Most Popular on Netflix #1

From reality shows to prestige TV, animated kids shows to docu-series of every stripe.

1. Ozark

Stars: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner

When a white-collar, middle-class family gets involved with the dangerous drug cartel, the Breaking Bad and Weeds comparisons don’t just show up—they’re practically mailed a hand-lettered invitation.

And it’s true that the premise of Netflix’s Ozark sets us up for yet another steeply angled slide; by now, we expect we’ll witness the awakening of a desperate man’s latent evil.

But there are several critical elements at play to keep the drug-dealing anti-hero trope from feeling like a song we’ve heard one too many times.

2. Archive 81

Stars: Mamoudou Ahtie, Dina Shihabi, Matt McGory, Julia Chan, Evan Jonigkeit

The hit podcast is now a TV series about an archivist, some videotapes, a missing director and a demonic cult.

Mamoudou Athie stars as Dan Turner, who’s paid a large sum of money to restore footage recorded by grad student Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), who was living in a mysterious New York building for a research project.

The mystery unfolds over the course of eight episodes, all of which dropped on Jan. 14, as the videos get increasingly strange—and personal for Dan

3. Too Hot to Handle

Reality TV

When it comes to reality TV, if you believe the trashier, the better, this American-British series may have been created just for you.

The young, beautiful singles thrown together must forego any kind of sexual contact to win the ultimate prize.

The third season debuted Jan. 19.

4. The Royal Treatment

Stars: Laura Marano, Mena Massoud, Chelsie Preston Crayford

Another by-the-book romantic comedy churned out by Netflix featuring an “everyday” girl and the prince of a fictional country.

5. Cheer

Genre: Docuseries

Directed and executive produced by Greg Whitely from fellow sports series Last Chance U, this docuseries follows the cheer squad of 14-time NCA National Champions, Navarro College.

You can expect a lot of cheerleading, happy feelings and dramatic crying amidst hardship and all that good stuff.

The show has won three Emmy Awards and the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming. —Rachita Vasandani

6. Cobra Kai

Stars: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo, Martin Kove

Cobra Kai never dies. And thank goodness.

The series, which continues The Karate Kid story, survived two seasons in relative obscurity on YouTube, an overwhelmingly successful transition to Netflix and remains, in its fourth season, the rare revival that fans still really want to see.

The secret to the show’s success is its loving embrace of its source material—warts and all.

The law of diminishing returns was hard at work with The Karate Kid franchise.

7. Annabelle: Creation

Stars: Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Eliana Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia

At almost two hours, Annabelle: Creation is far too long for a cheapo spin-off horror flick.

It’s as if screenwriter Gary Dauberman stuffed the script with every single idea for one of these set pieces, and director David F. Sandberg decided to keep every one of them without any care for pacing and storytelling rhythm.

Sandberg is a stylish horror director with a unique vision.

8. That Girl Lay Lay

Stars: That Girl Lay Lay, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Tiffany Daniels, Thomas

Struggling in middle school and need an avatar? There’s an app for that.

Or at least with a little magic, your hype girl (Lay Lay, played by That Girl Lay Lay) from your phone can come to life and help you deal with the struggles of adolescence.

Stand-up comic David A. Arnold (Fuller House) created the show for Nickelodeon last year.

9. The Witcher

Stars: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Eamon Farren, Anya Chalotra, Joey Batey

Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels that spawned an extremely popular gaming franchise, Netflix’s series remains both fully engrossing and fully ridiculous.

We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Like any good bard, Hissrich understands that both parts are necessary to tell a great fantasy tale.

It’s also worth noting that Season 2 is a marked improvement over that messy, if enjoyable, first season.

10. Cocomelon

Genre: Kids, Animation

The massively popular YouTube channel is now a Netflix show, sure to worm its way into the brains of kids and parents everywhere.

The 3D animated nursery and kids songs have already been streamed billions of times online and has consistently popped in and out of Netflix’s “most popular” lineup for more than a year.

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