Netflix has, unfortunately, become known for canceling many of its best shows after three seasons or fewer, but there are other, great shows that were lucky enough to make it to five seasons and even more. Although it now has a lot more competition, Netflix continues to be the most popular streaming platform.
A large part of Netflix’s success has been its wide variety of content, with both licensed and original content. In the latter category, Netflix has brought some of the best TV shows of all time, but it has also become infamous for not letting many of its best shows go past three seasons, with many not even getting to a third.
However, many other great Netflix shows from different genres and for different audiences were lucky enough to get, at the very least, five seasons, with some of them not being over yet.
Lucifer
Six Seasons
Lucifer is a fantasy TV series based on characters from DC Comics, especially the version of Lucifer Morningstar created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg. Lucifer takes the audience to Los Angeles to meet the title character (Tom Ellis), who left Hell and moved to the City of Angels to run his own nightclub.
After finding himself in the middle of a murder investigation, Lucifer becomes a police consultant for the LAPD, working alongside Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). Lucifer aired on Fox for three seasons before its cancellation, after which Netflix picked it up and gave it three more seasons. Its different take on the Devil, the individual cases, and his dynamic with Chloe led to Lucifer’s continued success.
Big Mouth
Eight Seasons
Big Mouth is an adult animated coming-of-age sitcom created by Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett. Big Mouth focuses on a group of middle school teenagers, led by best friends Nick (voiced by Kroll) and Andrew (John Mulaney). Big Mouth follows their individual journeys through puberty and everything that comes with being a teenager, but with a twist.
Guiding them through the many changes they go through are hormone monsters, most notably Maurice (Kroll) and Connie (Maya Rudolph). The kids also deal with supernatural creatures that represent emotions, such as The Shame Wizard and the Depression Kitty. While Big Mouth isn’t for everyone, it’s a fun, unique, and relatable look at the challenges of growing up.
Grace and Frankie
Seven Seasons
Grace and Frankie is a comedy TV series created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris. Grace and Frankie follows the title characters (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, respectively), the former a retired cosmetics mogul, and the latter a hippie, quirky artist. Grace and Frankie are married to divorce lawyers Robert (Martin Sheen) and Sol (Sam Waterston).
Grace and Frankie’s lives take a turn when Robert and Sol reveal they are in love with each other and leaving their wives. As a result, Grace and Frankie are forced to live together, despite not liking each other, and learn to navigate life together, becoming best friends.
Although it had a rough start, with its first season being weak, Grace and Frankie found its own voice and, thanks to its unique charm, lived on for a total of seven seasons.
BoJack Horseman
Six Seasons
BoJack Horseman is an adult animated tragicomedy created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. BoJack Horseman takes the audience to a unique world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist. Set in Hollywood, BoJack Horseman follows the title character (voiced by Will Arnett), an anthropomorphic horse and washed-up 1990s sitcom star dealing with substance use disorder.
BoJack is preparing a comeback with a tell-all autobiography, while struggling with his mental health, the demands of his agent (and ex-girlfriend), a rival, and more. BoJack Horseman is one of the best animated TV shows of all time, and it explores mature themes like depression, addiction, sexuality, and more.
Orange is the New Black
Seven Seasons
Orange is the New Black is a comedy-drama TV show based on the 2010 memoir of the same name by Piper Kerman. Orange is the New Black follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who is sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary for transporting a suitcase full of drugs for her then-girlfriend, as this happened 10 years earlier.
Chapman reunites with that ex-girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), in prison, and along with the other inmates, they do their best to navigate life in prison and the many challenges and injustices in it. Orange is the New Black is one of Netflix’s biggest hits, thanks to its performances, tone, and themes.
You
Five Seasons
You is a psychological thriller TV show based on the novel series by Caroline Kepnes. You centers on Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), a bookstore manager in New York City who meets aspiring writer Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail). Joe becomes obsessed with Guinevere, stalking her and going to great lengths to get rid of anyone who can get in their way.
This is just the beginning of many disturbing behaviors and actions from Joe throughout You’s five seasons. You had its beginnings on Lifetime, but moved to Netflix for its second season and beyond, gaining attention, acclaim, and controversy as well due to Joe’s actions and certain themes.
The Crown
Six Seasons
The Crown is a historical drama TV series created by Peter Morgan. The Crown chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II, from her wedding in 1947 to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to 2005, during the premiership of Tony Blair. Thanks to this timeline, The Crown covers key moments in the history of Queen Elizabeth and the royal family.
Among those events are Elizabeth’s accession after her father’s death, the birth of her children, the wedding of Charles and Lady Diana, and the latter’s death in 1997. Although The Crown isn’t entirely historically accurate, especially in its final seasons, it has been praised for its performances, production value, and writing.
Peaky Blinders
Six Seasons
Peaky Blinders is a historical crime drama TV series created by Steven Knight. Peaky Blinders takes the audience back to 1919, in Birmingham, England, months after the end of the First World War. The show centers on the title street gang, led by cunning crime boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy).
The gang goes from taking part in illicit activities to building a criminal empire that gets the attention of Winston Churchill and Major Chester Campbell (Sam Neill), who is tasked with getting rid of them. Peaky Blinders aired on BBC Two and One, but for its international distribution, it was housed by Netflix, which will also release a movie in the near future.
Black Mirror
Seven Seasons (& Counting)
Black Mirror is a sci-fi anthology TV series created by Charlie Brooker. Due to its format, each episode of Black Mirror is a different story and stars a different cast, though many of them have references to other episodes, thus creating a unique universe. Black Mirror is set in the near future, where technology has advanced a lot.
Each episode explores some of these technological advancements and how they have impacted and changed society, daily life, and more, often with catastrophic and heartbreaking results. Through these stories, Black Mirror comments on current social issues and technology. Black Mirror started on Channel 4 before moving to Netflix for its third season and beyond.
Stranger Things
Five Seasons
One of Netflix’s best and most successful TV shows is ending with its fifth season in 2025. Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is a fantasy horror TV series that takes the audience back to the 1980s, in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. After the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), it’s revealed that Hawkins Lab had been keeping many secrets.
The facility had been experimenting on humans for years and exploring an alternate dimension, through which it unleashed many horrors. Among the lab’s subjects is a young girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who has psychokinetic powers. Together, Eleven and her new friends and allies try to stop the many threats from the other dimension and the human world.
Stranger Things has succeeded thanks to its creative concept, its blend of horror, fantasy, drama, and comedy, 1980s nostalgia, and the performances of its main cast, particularly its young actors.