The Netflix drama box sets hot list: From The Crown to The Stranger - the best TV dramas to binge watch now

Ever since Netflix launched its original content proposition in 2013 with House of Cards, it has disrupted the TV industry with a whole host of critically acclaimed, big-budget dramas.

Netflix Originals like The Crown and Stranger Things have won a whole host of major awards, including the prestigious Emmys and Baftas, while becoming the most-binged box sets on the streaming service.

From long-running series like Orange Is The New Black and the aforementioned House of Cards, to newer shows like Top Boy and The Stranger, we reveal the best TV dramas to watch on Netflix now.

The Stranger

How can I watch it?

All eight episodes of The Stranger season 1 are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

The Stranger - adapted from Harlan Coben's 2015 book of the same name - centres on Adam Price (Richard Armitage), an ordinary man whose life changes when The Stranger tells him a devastating secret about his wife.

Why watch it?

With a cast that includes Armitage, Jennifer Saunders and Siobhan Finneran, The Stranger is definitely one to watch for fans of compelling crime dramas like Traces, Trust Me and The Five.

Top Boy

How can I watch it?

The new series of Top Boy is streaming on Netflix now. Fans or newcomers can also catch up on the first two series of Top Boy, which originally aired on Channel 4, now on Netflix.

What’s it about?

Two seasoned drug dealers return to the gritty streets of London, but their pursuit of money and power is threatened by a young and ruthless hustler.

Why watch it?

The drama has been off screens since 2013, but now Netflix has picked it up to continue Dushane and Sully’s story – and this time, it’s more dangerous than ever.

House of Cards

How can I watch it?

All six seasons of House of Cards are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

The American adaptation of the 1990 British series of the same name follows ruthless politician Frank Underwood in his quest for power in the U.S. political system, ultimately leading him to the White House alongside his equally ambitious wife, Claire.

Why watch it?

Netflix's first ever original content series made other the rest of the TV industry sit up and take notice of the way the tides were changing. It didn't take long because in 2013, Netflix became the first streaming platform to win an Emmy award - for House of Cards, of course.

Orange Is the New Black

How can I watch it?

All seven seasons of Orange Is the New Black are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

Based on the book of the same name, Orange Is the New Black follows a privileged New Yorker who ends up in a women's prison when a past crime catches up with her. Forced to trade power suits for prison orange, Piper Chapman makes her way through the U.S. corrections system and adjusts to life behind bars, making friends with the eccentric, unusual and unexpected inmates.

Why watch it?

One of Netflix's first ever original TV shows, OITNB has been streaming since 2013 - until its seventh and final season premiered in July 2019 to critical acclaim. The show has been praised for its multiracial cast, and for telling the stories of a diverse group of women.

Stranger Things

How can I watch it?

All three seasons of Stranger Things are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

Stranger Things is a sci-fi/horror TV series set in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana. It follows a group of young friends who witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries...

Why watch it?

Created by the Duffer Brothers, the show is an Stranger Things is an unapologetic homage to '80s pop culture and is influenced by the works of Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas and Stephen King.

The Crown

How can I watch it?

All three series of The Crown are streaming on Netflix now. 

What’s it about?

Created by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), The Crown is a royal drama that follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. 

Why watch it?

An awards season darling (it’s won countless Golden Globes, Emmys and BAFTAs), The Crown is Netflix’s biggest budget TV series to date - the first season alone reportedly costing $130 million (£97.4 million) to make.

Narcos

How can I watch it?

Seasons 1-3 of Narcos are streaming on Netflix now, alongside two seasons of spin-off series Narcos: Mexico.

What’s it about?

Narcos is a gritty gangster drama series that's based on the true story of Colombia's infamously violent and powerful drug cartels and its billionaire kingpin, Pablo Escobar.

Why watch it?

Full of stellar performances, tension-filled stand-offs and fast-paced scripts, Narcos was applauded for its true-to-life account of the rise of Pablo Escobar. Real life TV clips, police mug shots and archive footage sets the base of reality in the series, making it even more addictive.

Ozark

How can I watch it?

Seasons 1-3 of Ozark are streaming on Netflix now. Ozark Season 4 Part 1 is also available to watch now, with Part 2 (and the final episodes of the show) arriving later this year. 

What’s it about?

Starring Jason Bateman in the lead role, Ozark follows Marty Byrde, a financial adviser who drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks - where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss. 

Why watch it?

Complex plots, clever twists and gripping performances from Bateman and Laura Linney make Ozark a smart, well-crafted crime drama - one for the Breaking Bad fans.

Black Mirror

How can I watch it?

All five seasons of Black Mirror are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

Created by Charlie Brooker (Screenwipe), Black Mirror is a sci-fi anthology series that explores a twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity's greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.

Why watch it?

Black Mirror is one of the most-talked about sci-fi franchises in recent memory, with every episode in its 23-ep back catalogue speaking directly to society about what could happen in the near future if we allow ourselves to get consumed by technology. 

Jessica Jones

How can I watch it?

All three seasons of Jessica Jones are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Jessica Jones chronicles the life of one of the darker, more mysterious Marvel characters. Haunted by a traumatic past, Jones uses her gifts as a private eye to find her tormentor before he can harm anyone else in New York City.

Why watch it?

The superhero crime drama was released to fan and critical acclaim in 2015, with Krysten Ritter's performance in the lead role widely praised, as well as the depiction of darker topics like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Daredevil

How can I watch it?

All three seasons of Daredevil are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

Another Marvel TV series, Daredevil stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, who fights injustice by day as a blind lawyer - and fights crime at night as a masked vigilante.

Why watch it?

Daredevil sticks tightly to its comic book source material - making it a must-watch superhero origin story for Marvel fans.

Mindhunter

How can I watch it?

Seasons 1-2 of Mindhunter are streaming on Netflix now.

What’s it about?

Based on the true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, the dark psychological thriller is set in the late 1970s and follows two FBI agents who delve into the psychology of murder - and getting uneasily close to all-too-real monsters.

Why watch it?

Mindhunter is directed by David Fincher (Gone Girl, The Social Network) and executive produced by Charlize Theron (Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road).