The Best TV Shows to Stream on Netflix This Week
If you’re looking for the best new series to binge watch this week, Netflix has plenty of shows worth checking out, from a Chilean crime comedy to a British thriller. (There are also a couple of old “you might have missed them” shows that are worth checking out.)
Baby Bandito
This Spanish-language series makes a hell of a real-life robbery that happened in Chile in 2014. Over the course of eight fast-paced and funny episodes of Baby Bandito, Chilean skateboarder Kevin Tapia falls in love, deceives a crime boss nicknamed “The Butcher” and pulls off the heist of the century. With police and criminals alike pursuing him around the world, Kevin realizes that stealing tens of millions of dollars was a piece of cake. The hardest part is maintaining it.
Fool me once
A talented cast and a tight script hold together the sometimes clunky plot of this British import. Based on the novel by Harlan Coben, Fool Me Once begins with the main character Maya, a former special forces pilot, mourning her murdered husband Joe. Shortly after the funeral, Joe appears on nanny Maya’s camera footage, starting the story of “is he dead or is she crazy?” with more twists and turns than Carnaby Street. It’s not necessarily believable, but it’s entertaining, competent, and smart enough to be worth watching.
Loudermilk (2017)
Loudermilk proves that you can make a funny and touching show about a complete jerk (at least Peter Farrelly can). Ron Livingston plays Sam Loudermilk, a darker version of Livingston’s character in Office Space. A recovering alcoholic, Loudermilk wears his personal failures like armor and rarely tries to hide his contempt. But he’s trying – trying to stay sober, trying to pull himself together, and even trying to help other drug addicts in recovery. The series originally aired for three seasons on the AT&T Audience Network, and in a perfect world, its arrival on Netflix would generate enough fans to warrant a fourth season.
Defender (2023)
Why not watch a documentary series while you wait for the Super Bowl? Quarterback takes us inside the personal lives of three NFL quarterbacks, highlighting the very different seasons each of them experienced in 2022. Marcus Mariota’s stint with the Atlanta Falcons ended with the once-promising prospect benched for the final four games. Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings had a good season, even though the Vikings lost in the playoffs. While Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes had a great year despite winning a Super Bowl and being named league MVP. Yes, “Quarterback” is a tightly controlled NFL ad, but as long as you don’t expect anything too honest, it’s a compelling watch.
Kank on Earth (2023)
The British mockumentary series Kunk on Earth is an experience you’ll either immediately fall in love with or immediately turn away from; it’s very British. Plot: The BBC has hired the stupidest woman on earth to host a prestigious documentary program about human history. Philomena Cunk (played by Diane Morgan) travels the world with a real BBC team and meets real professors, philosophers and scientists of all stripes, just to ask them incredibly misinformed and stupid questions. The result: an unprecedented level of awkwardness as Kank’s well-meaning guests try to remain polite and make sense of this strange woman who has sought them out. It’s hard to describe why it’s funny; you need to see it to understand (or not understand).
Last week’s picks:
Queer Eye , Season 8
There are now six new episodes of Queer Eye available. If you’ve seen the show, you’re probably already watching, but if you haven’t, now is the time to dive into it. the cast was not so charming or the presentation so consistently empathetic and tolerant. This is heartbreaking, transformational television that is not to be missed.
Griselda
Sofia Vergara plays the ruthless role of real-life Colombian kingpin (queen?) Griselda Blanco in Griselda . Blanco was on par with Pablo Escobar in the 1980s; she controlled much of Miami’s cocaine trade, and her rise to power and subsequent fall from grace is detailed in six episodes of this intense new drama.
Masters of the Universe: Revolution
The world needs He-Man, and he’s right here, waiting for you to bring his muscular, heroic form into your home right now. Science fiction icons Mark Hamill and William Shatner provide the voices for this animated series that updates the source material just enough to remain relevant while maintaining the core atmosphere of the original series.
Six Nations: Full Contact
As the 2023 NFL season draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to dive into the father of the sport: rugby. Documentary series Six Nations: Full Contact takes us to the Six Nations tournament, the Rugby Super Cup, and introduces us to the badass kings of this incredible sport.
Not quite a Narwhal
This week, Netflix is adding Dreamworks underwater children’s animated film Not Quite Narwhal to its collection of children’s programming. Based on a series of children’s books, Kelp, the hero of Not Quite a Narwhal , lives in two worlds: he is part Narwhal and part Unicorn. Despite the show’s cutesy appearance, Narwhal has substance. The tender adventures of Kelp and his pals explore acceptance and identity in a way that everyone can learn from, even if the show is aimed at preschoolers.