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STRANGER THINGS 3 (Netflix)

(Photo by Netflix)

FALL 2020 TV SURVEY: 30 FAVORITE NETFLIX SHOWS

For Rotten Tomatoes’ annual Fall TV Survey, we asked thousands of our users what they’re most looking forward to in the coming TV season and to reflect on the best shows from seasons past.

It’s official: you really, really, really love Stranger Things. For the third year in a row, the retro sci-fi series dominated the top spot across all age groups and gender demographics as Rotten Tomatoes users’ favorite Netflix original series. A massive 48 percent of respondents — 44 percent of women and 52 percent of men — named the Spielberg-inspired ’80s-set drama their favorite original Netflix show.

But there are two new entries in the top 5: comic book drama The Umbrella Academy at No. 2, and novel adaptation The Witcher at No. 4. Marvel’s Daredevil makes the top 5 yet again (dropping down a spot to No. 2), with moody drama Ozark coming in at No. 5 (replacing last year’s moody No. 3 drama, Mindhunter).

While men and women alike are mega-fans of Stranger Things, the next-most-popular show among women was The Umbrella Academy, and among the men it was Daredevil. Younger folks tended to go for the genre-friendly series (superheroes, sci-fi, etc.), while the 55 and up demo prefer more down-to-earth series (Ozark, The Crown, Grace and Frankie).

Some big titles that made the list last year — The OA, Big Mouth, Peaky Blinders, Making a Murderer, Iron Fist, A Series of Unfortunate Events — didn’t make it in 2020, leaving room for newcomers like The Haunting of Hill House, Sex Education, Dead to Me, and more.

We allowed survey participants to vote for multiple titles — read on to find out which came out on top overall.

BoJack Horseman (2014)
93%

#30
Synopsis: A humanoid horse, BoJack Horseman -- lost in a sea of self-loathing and booze -- decides it's time for a... [More]
Starring: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul
Directed By: Steven A. Cohen, Noel Bright, Will Arnett, Aaron Paul

Sex Education (2019)
94%

#29
Synopsis: Socially awkward high school student Otis may not have much experience in the lovemaking department, but he gets good guidance... [More]
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee Lou Wood
Directed By: Jamie Campbell, Ben Taylor, Laurie Nunn, Runyararo Mapfumo

Master of None (2015)
94%

#28
Synopsis: Comic Aziz Ansari and writer Alan Yang are the creators of this Netflix-original comedy, which is loosely based on Ansari's... [More]
Starring: Aziz Ansari, Lena Waithe, Eric Wareheim, Naomi Ackie
Directed By: Aziz Ansari, Alan Yang, Mike Schur, David Miner

Space Force (2020)
57%

#27
Synopsis: A group of people are tasked with establishing the U.S. Space Force.... [More]
Starring: Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018)
82%

#26
Synopsis: This adaptation of the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" tale is a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror and the... [More]
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Chance Perdomo
Directed By: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Jon Goldwater

Altered Carbon (2018)
75%

#25
Synopsis: More than 300 years in the future, society has been transformed by new technology, leading to human bodies being interchangeable... [More]
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lela Loren, Simone Missick
Directed By: Laeta Kalogridis

Russian Doll (2019)
97%

#24
Synopsis: Emmy-nominated actress Natasha Lyonne stars in this comedy-drama series as Nadia, a young woman who is on a journey to... [More]
Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Greta Lee, Annie Murphy
Directed By: Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, Leslye Headland

House of Cards (2013)
77%

#23
Synopsis: U.S. Rep. Francis Underwood of South Carolina starts out as a ruthless politician seeking revenge in this Netflix original production.... [More]
Starring: Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Jayne Atkinson, Patricia Clarkson
Directed By: Melissa James Gibson, Frank Pugliese, David Fincher, Joshua Donen

Lost in Space (2018)
84%

#22
Synopsis: "Danger, Will Robinson!" The rest of the Robinson clan should be on the lookout for danger, as well, because they... [More]
Starring: Toby Stephens, Molly Parker, Maxwell Jenkins, Taylor Russell
Directed By: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Zack Estrin, Kevin Burns

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (2020)
53%

#21
Synopsis: An exploration of big cat breeding and its bizarre underworld, populated by eccentric characters.... [More]
Starring: Joe Exotic, Jeff Lowe, James Garretson, Tim Stark
Directed By: Chris Smith, Fisher Stevens, Eric Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin

Arrested Development (2003)
75%

#20
Synopsis: Michael Bluth finds himself forced to stay in Orange County and run the family real estate business after his father,... [More]
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera
Directed By: Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Mitchell Hurwitz

Lucifer (2016)
87%

#19
Synopsis: Based on characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg, this series follows Lucifer, the original fallen angel,... [More]
Starring: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, DB Woodside, Kevin Alejandro
Directed By: Nathan Hope

