10 Great Netflix Shows Nobody Talks About Anymore

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More than just pioneering this ongoing era of streaming television, Netflix has maintained its powerhouse position in the industry through its self-produced original programming. This ranges from award season favorites to popular shows that consistently dominate streaming charts worldwide. But the sad inevitability is that not every Netflix show, even those of superior quality, are going to retain audience recognition and relevance after they’ve finished their individual runs. In today’s media landscape, we’re always looking for the next colossal hit, with only a handful of shows enduring in our collective memory.

Even the best prestige television shows don’t get talked about much anymore and Netflix’s earlier original series aren’t immune to this. To be clear, this distinction is no critique on a given show’s quality; they were a hit at one time for well-earned reasons. But in the intervening period since they’ve wrapped production, they just feel like they’ve been taken for granted or forgotten entirely. Here are 10 great Netflix shows that nobody talks about anymore years after their respective endings.

Piper Kerman’s prison memoir “Orange Is the New Black” served as the loose basis for the 2013 dramedy of the same name. The show starts with upper-middle class Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) beginning her prison sentence for transporting drug money on behalf of her ex-girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). Piper receives a hard reality check on the privilege she’s accustomed to as she serves out her sentence and acclimates to life in prison. As the inmates contend with a corrupt system mistreating and exploiting them, the backgrounds of the other characters are gradually explored.

Before you watch “Orange Is the New Black,” know that the term dramedy really doesn’t do the show’s description justice. There are certainly laughs to be had, but the series can get quite dramatic and raw in the tones that it explores. In its early seasons, the show felt like one of the most must-watch programs on television, regardless of platform. Nowadays, years after its 2019 series finale, “Orange Is the New Black” is hardly recognized for getting Netflix original programming off the ground.

One of Netflix’s most lavish early original productions was the period piece drama “Marco Polo,” which premiered in late 2014. The show stars Lorenzo Richelmy as the titular 13th century explorer from Venice who arrives in the court of Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan (Benedict Wong). Marco quickly discovers how treacherous life in this foreign empire can be, even between members of the royal family. As Kublai Khan struggles to maintain power, Marco strikes up a forbidden romance with Princess Kokachin (Zhu Zhu) despite her arranged marriage.

Even though “Marco Polo” was cancelled by Netflix after two seasons, the series brought a sweeping historical saga to life within its short span. The regal intrigue and just sheer attention to detail in bringing Kublai Khan’s court to life was an impressive production feat in itself. The show essentially made an international star of Benedict Wong, whose career became much more high-profile after his intense performance as Khan. Though hindered by its truncated length, “Marco Polo” signaled that Netflix was sparing no expense in producing top-notch original shows.

After working together on “30 Rock,” Tina Fey and Robert Carlock created the Netflix comedy series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Ellie Kemper plays the title character, a young woman rescued from a doomsday cult sequestered in a bunker for 15 years. Relocating to Manhattan, Kimmy gets a job as a nanny for self-absorbed socialite Jacqueline Voorhees (Jane Krakowski), befriending her landlady Lillian Kaushtupper (Carol Kane) and roommate Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess). Together, the ensemble embarks on ridiculous antics around the city as Kimmy grows up and learns about modern society.

Running for four seasons from 2015 to 2019, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” retained a lot of the comedic sensibilities that Fey and Carlock brought to “30 Rock.” The Netflix series veers more into the surreal than the pair’s previous work, but the rapid-fire joke pacing and cutaway gags are maintained. “Kimmy Schmidt” returned to Netflix with an interactive special, serving as a coda to the main series. One of the funniest original shows produced by Netflix, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” always makes for a spectacular viewing.

’70s domesticity is thoroughly skewered in the animated sitcom “F Is for Family,” created by Bill Burr and Michael Price. The show centers on the Murphy family living in suburban Pennsylvania in the mid ’70s headed by its hot-headed patriarch Frank (Burr). Frank tries to provide for his family working as a luggage handler at a local airport, navigating his relationship with his wife Sue (Laura Dern) and their children. This includes teenage son Kevin (Justin Long) who comes of age while maintaining a contentious (and downright hilarious) dynamic with his father.

Compared to “The Simpsons,” which Price has worked on for years as a writer and producer, “F Is for Family” is a much more grounded family-centric sitcom. The various suburban archetypes are still present, but there is a real sense of consequence to everyone’s actions and the relationships carry much more emotional weight. In that sense, the show is a subversion of how we’ve grown accustomed to animated family comedies, bringing the laughs but with a noticeable bite to them. “F Is for Family” ran for five seasons at Netflix, showing a family trying to do right and better by each other, even as their foibles got in the way.

The 2015 Netflix series “Sense8” is an exploration into empathy and emotional connectivity on a globe-spanning scale. The show follows a group of eight individuals from around the world with no discernible shared history that suddenly become psychically intertwined. This ensemble not only is able to telepathically communicate with each other and sense each other’s emotions, but can share their knowledge and experiences. This development is undercut by the discovery that a sinister organization is hunting them, forcing them to work together to survive.

