Five TV Shows To Try If You’re Feeling Some Strong Netflix Fatigue

Tired of rewatching the same three shows over and over again? I've got you. (NOTE: this is for the Editorial Fellowship.)

It happens every year (or even multiple times a year) - you've exhausted your Netflix watchlist, and you swear that if you rewatch Tiger King one more time, you’re probably going to start parading around in a flower crown and using questionable catchphrases. The same four shows pop up on your recommendations page, and you’re stuck for what to watch upon finishing them. It’s frustrating, and oftentimes the boredom can be almost too much.

If you’re one of the many searching for something new, here’s some picks you may like, based on some popular Netflix hits.

If you like Umbrella Academy…

Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix

...try Misfits!

Channel Four Television

I know what you’re thinking: Wait, there’s another TV show about quirky social outcasts with superpowers that stars Robert Sheehan (aka everybody’s favorite dysfunctional sad boy Klaus)?

There is, and it’s glorious.

Rather than a group of siblings, Misfits follows five juvenile delinquents brought together by a freak electrical storm that grants each of them superpowers in the midst of menial community service. It has a distinctly more British flavor than The Umbrella Academy, but the humor and eccentricity of the same type remain, making for a perfect follow-up once you’ve finished bingeing TUA’s second season.

All five seasons of the show are available to stream on Hulu.

If you like Eurovision: The Story of the Fire Saga…

Netflix

...try Flight of the Conchords!

HBO

Musical films and television shows are abundant in this day and age, but where else can you find the goofy irreverence of Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams’ Fire Saga in musical form?

Look no further than Flight of the Conchords, a 2007 sitcom that features songs about everything from robots, David Bowie, and evil exes to a rap persona called the Hiphopopotamus. (No, seriously.)

Conchords stars Jemaine Clement (Moana, What We Do in the Shadows) and Bret McKenzie as fictionalized versions of themselves, trying to make it as a two man band in New York City. Also starring Rhys Darby (What We Do in the Shadows, Jumanji) and Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers), the show mirrors Eurovision’s scenery chewing and over-the-top comedic antics, and both seasons are available to stream now on HBO Max.

If you like Schitt’s Creek…

Pop TV

...try Mozart in the Jungle!

Amazon Video

If you love the eccentric, screwball comedy of Dan Levy’s family comedy, but also the heart and warmth at its center, Mozart in the Jungle is the way to go. Based on the book by Blair Tindall, Mozart stars Lola Kirke (sister of Girls star Jemina Kirke) as a hopeful oboe player hired to assist the New York Symphony’s eccentric new conductor, played by Gael Garcia Bernal (Coco, Y Tu Mama Tambien). Like Schitt’s Creek, it’s one part family story, one part romance, and one part drama about what it means to be successful, with the added bonus of a host of high-profile guest stars and series regulars, including Bernadette Peters, Wallace Shawn, and Malcolm McDowell.

It was (rather unfairly) cancelled before it could wrap up, but you can stream all four seasons of the show on Amazon Prime.

If you like Down to Earth with Zac Efron…

Netflix

...try Long Way Round!

Charley Boorman

Starring Jedi Master/award-winning-actor Ewan McGregor, Long Way Round mirrors Down to Earth’s exploration of world traveling beyond what is shown in shiny brochures, with the addition of traveling via motorcycle instead of by plane. Along with friend and fellow actor Charley Boorman, McGregor travels from London to New York City the titular “long way round” - through Europe and Asia, over to Alaska, and down through North America. The series reads much like a contemporary vlog series more than a polished travel documentary, breakdowns and injuries and all, and is prime for anyone looking for travel documentaries that feature more than just the best places to eat and see the sights.

Long Way Round (along with its follow up series, Long Way Down) is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

If you like You…

Netflix

...try Paranoid!

Netflix

Suspense can be everything when you’re locked up inside, wanting to feel more than the listlessness we’ve all been feeling, and Netflix has plenty of crime dramas and thrillers to supply that feeling in excess. Like many British crime serials, Paranoid tells the story of a police unit striving to find the killer of an innocent victim, but goes beyond the standard “killer of the week” format to explore just what kind of emotional toll an investigation can incur. Starring Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther) and Robert Glenister (Law & Order: UK), Paranoid mirrors You in its emotionally complex, tense turns of events, that take viewers across Europe and back in a suspenseful international search that turns out to be much bigger than a simple hit and run.

All eight episodes of Paranoid are available to stream on Netflix.