Netflix has a vast library of TV shows to pick from. While many of its selections are widely loved, spurring a lot of discourse, the streaming giant has a vast number of options that are nowhere near discussed enough. These aren’t the hidden gems of the platform, but series that many aren’t willing to admit to just how much they love. No one should be embarrassed. If partaking in guilty pleasure viewing was a crime, nearly everyone has committed it.
There’s an indescribable bliss that comes with having the quiet time to sit back on the couch with your favorite snacks and press play on cringeworthy, cheesy, trashy, less intelligent, or mindless entertainment. Let go of the shame, and just enjoy. It’s much more fun that way.
Here are Netflix’s 15 best guilty pleasure shows for you to watch and do exactly that.
‘You’ (2018 – 2025)
Netflix’s You is about Joe Goldberg, a charming, bookish, and dangerously obsessive bookstore manager who meets aspiring writer Beck. Their meet-cute spirals into a psychological thriller when Joe stalks her and uses elaborate schemes to get close to her and manipulate her. Across five seasons, Joe reinvents himself, becoming a Los Angeles hipster, a suburban husband, and eventually a London academic, all while leaving a trail of bodies and broken hearts in his wake.
Romance, Murder, and Delusion
You is the definition of a compulsive watch. It is a show you know you shouldn’t enjoy, with a protagonist you know you cannot be attracted to, and yet, you simply cannot look away. Penn Badgley’s performance is responsible for this. He balances menace and melancholy with the show’s overall satirical edge. Critics initially praised it for adapting Caroline Kepnes’ books in a genre-bending way, and even though it wasn’t consistent quality-wise, You remained a streaming juggernaut across its run.
‘My Life with the Walter Boys’ (2023 – Present)
After a tragic accident claims her family, Jackie Howards, a polished, high-achieving, prep-school teen from Manhattan, is uprooted and set to live with her new guardians in rural Colorado. But Jackie’s new home is a ranch filled with ten Walter children, nine of whom are boys. As Jackie adjusts to her new reality, she finds herself caught between two very different brothers, the emotionally guarded Cole, and the sweet and dependable Alex.
Cowboy Boots and Messy Love Triangles
This one’s a classic case of “just one more episode.” My Life With the Walter Boys accepts its teen drama roots with zero shame. There’s longing glances, emotional outbursts, conflict on every next bend, and enough romantic tension to power a CW crossover. But it’s also surprisingly fun thanks to Nikki Rodriguez’s nuanced performance. Visually crisp, with sweeping Colorado landscapes and cozy interiors picked right from a Pinterest board, it does not reinvent the genre, but does provide some much-needed comfort.
‘The Circle’ (2020 – 2024)
The Circle is a reality TV social experiment that turns online personalities into a high-stakes game. Contestants live in isolated apartments and communicate only through a custom-built social platform. They can play as themselves or as catfish, with the ultimate goal being winning votes and trying to avoid getting eliminated. Each season brings a new batch of players as they flirt, scheme, and emoji their way toward a $100,000 prize.
A Digital-Age Guilty Pleasure
What makes The Circle highly watchable is its perfect mashup of strategy and silliness. It is part reality competition, part social experiment, and part meme generator. The editing is snappy, and the narration is fun. Plus, the cast is always a mix of lovable weirdos and scheming wildcards. Critics have called it “Big Brother for the Instagram age,” and it’s racked up a loyal fanbase across its seven seasons who love all the drama it has to offer.
‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ (2021 – 2022)
Inspired by Iginio Straffi’s popular animated series, Fate: The Winx Saga takes viewers to Alfea, a magical boarding school in the Otherworld, where fairies train to harness their elemental powers and defend their realms from monstrous threats. Bloom, a fire fairy raised in the human world, arrives with a mysterious past and a dangerous power. She bonds with her suit-mates, and together they discover dark truths about Alfea’s history.
A Campy Reimagining of a Beloved Franchise
Fate: The Winx Saga is what happens when you mix the aesthetics of Harry Potter with the angst of Riverdale. It is packed with forbidden romances, magical duels, and an aggressive teen drama energy. Every whispered betrayal and slow-motion stare feels like it was made specifically for late-night binges. Abigail Cowen leads a solid cast, and while the writing occasionally leans into cliché, the world-building and visual effects are enough to keep you hooked.
‘Shameless’ (2011 – 2021)
Set on Chicago’s South Side, Shameless follows the Gallagher family, which is a dysfunctional clan led by the perpetually drunk and emotionally unavailable Frank. With their bipolar mother gone and Frank more a liability than parent, eldest daughter Fiona steps up to raise her five siblings. Over 11 seasons, the Gallaghers hustle, fight, fall in love, screw up, and somehow keep going.
