The 10 Best 3-Season Netflix Shows of All Time, Ranked
Jessica is a young writer from Brisbane, Australia. An avid consumer and lover of all things Film and TV, you will never tear her away from a screen. A tendency rooted from childhood, she once had dreams of becoming a member of the famed kids-band 'Hi-5'. Perhaps that's what pushed her to secure an education with a theater background. But now, as dreams evolved, her passions have turned to admiring performances from afar. Frankly, she's just grateful that she can put her binging skills to good use. Outside of work, Jessica recently completed her undergraduate double degree in Arts/Communications. Other than that, she spends most of her free time with family and friends, probably never forgetting to talk about the new movie or show she watched the day prior.
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In the age of streaming, even successful shows can sometimes run far longer than their stories need. That's why a genuinely great three-season show (even if it's unceremoniously canceled) is something to appreciate. Three seasons is enough time to develop memorable characters and an ambitious story, but short enough that the show can avoid becoming a victim of its own success.
From intricate time-travel mysteries and sprawling crime dramas to coming-of-age comedies to animated adventures, these Netflix shows prove that a show doesn't need seven seasons or 51 spin-offs to make a lasting impression. Some ended exactly when they needed to, while others left audiences wishing they had been given just a little more time. Either way, these are the ones to watch.
10 'Hilda' (2018–2023)
Set in a world where humans live alongside trolls, elves, and giants, a fearless young girl named Hilda (Bella Ramsey) moves from the wilderness into the bustling city of Trolberg. Accompanied by her pet deerfox and her closest friends, Hilda repeatedly finds herself drawn into adventures involving the strange magical creatures that exist just beyond ordinary human sight.
Hilda is easily one of Netflix's most quietly wonderful additions simply because of its warmth and pure imagination. Every adventure introduces something new, while still keeping its sweet, cozy atmosphere. Some would even say that its classic animation makes even Trolberg's rainiest days look inviting. Plus, beneath the creatures and wild journeys lies a genuinely thoughtful coming-of-age tale about friendship.
9 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' (2017–2019)
After their parents die in a mysterious fire, the intelligent Baudelaire siblings are sent to live with their distant relative, Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris). Unfortunately, Olaf is less interested in caring for the children than he is in stealing their enormous inheritance, forcing the Baudelaires to repeatedly escape his increasingly elaborate schemes while searching for answers about their family's past.
While there have been other attempts, Netflix's adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events stands out as it fully embraces the wonderfully whimsical tone of Lemony Snicket's books—because this isn't just your typical cheerful children's television show. Harris clearly has a fantastic time playing Olaf, bringing just enough theatrical absurdity to a character who's also clearly threatening. Better still, the show brilliantly balances dark humor, elaborate visual gags, and increasingly intriguing mysteries, creating a show that's entertaining enough for the entire family.
8 'GLOW' (2017–2019)
Set in 1980s Los Angeles, struggling actress Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) reluctantly auditions for a women's professional wrestling promotion. There, she finds herself part of an increasingly unlikely group of women who eventually become the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, where they transform themselves into wildly exaggerated characters while attempting to turn a completely chaotic production into genuine success.
Wrestling plays an obvious part of the show's fun, but GLOW mostly works because it makes the women behind the costumes just as entertaining as the characters they play. Brie and Betty Gilpin are particular standouts as their complicated relationship becomes the emotional center of the show. Plus, it's packed with campy '80s excess, hilarious backstage chaos, and a beautiful story about female ambition. How the final season got randomly canceled will never sit well with us.
7 'The Kominsky Method' (2018–2021)
Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas) was a once-successful actor who now earns a living as a revered acting coach in Los Angeles. Spending the rest of his time with his wealthy best friend and agent, Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin), the two men learn to navigate their chaotic lives while also juggling their careers, relationships, family problems, and the increasingly unavoidable realities of getting older.
Douglas and Arkin are what make The Kominsky Method so effortlessly watchable. Their chemistry gives even the most mundane conversations a wonderfully sharp comedic rhythm, because even as the two constantly bicker, it's clear they both still deeply care for the other. Better still, the show is rarely as heavy as its themes suggest. It's warm without being overly sentimental and funny without pretending that getting older is particularly glamorous.
6 'Master of None' (2015–2021)
Dev Shaw (Aziz Ansari) is a 30-year-old struggling actor living in New York, who also happens to struggle with everyday decisions—from choosing what to eat to figuring out his career path and long-term relationships. He spends most of his time with his closest friends, while also tackling the complexities of modern dating and family.
