When it rolled outHouse of Cardsback in 2013, Netflix up and changed the TV game. Since then, the terms "binge-watch" and "Netflix and chill" have entered the cultural lexicon, competition in the streaming universe has gotten intense (the latest entry:Apple), and Netflix has dramatically increased its output of originals, releasing what seems like a dozen new shows and movies a week.
As is the case with good old-fashioned television channels, some Netflix original series arebetter than others. We took the liberty of ranking every Netflix original show, with the following conditions: no kids shows, no foreign-language series (even if created by Netflix -- sorry, Sacred Games), no miniseries (such as Godless), no sketch comedy shows (like W/ Bob and David), and no nonfiction programming. Additionally, every series had to be a "true" Netflix original -- so none of those shows, likeChewing Gum andThe End of the F***ing World, that are vexingly stamped with the Originals logo but aired in other countries first. Finally, we only looked at shows that began life on Netflix (which is why Arrested Development and MST3K don't appear). Got it? Then on to the ranking.