Netflix has a library problem. The streamer turns new series into major events almost immediately. But that success buries other titles. Some of those forgotten shows were excellent. A new list rounds up six of them. It is called 6 Near-Perfect Netflix Series Nobody Remembers.
The list covers comedies, dramas and science fiction. The shows ran from 2015 to 2019. None of them lasted long enough to satisfy their fans. The list argues that quality never matched their fame. These shows deserved more attention than they got.
The Cancelled Comedy That Still Hurts
Santa Clarita Diet ran from 2017 to 2019 on Netflix. The show follows Sheila and Joel Hammond. They live in Santa Clarita. Both are real-estate agents. Drew Barrymore plays Sheila. Timothy Olyphant plays Joel. Their ordinary life breaks apart when Sheila dies and comes back. She develops a taste for human flesh.
The show does not become a standard horror comedy. Instead, it focuses on Joel helping his wife manage her new condition. He tries to keep their family together. Their relationship is the core of the series. Sheila gains confidence and freedom from her change. Joel grows tense as bodies and lies pile up. The show stays grounded in their love for each other. They go to extreme lengths to make things work.
The violence never overwhelms the family story. The list says the show deserved more than three seasons. Its cancellation still feels like a betrayal to fans.
A Murder Mystery With No Reliable Narrator
Alias Grace came out in 2017. It is a miniseries based on a Margaret Atwood novel. The story comes from a real 19th-century murder case. Sarah Gadon plays Grace Marks, an Irish servant who has spent years in prison. She was convicted of murdering her employer Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery. Paul Gross plays Kinnear. Anna Paquin plays Montgomery.
Grace claims she remembers nothing about the murders. Dr. Simon Jordan begins interviewing her. Edward Holcroft plays Jordan. He wants to determine what actually happened. The audience only knows what Grace tells them. She describes coming to Canada. She talks about working as a servant. She recounts her friendship with Mary Whitney, played by Rebecca Liddiard. She explains how she ended up at Kinnear’s household.
The show never guarantees Grace is telling the truth. She appears weak yet clever at the same time. Viewers never fully trust her. That uncertainty makes the show more interesting than a simple mystery. Jordan and the audience eventually realize each person has their own version of Grace. She cannot be reduced to any single one of them.
The six episodes make the case feel clearer. But Grace stays hard to pin down. That is the point of the show.
The Sitcom That Broke Its Own Rules
Lady Dynamite ran from 2016 to 2017. It is one of the strangest sitcoms Netflix has made. Maria Bamford stars as a version of herself. She returns to Los Angeles after months away. She was recovering from a mental breakdown. Maria wants to start her comedy career again. She wants to date again. She wants to build a new life.
The show does not tell that story in a normal way. It jumps between different versions of Maria’s life. One version is too ambitious before her breakdown. Another version is the present-day Maria learning her limits. These periods look and behave differently. Her changing state of mind shapes the show’s structure.
Episodes include breaks in the fourth wall. There are false sitcoms and celebrity cameos. There are strange fantasies. All of it helps the audience understand Maria. The show has a clear character arc across two seasons. Maria learns to accept who she really is. The list says no other Netflix comedy has felt this authentic to its protagonist’s way of seeing the world.
The Science Fiction Epic That Got Cut Short
Sense8 ran from 2015 to 2018. It came before Netflix built its reputation for ambitious shows. Lana and Lilly Wachowski created it with J. Michael Straczynski. The show follows eight strangers across the world. They suddenly become mentally connected. They can see and feel what the others experience. They can share those moments.
The eight characters do not understand the connection at first. That confusion drives the early story. The show finds clever ways for the characters to meet. Eventually, it stops telling eight separate stories. The group begins living one shared life. They step into each other’s situations when someone needs help.
A larger conspiracy gives the show its thriller plot. The Biological Preservation Organization is the enemy. But fans remember the group and their bond. The show has its science fiction moments. Its real strength is the arc of the group. Some of the best scenes show all eight characters sharing one moment. That required strong work from the cast.
Netflix canceled Sense8 after two seasons. Fan backlash followed.
Why Good Shows Get Buried
The list makes a simple point. Quality does not determine how long a show stays in the public mind. Netflix promotes some titles heavily. Others get lost in the noise. That has nothing to do with how good they are.
Santa Clarita Diet ended after three seasons. Lady Dynamite was unique. It never broke through. Sense8 ended after two seasons despite fan backlash.
The list calls these shows near-perfect. That is a strong word. But the evidence supports it. Each one did something different. Each one earned its audience. None of them got the long run they deserved.
What These Shows Share
These four shows took risks. They trusted their audiences. They did not follow formulas. They also struggled to find lasting fame. That is the pattern the list identifies.
Netflix gains from its large number of shows. It also suffers from it. New shows arrive constantly. Old shows get pushed aside. These four shows are examples of that pattern.
Each one has its own appeal. Each one rewards a second look. That is the point of the list. These shows may be forgotten by the wider audience. But they are too good to stay that way.
Where to Start Watching
Santa Clarita Diet is the most fun. Alias Grace is the most thoughtful. Lady Dynamite is the most unusual. Sense8 is the most ambitious. Each one offers something different.
The list makes a case for each show. It does not exaggerate them. It just says they deserved better. That is a fair argument. These shows had quality. They had devoted fans. They did not have long lives. That gap is worth remembering.
Netflix has changed how television works. It has also changed how shows disappear. A show can be excellent and still vanish. These four prove that. They are worth seeking out. They are worth remembering.
Key Facts
- Santa Clarita Diet — Netflix, 2017 to 2019, three seasons
- Alias Grace — Netflix, 2017, six episodes
- Lady Dynamite — Netflix, 2016 to 2017, two seasons
- Sense8 — Netflix, 2015 to 2018, two seasons
Show Comparison
| Show | Kind | Years | Seasons | Main Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clarita Diet | Comedy | 2017–2019 | 3 | Horror mixed with a real marriage |
| Alias Grace | Drama | 2017 | 1 | Unreliable narrator |
| Lady Dynamite | Comedy | 2016–2017 | 2 | Structure shows the main character’s mind |
| Sense8 | Science Fiction | 2015–2018 | 2 | Large cast and strong connection |
None of these shows got a long run. That is the common thread. They all ended too soon for their fans. The list says they were near-perfect. That is a strong claim. But the shows back it up.
Source: collider.com
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