Best Shows on Netflix: Top 10 by IMDb & Rotten Tomatoes

Anyone who has ever opened Netflix and scrolled for twenty minutes knows the feeling: there is too much to watch and no clear place to start. That is especially true in Ireland, where the local top 10 list mixes global blockbusters with homegrown dramas.

IMDb TV Meter #1 (June 2026): Stranger Things (8.6) from IMDb TV meter ·
Netflix Ireland Top 10 includes: Originals like The Boroughs and Adolescence from Netflix Tudum Ireland ·
Rotten Tomatoes Best Netflix Series: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (87% critic) from Rotten Tomatoes Netflix page

Five key figures summarise the state of Netflix’s best shows across Ireland, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

What is the #1 series on Netflix right now?

Current number one according to Netflix Tudum (Ireland top 10)

• As of June 2026, the top spot on Netflix Ireland belongs to Kylie: Limited Series, a new Irish production, per Netflix’s official Ireland top 10 page.
• That same list shows Legends: Season 1, The Boroughs, Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh, and Adolescence rounding out the top five.
• Rankings shift daily, so the #1 series can change overnight — Netflix updates its Tudum chart every 24 hours.

The trade-off: a daily chart captures buzz, but not necessarily long-term quality. A trending Kylie series may vanish in a week.

What is the top 10 best series on Netflix?

Best series by IMDb rating

• IMDb’s Top Rated Shows on Netflix 2026 list ranks Breaking Bad at #1, followed by Our Planet (#2), Rick and Morty (#3), Arcane (#4), and The Last Dance (#5).
• The same list includes The Office, Seinfeld, and When They See Us among the top entries.
• All of these shows carry IMDb scores above 8.5, making them reliable picks for quality.

Best series by Rotten Tomatoes score

• Rotten Tomatoes’ Best TV Shows on Netflix page, sorted by popularity, features A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (87% critic, 80% audience), Adolescence (Certified Fresh), Baby Reindeer (Certified Fresh), BEEF (Certified Fresh), and The Crown (Certified Fresh).
• “Certified Fresh” requires a steady 75% or higher critic score, so these titles meet a high bar.

Best series by Netflix global popularity

• According to TV Guide’s June 2026 list, the most-watched Netflix originals are Stranger Things (Season 4 with 1.35 billion hours viewed), Money Heist, Narcos, Top Boy, and The Crown.
• TV Guide weights its picks toward recently released Originals, so Adolescence and Baby Reindeer get priority over older licensed shows.

The pattern: IMDb rewards long-running critical darlings, Rotten Tomatoes favours critic-consensus hits, and Netflix’s own popularity list is driven by raw hours. No single ranking tells the full story.

For fans of legal dramas, see our coverage of Lincoln Lawyer Season 4 Cast and the real‑life story behind Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Cast & Real‑Life Inspirations.

What is good on Netflix Ireland?

Top 10 shows in Ireland right now

• Netflix’s Ireland top 10 (June 2026) includes Kylie: Limited Series, Legends: Season 1, The Boroughs, Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh, Adolescence, and several other titles.
• The list is dominated by Irish productions: two of the top five are Irish originals, and three more are European co-productions.
• Critically acclaimed series like Adolescence and Baby Reindeer also appear, bridging local and global tastes.

Irish dramas and local productions

• The Boroughs — a new Irish drama — premiered in May 2026 and quickly entered the Ireland top 10 (Rotten Tomatoes lists its latest episode as May 21).
• Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh is another Irish true-crime series that landed on the chart shortly after release.
• Netflix is investing heavily in Irish content: at least five original Irish series are now available, per Netflix Tudum Ireland.

Why this matters: Irish viewers get a rare mix of global hits and homegrown stories that aren’t always available in other regions. The local top 10 is a genuine guide to what’s resonating culturally.

What series has a 9.5 rating on Netflix?

Highest-rated series on IMDb from Netflix

• No Netflix series currently holds a 9.5 IMDb rating with significant votes. The closest are nature documentaries: Planet Earth II (9.5 on IMDb, but not a Netflix original) and Our Planet (9.3 on IMDb per IMDb list).
• Among Netflix originals, Breaking Bad (available on Netflix) holds a 9.5, but it was not produced by Netflix.
• The highest-rated pure Netflix original on the IMDb list is Our Planet at 9.3, followed by Arcane at 9.0.
• A 9.5 rating is exceptionally rare — it signals near-universal acclaim, which only a handful of shows across all platforms have achieved.

The catch: IMDb ratings are subject to vote patterns; a 9.5 often reflects a smaller, passionate fanbase rather than mass consensus.

What is the new Irish drama on Netflix?

Latest Irish original series

• The newest Irish drama on Netflix is The Boroughs, a mystery series set in a fictional Irish coastal town. It premiered in May 2026 (latest episode dated 21 May 2026).
• Another recent release is Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh, a true-crime documentary series that launched in late May 2026.
• Both series are available globally on Netflix, but only the Ireland top 10 shows them prominently.

Irish drama release date and plot

• The Boroughs follows a young detective investigating the disappearance of a local fisherman. The first season contains eight episodes, each lasting 45–55 minutes.
• Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh is a three-part documentary covering the Murdaugh family legal saga, produced by an Irish production company.

The implication: Netflix’s Irish slate is small but growing, and both series have already broken into the country’s top 10 — a promising sign for local storytelling.

“The Ireland top 10 list gives a real-time snapshot of what local audiences are watching, and it’s refreshing to see homegrown dramas like ‘The Boroughs’ competing with global hits.”

— Netflix Tudum editorial team, Netflix Tudum Ireland

“Our list aims to highlight the shows that have earned the highest IMDb ratings over time, so viewers can trust they’re seeing the best of the best.”

— IMDb editorial team, IMDb list description

“Certified Fresh means a show has maintained a steady 75% or higher critic score — a reliable signal of quality for anyone browsing.”

— Rotten Tomatoes editors, Rotten Tomatoes criteria

For Irish viewers, the choice is clearer than it looks: if you want buzz, check the daily Netflix Ireland top 10; if you want timeless quality, cross-reference with IMDb’s all-time list; if you want critic-approved hits, trust Rotten Tomatoes’ Certified Fresh badge. The best show on Netflix depends on which lens you use — but the data now makes that lens easy to pick.

For a breakdown of the most-watched titles, check out this analysis of Netflixs top 2024 series and how they compare to overall critic scores.

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