With high speed internet widely available to most Americans using any of their devices, instantaneous enjoyment of countless hours of television is more or less always a click away — made possible by streaming.
The programs that we enjoy on the small screen have evolved from exclusively network shows during the early years of television to cable programming beginning in the early 1970s and now to streaming offerings.
Until the 1990s, the ability to stream content over television cables was limited by technology. But technological breakthroughs that allowed for the compression of video and data made streaming possible, turning television viewers into binge-watchers of television series. Here are some other technologies that will change the way we live.
To identify the best original series made for streaming, 24/7 Tempo created an index based on data compiled from and Rotten Tomatoes the Internet Movie Database. User scores, user votes, and critic scores were standardized using min-max normalization. The normalized average audience rating and critic rating from Rotten Tomatoes and data from IMDb were used to create a composite score that ultimately determined which streaming series were the best. All data is the most recent available.
Click here to see the best original series made for streaming
Click here to read our detailed findings and methodology
50. Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.2
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49. F Is for Family (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.0
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48. Big Mouth (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.0
47. Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.8
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46. Sense8 (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.3
45. Modern Love (2019)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.1
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44. Looking for Alaska (2019)
> Streaming service: Hulu
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.4
43. Casual (2015)
> Streaming service: Hulu
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.5
42. Love (2016)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.7
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41. Castlevania (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.1
40. GLOW (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.0
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39. Sacred Games (2018)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.8
38. Grace and Frankie (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.3
37. The Act (2019)
> Streaming service: Hulu
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.0
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36. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.7
35. Patriot (2015)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.3
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34. Ramy (2019)
> Streaming service: Hulu
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.0
33. A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.8
32. One Mississippi (2015)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.3
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31. Making a Murderer (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.6
30. The Wrong Mans (2013)
> Streaming service: Hulu
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.8
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29. Russian Doll (2019)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.9
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28. Red Oaks (2014)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.9
27. Sex Education (2019)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.3
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26. The Tick (2017)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.4
25. Narcos (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.8
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24. The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.7
23. Daredevil (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.6
22. Mozart in the Jungle (2014)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.2
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21. The End of the F***ing World (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.1
20. Alias Grace (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 7.8
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19. The Crown (2016)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.7
18. Stranger Things (2016)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.8
17. Sneaky Pete (2015)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.2
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16. BoJack Horseman (2014)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.6
15. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.8
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14. Lovesick (2014)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.1
13. On My Block (2018)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.1
12. American Vandal (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.2
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11. Money Heist (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.5
10. Dark (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.7
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9. Master of None (2015)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.3
8. Bosch (2014)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.4
7. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.1
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6. When They See Us (2019)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 9.0
5. Catastrophe (2015)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.2
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4. One Day at a Time (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.2
3. Mindhunter (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.6
2. Suburra: Blood on Rome (2017)
> Streaming service: Netflix
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.0
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1. Fleabag (2016)
> Streaming service: Amazon Prime
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92.0%
> IMDb audience score (out of 10): 8.7
Streaming services have the highest customer satisfaction of any of the services offered by telecommunications companies, according to a recent survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Telecoms are still among the most detested businesses in the United States. Here are America’s most hated companies.
Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have produced original series that viewers have binge-watched and continue to do so, such as “When They See Us,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Grace and Frankie.”
In addition to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, other streaming services include PlayStation Vue, FuboTV, Pluto TV, HBO NOW, The Criterion Channel, YouTube TV, Acorn TV, Britbox, and others. Apple and Disney are launching streaming initiatives this year. Apple TV+ is scheduled to debut Nov. 1. Disney’s streaming initiative is called Disney Plus and is set to debut Nov. 12.
Methodology
To identify the best original series made for streaming, 24/7 Tempo created an index based on data compiled from and Rotten Tomatoes the Internet Movie Database. User scores, user votes, and critic scores were standardized using min-max normalization. The normalized average audience rating and critic rating from Rotten Tomatoes and data from IMDb were used to create a composite score that ultimately determined which streaming series were the best. All data is the most recent available.
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