WhenNetflix’sstreaming service first launched, it fundamentally changed what television was. In the years since, the streaming service has become the home to so many shows that I find it impossible to keep track. What shows are worth watching, which ones aren’t, and how long will they remain relevant?
This week, we’ve pulled together three great, deeply underrated shows that are well worth your time, each for very different reasons.
Need more recommendations? Then check out thebest new shows to stream this week, as well as thebest shows on Netflix, thebest shows on Hulu, thebest shows on Amazon Prime Video, thebest shows on HBO Max, and thebest shows on Disney+.
Building the Band (2025-)
One of the smartest reality competition series to air on Netflix,Building the Bandfollows musicians who, as contestants, receive the chance to form bands of their own, auditioning one another. As the bands begin to solidify, they discover just how difficult it is to meld musical styles, personalities, and performance types.
The show has celebrity panels who help and advise, butBuilding the Bandturns an almost radical amount of power over to its contestants, and you’ll ultimately find yourself deeply invested in the bands that they form.
You can watchBuilding the Bandon Netflix.
Mom (2013-2021)
It never had the ratings ofThe Big Bang Theory, butMomwas arguably the superior CBS sitcom. What was most surprising aboutMomwas the way the series managed to meld its most serious ideas with genuine comedy.
The series follows a struggling single mother who is also a recovering alcoholic as her mom, another recovering alcoholic, waltzes back into her life.Momtook addiction seriously, and Anna Faris and Allison Janney were both up to the task of playing complex characters. Without fail,Momwas also deeply funny, and that’s why it works.
You can watchMomon Netflix.
House of Lies (2012-2016)
Although it was never the most popular prestige comedy of its era,House of Lieswas nonetheless a dark and funny series with an all-star cast. The show follows a group of consultants who are deeply clever and convince corporations of all kinds to pay for services from them that they almost definitely don’t need.
Led by Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, this ensemble comedy was a little bit of a precursor to shows likeSuccession, although the characters on this show aren’t quite that wealthy. Unfortunately, though, they might be just as depraved, and that’s what makes them so entertaining.
