch every episode, but a few of these make for an enjoyable, British-accent-filled afternoon, courtesy of star Tom Ellis.
“The Fall” (Seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix)
The third and final season of this skin-crawler premieres this fall, giving you plenty of time to get through the 11 episodes that constitute the first two. Pros include Gillian Anderson as an icily competent detective and Jamie Dornan as a dad. The big con is, Jamie Dornan‘s character is a serial killer who targets women. Look, life is full of trade-offs.
“Deadwood” (Seasons 1 & 3 on Amazon, HBO Go/Now)
Yes, David Milch‘s period Western went to that great big sceen in the sky a decade ago. All the more reason to finally check out one of the most powerhouse casts ever assembled (Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant are just the tip of the iceberg) delivering some of the most beautiful dialogue ever uttered. It’s 36 episodes long, and there’s a bit of meandering in the third season, but your brain will thank you.
“Southland” (Seasons 1-5 on Hulu)
Another throwback, but a worthwhile one. See Ben McKenzie (“Gotham”), Regina King (“American Crime,” “The Leftovers”) and Michael Cudlitz (“The Walking Dead”) struggle as L.A. cops in one of the more nuanced police dramas to have existed.
