The Netflix Top 10 list won’t tell you how many people are watching a show, but it will tell you which shows people are watching the most. The Top 10 list for Thursday, Nov. 19 is barely changed from yesterday. The Crown Season 4 is still at No. 1 — it’s one of Netflix’s biggest shows, and it’s probably going to stay in the top spot for a long while — followed by new stand-up special Kevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given at No. 2 and The Queen’s Gambit at No. 3. The only new arrival on the list is a fairly random appearance by Survivor.
But of the Netflix Top 10, which of these shows and movies are actually worth watching? We break down the entire Netflix Top 10 list and guide you through what to binge and what to skip.
The Best TV Shows and Movies on Netflix in November 2020
Based on Netflix’s Top 10 from Thursday, Nov. 19
1. The Crown
For fans of: Palace intrigue, the Royals | Is it good?: It’s the best season yet
The ambitious, decades-spanning drama series about Queen Elizabeth II is back for its second season with Olivia Colman in the lead and its fourth season overall, and it adds two pivotally important characters into the mix: Margaret Thatcher (the great Gillian Anderson) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin), who both clash with the Queen. Their addition breathes fresh life into the series, which remains one of the grandest on all of television. (Yesterday’s rank: 1)
2. Kevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given
For fans of: Lifestyles of the rich and famous | Is it good?: Not particularly, but it’s not terrible, either
Kevin Hart filmed his latest special in his own living room during the pandemic. Netflix built him a stage, and a masked and distanced audience came over to watch him tell jokes in his very fancy pajamas. His living room is big enough to accommodate a comedy show. He has a very unusual life, and that’s what this special is about. (Yesterday’s rank: 2)
3. The Queen’s Gambit
For fans of: Chess, drugs, and character drama | Is it good?: It’s one of the best shows of the year
Budding superstar Anya Taylor-Joy (she’s been cast as young Furiosa in the next Mad Max movie) stars in this literary adaptation as Beth Harmon, a brilliant but troubled chess champion in 1950s Kentucky. She was an orphan who, in her youth, developed an incredible skill for the game but also a debilitating addiction to pills, which quiet her obsessive mind. It’s a detailed character study of brilliance and madness that’s usually reserved for male characters. It comes from one of Netflix’s go-to limited series producers, Godless‘ Scott Frank. (Yesterday’s rank: 3)
4. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
For fans of: Children’s book adaptations, Bill Hader | Is it good?: Not as good as the first Cloudy, but still pretty good
The Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs mythology is too complicated to just jump in and watch this without watching the first one. You won’t understand about how food falls from the sky because of…science. I’m just kidding, this movie is fun for the whole family, no explanation required. (Yesterday’s rank: 4)
5. Boss Baby: Back in Business
For fans of: Dreamworks face | Is it good?: Kids wanna see the boss who’s a baby
The Boss Baby is the CEO of the baby corporation now, and he’s competing with another baby firm. Capitalism! (Yesterday’s rank: 5)
6. Survivor
For fans of: Reality competition shows | Is it good?: Good enough to be on TV for 20 years
There are currently two seasons of Survivor on Netflix, Cagayan (Season 28) and Heroes & Villains (Season 20), both of which are considered to be among the very best of the pioneering reality show’s 40 seasons. So if you’ve never watched Jeff Probst‘s show, these could be the ones to get you into it. (Yesterday’s rank: n/a)
7. Cocomelon
For fans of: Singalongs, nursery rhymes | Is it good?: Little kids are in love with the Coco
Cocomelon, a multiplatform kids’ TV phenomenon, is consistently in the Netflix Top 10 as it adds new content constantly. Preschoolers can’t get enough of it, and parents hear the songs in their sleep. (Yesterday’s rank: 7)
8. The Grinch
For fans of: the Grinch | Is it good?: It’s fine
Benedict Cumberbatch voices Dr. Seuss’ iconic green guy who learns to love Christmas. You know the story, and this CG adaptation doesn’t add much to it. But it doesn’t detract anything from it, either. It’s better than the Jim Carrey version, but not as good as the original version. (Yesterday’s rank: 8)
9. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
For fans of: Christmas, musicals, Christmas musicals | Is it good?: It’s pretty adorable
Legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) loses everything after he’s betrayed by his friend (Keegan-Michael Key), who steals his most prized creation. Jangle’s granddaughter (Madalen Mills), with the help of a long-forgotten invention, sets out on a holiday adventure to get it back. There’s music, dancing, about a million celebrity cameos, and a whole lot of Christmas spirit, if that’s what you’re in the market for. (Yesterday’s rank: 6)
10. American Horror Story
For fans of: Ryan Murphy, frequent pop culture references | Is it good?: Some seasons are better than others
Season 9 of Ryan Murphy‘s horror anthology series recently dropped on Netflix. 1984 is set at a summer camp and pays homage to ’80s slasher movies, and if you’re already a fan of American Horror Story, you’ll be happy to hear that the nostalgia-seeped setting “provided the perfect setup for the signature one-liners and pop culture references” the show has become known for. If you’re not already a fan, 1984 maybe isn’t the best season to start with, but it’s still fun. (Yesterday’s rank: 10)
The Best Netflix Originals of 2020 So Far
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind