Winter is COMING! What should I watch on Netflix?

October 2, 2014 11:29 AM

Just got Canadian Netflix - loving it. But I need some help choosing what to watch this winter. Must satisfy both me and my guy....

Things I've been watching on my own and LOVE:
*Veronica Mars
*Miss Marple
*Any UK made murder mystery shows

Things myself and my other half have watched together and really enjoyed:
*The Fall
*Breaking Bad

We JUST started watching The Killing and we are loving that. Now we need to decide what to go for next. I hear great things about Orange is the New Black and The Good Wife. These are for SURE on my list of "must sees". I also know about House of Cards, but I'm more interested in the things I haven't likely heard of and wouldn't necessarily choose while flicking through Netflix. (The Fall fits that category - someone mentioned it in passing and turned me onto it)
I really enjoy crime dramas and murder mysteries. Also interesting documentaries are welcome... I just watched the Lance Armstrong one and was disappointed.

(Also, I know I'm about 10 years late to Veronica Mars, but no spoilers please!! Also, hopefully this indicates I'm not averse to really OLD seasons of things that I probably missed the first time around)

So - what are your recommendations for less obvious Netflix series that you just love?

posted by JenThePro to Media & Arts (40 answers total)

Lilyhammer. This is the first Netflix exclusive series and I cannot understand why it doesn't have the attention of OITNB and House of Cards.
posted by Tanizaki at 11:38 AM on October 2, 2014

If you didn't know, InstantWatcher has a 'Canada only' search feature!

I recommend checking out The Riches. It only got 1.5 seasons due to the writer's strike, but the first season, at least, is well worth watching. It stars Eddie Izzard as a wandering Traveler con man!
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:38 AM on October 2, 2014

Sherlock
posted by hazel79 at 11:42 AM on October 2, 2014

I was probably the target age audience for Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it came out but I watched it a few years ago on Netflix. I bet you'd really enjoy it!
posted by radioamy at 11:47 AM on October 2, 2014

Sorry if these suggestions don't apply to your tastes. I don't currently have Netflix, but earlier this year I enjoyed:

Documentary: Beauty is Embarrassing. It's about the guy who did the art for Pee Wee's playhouse and a lot more.

Film: If you like British comedy, "The Trip" is hilarious.

I also saw a few episodes of Lilyhammer and enjoyed them.
posted by oceanview at 11:51 AM on October 2, 2014

Carnivale
posted by Cosine at 11:53 AM on October 2, 2014

Prison Break will be good for both you and your guy. Not sure if the canadian version has it, but it's a good thrilling drama with enough violence for a guys liking as well. My husband and I both really enjoyed it.

Oh - Orphan Black! Uk series, interesting mystery/drama about a girl who finds out she is a clone. Really, really great.
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 11:53 AM on October 2, 2014

Documentary wife, un-hung hero is funny and interesting.
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 11:54 AM on October 2, 2014

Top Gear
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2014

Danish/Swedish version of The Bridge, called Broen/Bron.

The Wire. It's worth the hype, and it's worth the time.
posted by barnone at 11:56 AM on October 2, 2014

Foyle's War is a show about English police work set during WWII.
posted by ODiV at 12:07 PM on October 2, 2014

This past year I've watched and thoroughly enjoyed Sherlock, Archer, The Misfits, Hemlock Grove, Californication, Jericho, Trailer Park Boys, The IT Crowd, Mad Men, Dexter, The Walking Dead, House of Cards, Fargo (filmed in my neighborhood!), and True Detective (not on Netflix, but worth finding).
posted by tatiana131 at 12:08 PM on October 2, 2014

Top of the Lake is a great mystery set in New Zealand. Peggy from Mad Men (Elizabeth Moss) is the star. It's only six or seven parts. Oh wait. I cannot definitively state whether it is available on CANADIAN Netflix. There are rumoured to be ways around such constraints, however.

*disappears into shadows*
posted by joelhunt at 12:10 PM on October 2, 2014

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries! So much fun.
posted by PussKillian at 12:13 PM on October 2, 2014

Bletchley Circle, Wallander (any), George Gently, and the original House of Cards. Seconding The Bridge (Danish/Swedish).

Last time I checked Canadian Netflix, Top of the Lake wasn't available, but it might be now.

Life on Mars (UK) is not on Canadian Netflix but it's really very good.
posted by methroach at 12:16 PM on October 2, 2014

Oh, and how could I forget Luther?
posted by methroach at 12:17 PM on October 2, 2014

I just watched Top of the Lake and I think it would appeal to lovers of The Fall (which I also loved). And if you can handle subtitles and a little more violence, Spiral is fantastic as well and somewhat in that same vein.
posted by rainbowbrite at 12:18 PM on October 2, 2014

Sounds like you'd enjoy Midsomer Murders quite a bit.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:38 PM on October 2, 2014

The West Wing finally made it to Canadian Netflix, but maybe that's too obvious. Other favourite series include Lie To Me and Numb3rs. Also the first few (3 or so?) seasons of Bones, but the quality drops off there after a while.
posted by cgg at 12:39 PM on October 2, 2014

Nikita (the 2010-2013 CW version) - if you liked Veronica Mars I think you'd really enjoy this.

Fringe is also fantastic if a little more out there, as is Warehouse 13.
posted by *becca* at 1:04 PM on October 2, 2014

Is Firefly still on there? If so, that! Once you're done that: Serenity.
posted by backwards guitar at 1:09 PM on October 2, 2014

Nthing Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. So freaking FUN!

We're doing a nose to tail re-watch of Star Trek. We watch one episode per night, even the truly terrible ones. We're at the tail end of season 3 of TOS, so you know it's been a real slog.

Moving on to ST-TNG, then Voyager, DS9 and Enterprise. Husbunny wants to do the movies too...I can do 2, 3 and 4, but I'm out after that. (NO WAY I'm doing 1 without a book or something.)

Another good one is the news Scooby Doo Mysteries-Mystery Incorporated. Hilarious and weird.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:22 PM on October 2, 2014

If you are willing to watch on your laptop (or anything that runs Chrome) rather than a smart tv, you can use the Hola chrome extension to access the Netflix of other countries, with other selections. Through that, i've been watching and loving Nurse Jackie (only available on netflix UK), as well as just a generally larger selection of movies on Netflix US.
posted by Kololo at 2:06 PM on October 2, 2014

Hola works with Firefox too, and I second using it. Canadian netflix has only about 1/3 the titles that US netflix has. And you can watch UK netflix as well.
posted by thegoldfish at 2:18 PM on October 2, 2014

Hola will also work on Android devices (via an app) and I believe with Chromecast (I haven't tested that myself though).
posted by *becca* at 2:54 PM on October 2, 2014

So, question, with Hola, do you install it then navigate to Netflix UK (or other) and then enter your username/password as usual?
posted by edgeways at 2:55 PM on October 2, 2014

Luther, definitely. They are a bit violent, but I also liked Copper and Hell on Wheels.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:05 PM on October 2, 2014

Star Trek. Netflix has SO MUCH Star Trek to choose from.
posted by Librarypt at 3:11 PM on October 2, 2014

So, question, with Hola, do you install it then navigate to Netflix UK (or other) and then enter your username/password as usual?

You use Netflix entirely as normal, but different content is available. You don't have to visit different sites or anything.

...I've heard.
posted by joelhunt at 3:17 PM on October 2, 2014

So, question, with Hola, do you install it then navigate to Netflix UK (or other) and then enter your username/password as usual?

Yes. Netflix don't seem to monitor or be concerned about frequent unfeasible hopping back and forth across the Atlantic. You go to Netflix as normal and Hola will probably pop up and ask what country you want to appear from. If it doesn't pop up automatically click on the little flame icon to open it up and make your choice. Once you are set to the country of your choice reload the Netflix homescreen (again may happen automatically) and you now have the library of wherever Hola is set to. Hola remembers your pick but you can change it.

This android app (the pro version) tells you which country's Netflix has which shows. I've found this very handy instead of trying them all to find out through trial and error.
posted by *becca* at 3:48 PM on October 2, 2014

American Horror Story.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Archer.
American Dad.
Bob's Burgers.
Futurama.
Rescue Me.
Mad Men.
Trailer Park Boys.
Hording:Buried Alive!.
Fawlty Towers.
Hell on Wheels.
Cheers.
Frasier.
Portlandia.
Scrubs.
(Any and Every Ken Burns Doc. They tend to be the length of television series.)
Aerial America.
Monarchy (U.K.)
Louie.
How I Meet Your Mother.
The Walking Dead.
Cosmos:A Spacetime Odyssey.
posted by QueerAngel28 at 4:37 PM on October 2, 2014

Seconding The Bridge (you will love it I think) and Luther. Also check out The Hour (another British show).
posted by just_ducky at 5:11 PM on October 2, 2014

Oh God YES The Good Wife!