A Wild Extended Family Reunion
There’s something cathartic about watching the Gallaghers crash and burn. And then get up and do it all over again. Shameless is messy, profane, and often outrageous, but it’s also among the many recent TV dramas that don’t shy away from poverty, addiction, or mental illness. William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum anchor the show with performances that swing from hilarious to heartbreaking, and the arcs of the rest of the characters only get stronger with each season. It’s won Emmys, sparked opinions, and somehow made 134 episodes pass by in no time.
‘Gossip Girl’ (2007 – 2012)
Gossip Girl is among the TV series that defined the 2000s. It centers around a group of Upper East Side teenagers and a sibling duo from across the Brooklyn Bridge who attend a prestigious private school. The students are the frequent targets of a mysterious blogger known as Gossip Girl, who dishes out the private details of their lives, revealing all of their dirty little secrets. As the story progresses, it follows them into their college years. Characters and viewers alike are left trying to figure out Gossip Girl’s identity.
A CW Smash Hit
Filled with betrayals, scandals, and rich people drama, the teen show is one that even adults can’t help but get sucked into. When it aired, riveted audiences tuned in every week. It has since become a comfort show for many millennials who today feel no shame in admitting that they love living vicariously through its morally ambiguous, privileged characters who live lavish lifestyles.
‘Riverdale’ (2017 – 2023)
Riverdale was another major success for The CW Network. Based on the Archie comics, it’s set in the small surreal town of Riverdale, but takes a darker spin. Although it takes place in modern times, the show embraces a 50s retro aesthetic, evoking nostalgia. Season 1 opens with the mysterious murder of a popular, rich high school football player. A group of teens, which includes the victim’s twin sister and other well-known Archie characters, take it upon themselves to figure out who the killer is. Their investigation unlocks dark secrets lurking beneath their seemingly idyllic community.
Camp That’s So Bad, It’s Just So Good
The show’s best season by far is the first. It leans heavily into teen tropes and over-the-top soapy drama, but the murder mystery plot and storytelling are intriguing. While the show maintained its highly lush style, the seasons that came after became insanely ludicrous and convoluted, delving into everything from time travel to possible alien abduction to a haunted doll. The best way to describe Riverdale is by calling it a glorious train wreck you cannot look away from.
‘Elite’ (2018 – 2024)
The Spanish teen thriller-drama Elite is everything that the Gossip Girl reboot should have been: dark, provocative, sexy, and mysterious. Focusing on Las Encinas, a distinguished private high school attended by the wealthiest of students and a very few scholarship recipients, it features soapy teen drama, forbidden romances, social class disputes, and crime, impressively tackling relevant progressive themes. Each season centers around a different compelling murder mystery.
A Salacious, Murderous World
Elite is a guilty pleasure filled with all the messiness you could ever hope for: horny teens, drug use, polyamorous conflict, incest, cheating, unhinged storylines, secret identities, and more. That being said, the show will immediately hook you. If you’re looking to kick back and bingewatching something, look no further than this show’s eight seasons. There was a reason Elite has stood out as one of Netflix’s most popular international series. Its debut season alone brought in 20 million viewers in just its first month.
‘Selling Sunset’ (2019 – Present)
Calling all Bravo and reality TV show fans! This guilty pleasure is centered around the twin brother-owned The Oppenheim Group, an elite real estate brokerage in sunny Los Angeles selling the luxe life to the most affluent of buyers. While it showcases extravagant million-dollar mansions occasionally, the show’s focus lies within the petty drama among the agents in the workplace, who form a team of beautiful, competitive women.
A Mindless, Escapist Watch Filled With Drama
With each episode only about 35 minutes long, the series is easily bingeable. Not to mention, it is highly addictive. It’s a good option for when you want to turn your brain off or play background fodder while doing things around the house. One thing for sure is that you won’t be able to get enough of the juicy world of L.A. real estate and the controversies these subjects constantly find themselves in.
‘Emily in Paris’ (2020 – Present)
Lily Collins stars as a young marketing executive who moves to the City of Light when she lands her dream job working for a French marketing firm. Featuring glossy drama and set against a scenic backdrop, it follows Emily as she struggles with cultural shock, hardships in the workplace, and romance. If you’re looking to unwind with a series that has all the traditional elements of a fluffy romcom drama, this is it.
One of the Most-Watched Series on Netflix
Emily in Paris has become the favorite guilty pleasure of many viewers. When it debuted, it was streamed by 58 million households. The second season was the most-watched TV show on the streaming platform in 2022. Its latest fourth season drew in 19.9 million viewers over its first four days. The love triangles, outlandish outfits, and its unrealistic but lighthearted nature make it a perfect watch when you want to escape reality.