Netflix has some of the best original programing out there. Between Orange is the New Black, Master of None, The Crown and Stranger Things you almost don’t even need that expensive cable package anymore. That’s especially true when you take into consideration all of the gems the streaming service will be releasing soon.
Before 2018 is over, Netflix has almost 50 original shows set to premire. Some of them are second and third seasons, but others are brand new. Here are the 15 best Netflix original shows in the works. Set your calendars and tune in, or you’re sure to miss out on something great!
15. Sacred Games
The first season of this detective thriller drama is set to be release on July 6th, and if the teaser trailer can be trusted, it’s going to be GOOD. Sacred Games is the first Netflix Original Series from India and boasts an impressive cast list. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte are set to star in the series, which, of course, will be in Hindi with English subtitles available. It’s been compared to House of Cards, and is based off of a best selling novel by Vikram Chandra, but the organized crime show looks a lot more adrenaline-pumping to us.
14. Dogs of Berlin
Dogs of Berlin will be the second Netflix Original series to come out of Berlin. Set to stream later this year, the show tells the story of two Berlin police detective who are forced to become a team in order to keep the Berlin underworld in hand. The two former enemies are forced to confront their own criminal pasts and their personal weaknesses before deciding which side of the law they’ll eventually land on. Think the twisted allegiances in Narcos mixed with the legal drama of Law & Order and you’ll have something close to Dogs of Berlin.
13. Insatiable
Former Disney Channel star Debby Ryan is set to star in the Netflix Original Insatiable which will come out later this year. The show comes from the same writer who did Dexter and Once Upon a Time, and was inspired by the real-life story of a Southern lawyer and beauty pageant coach, Bill Alverson. In the Netflix version, the lawyer-turned-pageant coach agrees to take on Patty (played by Debby Ryan) as a client. Patty is a vengeful, bullied teenager with a plan, and Bill has no idea what he’s stepping into. The dark comedy is also supposed to have Alyssa Miliano as a guest star, and we are stoked to say the least!
12. Raising Dion
If crime dramas aren’t your thing, then you might like Raising Dion more. Based on a short film and comic book of the same name, Raising Dion tells the story of a new widow whose 7-year-old son possesses a whole slew of superpowers (telekinesis and invisibility are both among his abilities). Dennis Liu, who created the story, really wanted the show to focus on the family dynamic — how difficult it would be to raise a child who possesses dangerous abilities while still keeping him safe from exploitation and society’s fear of his powers. It’s also garnering praise for being inclusive and providing necessary opportunities for minority actors. Did we mention Michael B. Jordan is an executive producer and cast member? We’re obsessed already.
11. The Umbrella Academy
Raising Dion isn’t the only comic book based superhero story coming to Netflix this year. The Umbrella Academy was first optioned as a movie before Netflix cut a deal to produce it as a live-action TV show instead. The story revolves around a family of estranged heroes (The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror and Vanya) as they are forced to come together and solve the mystery behind the sudden death of their father. Their differing personalities and various abilities don’t make it an easy task, but with Tom Hopper, David Castaneda, and Ellen Page all attached to the project, it’s sure to turn out alright.
10. The Good Cop
Did you love Monk? Well then we’re sure you’ll love The Good Cop. Created and written by Andy Breckman, who, you guessed it, also created and wrote Monk, this Netflix Original will star Tony Danza and Josh Groban. Danza plays a “disgraced, former NYPD officer who never followed the rules,” while Groban plays his son, “an earnest, obsessively honest NYPD detective who makes a point of always following the rules.” The show won’t be nearly as dark as like a Law & Order: SVU or a CSI, but instead will be more family-friendly and focus on good, old-fashioned puzzle solving.
9. Maniac
Maniac comes from True Detective director Cary Fukunaga and stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone. It’s a re-creation of a Norwegian series of the same name, and tells the story of an institutionalized man who creates a fantasy world for himself in order to escape his much less pleasant reality. While the story sounds as if it could be pretty dark and even a little depressing, a quick look at the two leads tells us that it will probably be anything but. The dark comedy is set to release sometime before the end of the year, but really, it can’t come soon enough.
