Finding new shows to watch on Netflix doesn’t necessarily mean you need to navigate to the “New and Popular” tab on your app. Sometimes, there are underrated shows that you may not find on popularity charts or get buried under the millions of shows available to stream.

If you’re looking for short, underrated gems on Netflix that you can finish streaming within a weekend (in most cases), these ten shows are a good starter pack. While some of these shows are ongoing or incomplete, they’re still extremely entertaining to watch.

10

Maniac

A Hallucinatory Trip and a Star-Studded Cast

Maniac is a black comedy psychological miniseries starring Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, and Justin Theroux. This Netflix Original limited series revolves around a mysterious pharmaceutical trial in which 12 people participate, including the protagonists, Annie Landsberg and Owen Milgrim. Both have their own demons that they wish to fight by participating in this trial, which uses pills to cure anything about the mind, as claimed by the inventor. The three-day trial claims to have no ill side effects or complications for the participants, but soon, things go awry, and the participants go through hallucinatory trips that change the course of the trial.

Maniac has been praised for its vivid visuals and narrative, as well as the performances by the lead actors. It received several award nominations, including for Emma Stone’s performance in the lead role.

9

Fisk

A Criminally Underrated Law Comedy

For a dose of comedy that you can start streaming and watch at a slow pace (or finish in a weekend), Fisk is a great starting point. This Australian comedy series, co-created and co-written by comedian Kitty Flanagan, who also stars as the main character Helen Tudor-Fisk, depicts the life of a lawyer who returns to her hometown of Melbourne. After her marriage and career fall apart in Sydney, Helen joins a small, suburban law firm after her dazzling corporate law career, while simultaneously navigating obstacles in her personal life.

Fisk won four awards, including two AACTA awards for Best Television Comedy Series and Best Comedy Performer. While Season 3 of Fisk has been released, it is yet to stream on Netflix.

8

Tires

Friction Between Oil Changes At the Auto Shop

Looking for a short and light weekend watch? Tires is a sitcom and Netflix Original show starring Shane Gills and Steve Gerben, who are also the creators of the show. Tires tells the story of Will, who manages his family’s auto-repair chain after inheriting it from his father. Will has to learn to navigate this responsibility, increase profits and keep customers happy, despite the trouble created by his cousin and now employee, Shane.

Tires has been renewed for a second season, which is anticipated to drop in June this year. You can finish Season 1 of this laid-back sitcom in about two to three hours, making it a perfect light watch for your next weekend.

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7

Crashing

A Messy Motley Crew of Youngsters Grow Together

Another Netflix Original sitcom, which you can breeze through in one day, is Crashing. Created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Crashing follows the lives of six 20-year-olds who become housemates in a disused hospital, safeguarding the place in exchange for cheap rent. The six characters navigate their personal and love lives as they are faced with the new challenge of living life as adults, while living with strangers in a dilapidated building.

Initially airing in January 2016 on Channel 4, Crashing streamed on Netflix between 2016 and 2017 as a Netflix Original series.

6

Cable Girls

A Period Drama With a Critical Message

Cable Girls (Spanish: Las Chicas Del Cable) is a Spanish period drama set in late 1920s Madrid. It tells the story of four young women who work as operators at Spain’s first telecommunications company, motivated by different purposes, including supporting their family and gaining independence. These ladies, dubbed the “cable girls,” must face several hardships in a male-dominated society while making strides in their newly established careers.

Cable Girls won four awards, including the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Scripted Television Series (Spanish Language). While the show itself stretches for six parts (with the final season being divided into two parts), you can easily binge-watch each part over a weekend.

5

Secret City

A Web of Conspiracies With a Time Bomb

Secret City is an Australian political drama with a fast-paced plot and gripping narrative that has you hooked from the get-go. Based on the novels The Marmalade Files, The Mandarin Code, and The Shadow Game by Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis, the story follows senior political journalist Harriet Dunkley as she uncovers a “secret city” of conspiracies. Amid tensions between Australia and China, she has to navigate the conspiracies that threaten her career, life, and lives of many innocent Australians.

Secret City won four Australian film and television awards, including a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress. Season 2 of Secret City picks up where Season 1 left off, this time focusing on a military conspiracy. With only six episodes per season, Secret City is a quick yet thrilling watch.

4

Queen Sono

A Classic Spy Thriller With Personal Stakes

Queen Sono is a South African crime thriller which follows a highly skilled and trained spy, Queen Sono, who has to take on an extremely dangerous mission as she grapples with problems in her personal life. She has to find the truth behind her mother’s death as she is caught in a web of conspiracies involving politics and businesses, as her loyalties are tested.

Queen Sono has been praised for its thrilling pace, action sequences and fight choreography. It’s a fun spy thriller series with only six episodes, which you can finish in half a day. Unfortunately, despite good reviews, the series was cancelled by Netflix due to production obstacles faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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3

Russian Doll

Too Many Layers to Peel Back

If you love the time loop trope with a generous serving of comedy, then Russian Doll is the perfect watch for your next Netflix streaming session. Created by Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll stars Lyonne as Nadia, a woman who is stuck in a time loop on the night of her 36th birthday party. The loop is reset every time she dies, restarting in a washroom where she is looking into the mirror. As she navigates the time loop and dies in various, gruesome ways, she meets a man named Alan, who seems to be stuck in a similar time loop as Nadia.

Russian Doll won three Creative Arts Emmys, with Lyonne being nominated for her role as Nadia at the Emmys for the “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series” award. The second season takes us through another eccentric adventure that Nadia is thrown into, a few days away from celebrating her 40th birthday, this time time-travelling into her mother’s young body. A third season is speculated to be in the works, with no confirmation on a release date.

2

Crazyhead

An Unlikely Duo of Demon Hunters

Comedy and horror can go hand in hand if executed well, and Crazyhead is a testament to that. Written by BAFTA winner Howard Overman, the story tells the story of two best friends, Amy and Raquel, as they embark on an eccentric demon-hunting journey. Amy is able to see demons and ghouls as they roam the earth, and Raquel is a self-proclaimed demon hunter equipped with eBay weapons to fight demons. As they navigate a weird friendship and their personal demons, the two also set out to exorcise demons.

Crazyhead has been praised by critics for its perfect blend of comedy and horror, as well as the performances of the two lead actresses. Despite high praise, the show has been cancelled, with six episodes available to stream on Netflix.

1

Godless

One Man in No Man’s Land With Revenge on His Tail

If you’re a big fan of Western dramas, then Godless is a must-watch for a short weekend watch. Set in 1884, the story follows Roy Goode, an outlaw who is being chased by his mentor since Roy betrayed the brotherhood. He ends up in a small mining town in New Mexico, but this is no man’s land: it is a place almost fully inhabited and governed by women. The townspeople of the mining town, La Belle, band together to defend Roy against his revenge-thirsty mentor and his gang.

The show has been praised for its unique take on western dramas, set apart by its female ensemble in a traditionally male-focused genre. Godless won three Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. It has received high praise from critics, making the cut to several top shows of 2017 lists.

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Netflix has many hidden gem movies for you to discover, with a good starting place being lists by Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. You can also use Netflix’s secret codes to discover new and underrated content from your favorite genres and different languages. I also use Reddit to discover underrated shows that normally fly under my recommendation radar.