What makes Master of None so impressive is how effortlessly it shifts between comedy and something far more reflective. One episode might revolve around a hilariously frustrating family dinner, while another examines romance, identity, parenthood, or loneliness with surprising emotional honesty. The show also becomes increasingly visually ambitious as it progresses, particularly in its later seasons. It's funny without relying entirely on cheap jokes and thoughtful without ever feeling like it's trying too hard.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you'd actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don't trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You'd Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You're a systems thinker who can't help but notice the seams in things.
- You're drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
- You'd find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines' worst nightmare.
- You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
- The Matrix built an airtight prison. You'd be the one probing the walls for the door.
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn't reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That's you.
- You don't need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
- You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you're good at all three.
- You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
- In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Blade Runner
You'd survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
- You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
- In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
- You're not a hero. But you're not lost, either.
- In Blade Runner's world, that distinction is everything.
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
- Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they're survival tools.
- You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
- Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You'd learn its logic and earn its respect.
- In time, you wouldn't just survive Arrakis — you'd begin to reshape it.
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn't have it any other way.
- You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
- You'd gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire's grip can be broken.
- You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn't something you're capable of.
- In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
5 'After Life' (2019–2022)
Following the death of his wife, journalist Tony Johnson (Ricky Gervais) struggles to imagine a life worth living without her. Bitter, angry, and severely grieving, Tony pushes everyone around him away and decides that he no longer needs to pretend to be a nice person. Yet, despite his attempts to isolate himself, the people in his small town repeatedly pull him back toward connection.
After Life walks a difficult line between bleakness and comedy, and its best moments often come from the tension between the two. Gervais gives Tony plenty of the cynically blunt humor you'd expect, but the show gradually reveals how much of his cruelty is simply grief coming out sideways. Naturally, the supporting characters become crucial to his progression, highlighting the true importance of having a real village behind you. So yes, it's a show that can be crude and unbelievably dark, but beneath all the jokes lies a genuinely tender story about loss and the small acts of kindness that can keep someone going.
4 'Dead to Me' (2019–2022)
Jen Harding (Christina Applegate) is a recently widowed mother desperately trying to cope with the death of her husband when she meets the free-spirited Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) at a grief support group. The two quickly form an unlikely friendship, even as Jen remains unaware that Judy is hiding a devastating secret about her husband's death.
Dead to Me may have a dark premise, but the creatives seem to have an extraordinary amount of fun with it. Applegate and Cardellini have such fantastic chemistry that the increasingly wild twists work largely because audiences are willing to follow the duo in any situation. And boy does the show constantly find new ways to escalate its complications. Part black comedy, part thriller, this is an easy show to binge your way through—especially since its heart lies in a tale of sisterhood.
3 'Derry Girls' (2018–2022)
In 1990s Northern Ireland, during the final years of the Troubles, teenager Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and her chaotic group of friends attempt to survive school, family life, adolescence, and the everyday absurdities of growing up in Derry. Of course, this appears more complex as their relatively ordinary problems unfold against the backdrop of their nation's most politically turbulent periods.
The genius of Derry Girls is that it's never afraid to embrace its utter whimsy (or ridiculousness). To the group, a school dance can feel every bit as important as the political developments happening outside their front door—and that contrast is often hilarious. Of course, the show's shining light is the brilliant ensemble that's packed with wonderfully eccentric characters. Plus, it's chaotic, fast, and ridiculously funny writing that also manages to capture the warmth and silliness of being young. What a comfort.
2 'Narcos' (2015–2017)
Starting from the 1970s, Narcos chronicles the rise of notorious Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura), who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of drugs. Meanwhile, DEA agents Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) and Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal) work with local authorities to hunt him down and destroy his empire.
With its sprawling cast, international scope, and constantly shifting alliances, Narcos' riveting episodes play almost like a historical crime epic. Moura's charismatic and terrifying performance as Escobar gives the first two seasons an unforgettable center, while the show continues to build tension by showing how power can change hands with frightening speed. Indeed, by moving beyond Escobar in its final season, Narcos avoids simply repeating itself, making its three-season run feel like a complete exploration of a criminal world rather than one story stretched to its limits.
1 'Dark' (2017–2020)
When a young boy disappears from a small German town, four families become entangled in a mystery that stretches far beyond a single missing-person case. But as secrets emerge, connections are discovered between their families that span generations—and eventually uncover a time-travel conspiracy that threatens to completely reshape everything they thought they understood about their lives.
Dark is one of Netflix's most ambitious original stories, taking an already complicated mystery and continually expanding it without losing sight of its emotional stakes. Its time-travel plot demands attention, especially since this show isn't simply complicated for the sake of being complicated. In the end, beneath the timelines and paradoxes lies a story about family, grief, fate, and whether anyone can truly escape the choices that shaped them.
Dark
- Release Date
- 2017 - 2020-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Jantje Friese
- Directors
- Baran bo Odar
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