8. Samantha!
Fans of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will be in for a treat when Netflix releases Samantha! on July 6, 2018. Samantha! will be the first Brazilian comedy released by the streaming service, and the show will follow a child star from the ‘80s who clings tightly to her former fame and concocts a harebrained scheme after harebrained scheme (many involving her less-than-perfect family) to launch herself back into the limelight. The show is rumored to be similar in tone and humor to Kimmy Schmidt, which seems like a tall mark to meet, but we’re eager to give it a shot nonetheless.
7. Disenchantment
If you’ve spent any decent amount of time watching TV then there’s a pretty solid chance that you’ve seen at least one episode of The Simpsons or Futurama. Well, soon enough, you’ll be able to watch another brainchild of the legendary creator Matt Groening on Netflix. Disenchantment is set to begin streaming in August of this year. The animated, adult, fantasy-themed series takes place in a medieval kingdom named Dreamland and follows the alcoholic Princess Bean (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), her “personal demon” Luci, and her elf companion Elfo. Netflix ordered a whopping 20 episodes of this show, so it must be a treat!
6. Green Eggs and Ham
While Dr. Seuss is usually associated with kids five and under, we’re secretly pretty excited for this upcoming Netflix adaptation of the classic Green Eggs and Ham. Ellen DeGeneres is an executive producer of the show, which pretty much guarantees that the humor in the 13 half-hour episodes will appeal to adults as well as small fries. It’s also reported to be the highest-end, most expensive animated program to date, so you know those graphics are going to be good! It sounds like the perfect thing for a Saturday morning, recovery binge. Watch it while nursing that headache, devouring that bacon, egg & cheese, and lounging around in bed.
5. Watership Down
Green Eggs and Ham isn’t the only classic animated series coming to Netflix this year. Watership Down is also set to get a makeover by the streaming giant, in association with the BBC. With a budget of £20 million, the star-studded (James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Sir Ben Kingsley, John Boyega, Daniel Kaluuya and Oliva Coleman are all contributing) reboot is sure to be good. It should follow the classic story of a group of rabbits seeking a new home after the destruction of the warren, which maybe isn’t the most suitable story for kids but will be sure to bring back some serious nostalgia for the rest of us.
4. Nurse Ratched
Fans of American Horror Story, rejoice! Creator Ryan Murphy is bringing another terrifying, blood-chilling story to the small screen. This Netflix Original will focus on the evil, emotionally-distant nurse from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Sarah Paulson will step into the shoes of a younger Nurse Ratched, beginning in 1947 when the Salem State Hospital nightmare first began her career and going all the way through to her reign of terror. Nurse Ratched won’t be for the faint of heart, or for those of us who can’t stand horror shows, but it should still be some quality TV.
3. The Politician
Netflix just announced a new original series titled The Politician, and while we don’t know too much about it yet, we’re so excited for it. Here’s what we do know: it’s a comedy series with hour-long episodes. It’s going to star Ben Platt from Dear Evan Hanson, and both Barbra Streisand and Gwyneth Paltrow are in talks to co-star. It’s going to follow a wealthy Santa Barbara man who has enormous political aspirations, and each season will follow him as he enters a new political race. It also caused quite a bidding war among several networks, so the content must be gold.
2. The Innocents
Finally, you can expect this one on your favorite binge-watching platform sometime this August. The Innocents is an 8-episode teenage drama that deals heavily in the supernatural. It follows two teens, Harry and June, who are wildly in love and have elaborate plans to escape their families and live happily ever after. But then June develops some shapeshifting powers, and has no idea how to control them or use them. This, needless to say, kind of ruins their plans. The introduction of a mysterious doctor named Halvorson also adds to the drama and creates some major questions for characters and audiences alike. It’s sure to be addictive.
1. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Following the wild success of Riverdale, Netflix has decided to release a new original series titled The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The series re-imagines the origins and escapades of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It’s based on an Archie Comics graphic novel series of the same name, and is going to be dark to say the least. Similarly to Riverdale, it will be a coming-of-age story, while also dabbling in horror, the occult, whichcraft, and, of course, teenage drama à la Gossip Girl. We don’t have an official release date yet, but blogs have been buzzing that Netflix might surprise fans with a Halloween release date. So stay tuned!