British medical / procedural with various degrees of heartwarming or terrifying stuff:

- Call the Midwife
- Foyle's War
- The Bletchley Circle: "Four women who helped crack Nazi codes during World War II reunite and put their skills to the test when a serial killer strikes in London."
- Wallander with Kenneth Branagh (Haven't seen this yet):VBritish mystery series set in Sweden.
- MI-5: Decent British series on spooks.

Rectify: Beautiful (best tv cinematography since Breaking Bad), carefully paced and complex show about a convicted murderer released from prison. His small town distrusts him, the state wants him back in, and things get fairly complicated.

Misfits (the first two seasons): Problematic in some ways, but weird and funny and unpredictable about a bunch of British teenagers who get superpowers and react -- like typical kids. It is SO not Heroes!

If you're a music geek in any way, try the docs Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me and 20 Feet From Stardom (especially the latter, as a bunch of amazing backup singers will have your total attention).

More docs:
- Sleepwalk with Me (This American Life contributor on his lifelong sleepwalking issues)
- Exit Through the Gift Shop, a great mindfuck from Banksy
- Lots of David Attenborough nature docs

More feature films and TV
- The Matador: A great, lost film with Pierce Brosnan (hitman) and Greg Kinnear (suburbanite). Smart, funny, scary.
- Freaks and Geeks AND Undeclared
- Firefly AND Serenity
posted by maudlin at 5:53 PM on October 2, 2014

I have Netflix US. In addition to shows already listed, Waking the Dead is a show about a cold case squad in the UK. Happy Valley is about a uniformed female detective sergeant in the UK. It is good but very intense/violent. Hinterland is a detective story set in Wales.
posted by elmay at 6:46 PM on October 2, 2014

"Life" is seriously under-appreciated. Warning, it ends abruptly, but still worth it. "Hotel Babylon" is a British show that is soapy silliness while still seeming true-to-life about what it's like behind the scenes at a swanky hotel.
posted by thebrokedown at 7:08 PM on October 2, 2014

Nthing a lot of the suggestions here, especially The Good Wife, Wallander, Waking the Dead, Fringe, Orphan Black and Miss Fisher. You don't say if the Killing you are watching is the Danish original or the US remake; if the latter, I heartily recommend the Danish original.

Also: Inspector George Gently; New Tricks; Scott & Bailey are all good BBC detective shows, each with their own twists and good characterisation. Don't know if you've seen Lost Girl but you'd hope it would be available on Netflix Canada given it's Canadian. For that matter, if you never got sucked into Lost it's not a bad idea!
posted by Athanassiel at 7:12 PM on October 2, 2014

A LOT of what people are suggesting isn't on Netflix Canada. But Happy Valley is and if you like crime drama, I think you'll like it. I'm not generally a fan, and I usually specifically avoid shows about sexual violence, but Happy Valley was amazing.
posted by looli at 8:35 PM on October 2, 2014

I second The Hour and The Bridge . I liked Endeavor -- a precursor to Morse and Inspector Lewis, (Lewis is also on Canadian Netflix, and I liked it a a lot). My colleague just recommended Rectify to me, but I haven't seen it yet. I watched the BBC Life on Mars and liked it a lot, but now its the US version on Netflix; since they have done well with remakes, it is probably good.

[ Also, when Canadian Netflix runs out, I turn to knowledge.ca which is BC's public broadcaster and has a selection of (largely British) drama that cycles through.

They tend to have 1-2 episodes at a time so it's best to catch at the start.

I would keep an eye out for when Vera, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries or Silk return. both are excellent. Right now there is A Touch of Frost, Waking the Dead and Daizel & Pascoe, all mid season but they stand alone well.

Mostly the documentaries --many are excellent -- are always there.

and using my library card to view stuff on hoopla . )

Happy viewing!
posted by chapps at 9:52 PM on October 2, 2014

THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE
posted by SassHat at 1:11 PM on October 3, 2014

Hannibal! How has no one mentioned Hannibal! Fill your evenings with art murder and fine dining.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 3:53 PM on October 6, 2014