Grace and Frankie (2016)
90%

#18
Synopsis: For as long as they can recall, Grace and Frankie have been rivals. Their one-upmanship comes crashing to a halt,... [More]
Starring: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston
Directed By: Marta Kauffman, Howard J. Morris, Paula Weinstein, Jane Fonda

Marvel's The Defenders (2017)
78%

#17
Synopsis: Four of Marvel's biggest heroes are each working individually but have one common goal in mind -- to save New... [More]
Starring: Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones
Directed By: Marco Ramirez, Douglas Petrie, Jeph Loeb

Orange Is the New Black (2013)
90%

#16
Synopsis: Piper Chapman is a public relations executive with a career and a fiance when her past suddenly catches up to... [More]
Starring: Taylor Schilling, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks
Directed By: Andrew McCarthy, Phil Abraham, Tara Herrmann, Jenji Kohan

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
96%

#15
Synopsis: Rescued after 15 years in a cult, Kimmy Schmidt decides to reclaim her life by venturing to New York, where... [More]
Starring: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane
Directed By: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Jeff Richmond, David Miner

Dead to Me (2019)
88%

#14
Synopsis: Jen's husband recently died in a hit-and-run, and the sardonic widow is determined to solve the crime. Optimistic free spirit... [More]
Starring: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden, Max Jenkins
Directed By: Liz Feldman, Jessica Elbaum, Christie Smith, Christina Applegate

GLOW (2017)
93%

#13
Synopsis: Alison Brie stars as Ruth Wilder, an out-of-work actress living in Los Angeles in the '80s. Wilder finds an unexpected... [More]
Starring: Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron, Sydelle Noel
Directed By: Jenji Kohan, Tara Herrmann, Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch

Marvel's Luke Cage (2016)
87%

#12
Synopsis: This gritty, action-packed drama follows the evolution of Luke Cage (Mike Colter), a man with super strength and unbreakable skin... [More]
Starring: Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Rosario Dawson, Alfre Woodard
Directed By: Cheo Hodari Coker, Jeph Loeb, Jim Chory

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
93%

#11
Synopsis: This modern reimagining of the Shirley Jackson novel follows siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on... [More]
Starring: Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Timothy Hutton, Elizabeth Reaser
Directed By: Mike Flanagan, Trevor Macy, Meredith Averill, Justin Falvey

Mindhunter (2017)
97%

#10
Synopsis: Catching a criminal often requires the authorities to get inside the villain's mind to figure out how he thinks. That's... [More]
Starring: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Joe Tuttle
Directed By: David Fincher, Joshua Donen, Charlize Theron, Ceán Chaffin

The Crown (2016)
81%

#9
Synopsis: Based on an award-winning play ("The Audience") by showrunner Peter Morgan, this lavish, Netflix-original drama chronicles the life of Queen... [More]
Starring: Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Dominic West
Directed By: Peter Morgan, Suzanne Mackie, Andy Harries, Stephen Daldry

Marvel's The Punisher (2017)
65%

#8
Synopsis: After exacting revenge on the people responsible for the deaths of his wife and children, Frank Castle uncovers a conspiracy... [More]
Starring: Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes, Amber Rose Revah, Jason R. Moore
Directed By: Steve Lightfoot

Marvel - Jessica Jones (2015)
83%

#7
Synopsis: A chronicle of the life of one of the darker Marvel characters, the mysterious Jessica Jones. When a tragedy puts... [More]
Starring: Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Eka Darville, Carrie-Anne Moss
Directed By: Melissa Rosenberg, Jeph Loeb, Stephen Surjik, Jennifer Getzinger

Black Mirror (2011)
83%

#6
Synopsis: Featuring stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The... [More]
Starring:
Directed By: Annabel Jones, Charlie Brooker

Ozark (2017)
82%

#5
Synopsis: Created by Bill Dubuque ("The Accountant," "The Judge"), this drama series stars Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, a financial planner... [More]
Starring: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner
Directed By: Jason Bateman, Chris Mundy, Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams

The Witcher (2019)
80%

#4
Synopsis: The witcher Geralt, a mutated monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world in which people often prove... [More]
Starring: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey
Directed By: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Tomek Baginski, Jarek Sawko, Jason F. Brown

Marvel's Daredevil (2015)
92%

#3
Synopsis: The first in a planned series of shows detailing the Marvel universe, "Daredevil" follows Matt Murdock, attorney by day and... [More]
Starring: Charlie Cox, Elodie Yung, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson
Directed By: Drew Goddard, Jeph Loeb, Erik Oleson, Jim Chory

The Umbrella Academy (2019)
86%

#2
Synopsis: On one day in 1989, 43 infants are inexplicably born to random, unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy... [More]
Starring: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman
Directed By: Steve Blackman, Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, Beau Bauman

Stranger Things (2016)
92%

#1
Synopsis: Mysteries unravel in a small Midwestern town in the 1980s, involving supernatural forces, secret experiments and one strange girl.... [More]
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard
Directed By: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen

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