“Sense8” is created by the Wachowskis and “Babylon 5” creator J. Michael Straczynski, all of whom bring a strong history (and mastery) of sci-fi storytelling to the project. The series takes advantage of its global scope while maintaining a cinematic-level presentation that elevates the entire production. Thematically, the show is a celebration of diversity and cooperation with conspiracy thriller stakes to keep audiences riveted. One of the most underrated sci-fi shows of all time, “Sense8” is a two-season gem with a unique narrative hook.

The drug war in Colombia serves as the backdrop for the 2015 crime thriller “Narcos,” depicting real-life figures involved in the conflict. As drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) rises to power, DEA agent Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) arrives in Colombia to help stop the flow of cocaine into the United States. He is joined by fellow agent Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal) as Escobar’s drug empire explodes like wildfire. The show’s third and final season depicts Peña dealing with the cartel leaders that try to take advantage of the void left by Escobar’s downfall.

Tautly paced and anchored by strong performances from Pascal and Moura, in particular, “Narcos” is a riveting crime thriller. Though the show plays fast and loose with the historical details, the story itself is darkly entertaining throughout its three-season run. The series received its own spin-off series in 2018, with “Narcos: Mexico,” which also ran for three seasons. A more character-focused take on the war on drugs with high-octane flourishes, “Narcos” is a thoroughly satisfying crime show that helped catapult Netflix to a whole new level.

The 2016 musical series “The Get Down” explores the rise of hip hop and disco in New York City in the late ’70s. The show has orphaned teenager Zeke Figuero (Justice Smith) team up with local DJ Shaolin Fantastic (Shameik Moore) to form their own musical group with Zeke’s friends. As Zeke’s career gets more serious, he has to choose between focusing on it or his budding romance with singer Mylene Cruz (Herizen F. Guardiola). Throughout the juxtaposition of love and music, the characters have to contend with the rough realities of living in the Bronx.

“The Get Down” is a drama by Baz Luhrmann, who previously showcased his stylish musical filmmaking talents with “Moulin Rouge.” The jump to the Bronx in the 1970s suits him well and the young cast each bring an earnestness that elevates the series. Smith and Moore, in particular, stand out among the ensemble, while the musical numbers are undeniably catchy. Though it only ran for one season, “The Get Down” is one of the most unique and vibrant series Netflix ever produced.

The 2002 cyberpunk novel “Altered Carbon” by Richard K. Morgan got an ambitious adaptation in 2018. Set centuries into the future, those wealthy enough can preserve their consciousnesses digitally in devices that can be implanted into new bodies, effectively granting them a relative immortality. The show follows mercenary Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), who is tasked with solving his employer’s murder in exchange for a chance to start a new life. The second and final season is set 30 years later, with Kovacs in a new body (Anthony Mackie) and searching for his long-lost love who led an unsuccessful rebellion.

Richly imagined and executed, “Altered Carbon” is a show that lives and breathes in an immersive cyberpunk atmosphere. The series’ mystery-oriented narrative provides Kovacs, and the audience, with a neo-noir tour of its 24th century world. And it’s clear that Netflix spared no expense in adapting Morgan’s work for television, with the show’s production values rivaling major Hollywood feature films. One of the best sci-fi shows streaming on Netflix, “Altered Carbon” balances sci-fi grandeur with an intriguingly personal story.

One of the best Netflix limited series ever made is the 2017 Western “Godless,” written, directed, and executive produced by filmmaker Scott Frank. The story centers on the frontier town of La Belle, which lost much of its male populace after a horrific mining accident. The recovering community encounters fugitive outlaw Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), who’s being pursued by his gang for the loot he stole from them. As the murderous band, headed by merciless Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), sets their sights on La Belle, the women make their stand against the bloodthirsty outlaws.

Scott Frank knows how to really sit back and let the landscape capture the mood in delivering his story to the screen. That distinction gives “Godless” a sweeping cinematic quality, carefully paced over the course of seven episodes. The ensemble cast all do great work, from Daniels playing against type as a grim villain to Merritt Wever and Michelle Dockery as two prominent women in the community poised to defend it. A grounded and gritty revisionist Western, “Godless” is one of the best Western TV shows of all time.

Tightly choreographed martial arts action and East Asian mysticism and magic fuel the hard-hitting 2019 series “Wu Assassins.” Set in modern San Francisco, the show has chef Kai Jin (Iko Uwais) accept his destiny as a Wu Assassin, supernaturally empowered by the collective souls of 1,000 monks. Now boasting superhuman abilities, including upgraded fighting skills, Jin takes on mob bosses who are similarly enhanced by the five elements in their bid for power. Joining our hero on his quest are Lu Xin Lee (Lewis Tan) and Tommy Wah (Lawrence Kao), who are tied up in the local Triads’ activities in San Francisco.

While gently recognizing how fantastical its premise is, “Wu Assassins” more than delivers on the action front with its impressive fight sequences. Both Uwais and Tan, in particular, are experts in executing the martial arts spectacle while firmly retaining the audience’s attention in more dramatic scenes. The “Wu Assassins” team reunited for the Netflix original movie “Fistful of Vengeance,” with the 2022 film continuing the story where the series left off. But since then, the show has fallen out of wider public recognition even though it provided the streaming service with one of its best original martial arts series.