Netflix’s large catalogue can make choosing a series a challenge. A 2026 guide from Numerama recommends 19 titles currently available on the platform, focusing on a range of genres rather than established classics such as Breaking Bad and Lost.
The selections include animated adventure Astérix et Obélix: Le Combat des Chefs, which follows the Gaulish village as it faces a challenge from Aplusbégalix while druid Panoramix forgets the recipe for his magic potion. The five-episode series is presented as family-friendly animation, with Alain Chabat among its voice cast.
For science fiction, the guide points to Black Mirror, praising its seventh season for bringing renewed emotional depth to the anthology, and The Three-Body Problem, an eight-episode adaptation of Liu Cixin’s novels. The latter links a mysterious virtual-reality headset and the deaths of scientists across different periods, with consequences for humanity’s future. Dark is another choice for viewers drawn to intricate stories, weaving disappearances, family secrets and shifting timelines across three seasons.
The list also features Adolescence, a four-part British drama about the harmful influence social media can have on young people. It follows Jamie, who is arrested for killing a classmate, and is filmed in four continuous takes. Beef offers a darker form of social commentary through the escalating feud between Amy and Danny, while Nobody Wants This takes a gentler approach to romance, following podcaster Joanne and rabbi Noah, played by Kristen Bell and Adam Brody.
Other recommended dramas include The Crown, which fictionalises the British royal family’s history across six seasons, and Borgen, a Danish political series centred on Birgitte Nyborg’s unexpected rise to the premiership. Heartstopper, meanwhile, follows teenagers Charlie and Nick as friendship develops into romance, alongside the lives of their friends.
Comedy and animation round out the selection. Fiasco uses a mockumentary format to follow a troubled film shoot, with Pierre Niney and François Civil, while Cunk on Earth sends Diane Morgan’s Philomena Cunk in search of answers to absurd questions from experts. Rick and Morty is highlighted for its mix of multiverse adventures, dark humour and existential reflection.
The guide also includes Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, about Aang’s effort to master the four elements and restore peace; Sex Education, described as a compassionate take on teenage life and sexual education; and additional titles across the catalogue. The selection is intended to help viewers navigate Netflix’s monthly flow of new series and find options across different moods and genres.
Sources: Numerama.