The Top 10 Most Popular TV Shows on Netflix Today, May 20

Heading into the weekend, The Lincoln Lawyer is still the No. 1 show on Netflix's Daily Top 10 TV Shows list on Friday, May 20. The legal drama from superproducer David E. Kelley has been in the top spot for a week, and with no major Netflix releases this weekend, it seems likely to stay there for another few days at least. No. 2 is crime thriller Ozark, still performing well three weeks after the final episodes of the series were released. No. 3 is reality competition hit The Circle, followed by Mexican mystery thriller Who Killed Sara? at No. 4. The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib, the latest iteration of the Boss Baby children's media franchise, rounds out the top 5. 

But the fact that people watch a show doesn't always mean it's good. We break down the entire Netflix Top 10 TV Shows list and help you figure out what's actually good and which shows are not. We do the same for Netflix's Top 10 movies, as well as Netflix's overall Top 10 list. We also have recommendations for the best movies on Netflix and the best TV shows on Netflix.

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Based on Netflix's Top 10 TV Shows for Friday, May 20

1. The Lincoln Lawyer

For fans of: Network dramas made for streaming | Is it good?: It's peak dad TV

Netflix doesn't do a lot of network-style dramas (yet, but expect a lot more of them), so this legal drama from prolific writer-producer David E. Kelley stands out. Long before he became the Big Little Lies guy, Kelley dominated the lawyers-on-TV space with L.A. Law, The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Boston Legal, among others. This is his return to the genre. The Lincoln Lawyer is based on a bestselling novel series by Michael Connelly, who also created Det. Harry Bosch, and follows Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), a Los Angeles defense attorney who doesn't like defending guilty people, but does like using his Lincoln Navigator as his office. He was previously played by Matthew McConaughey in the well-liked 2011 movie of the same name. (Yesterday's rank: 1)

2. Ozark

For fans of: The color blue, money laundering | Is it good?: It is the perfect show for people who love this type of show

Jason Bateman plays a normal-seeming guy who moves his family to the Ozarks after he gets in too deep with a money laundering scheme and a drug cartel. It's Netflix's blue-tinted answer to Breaking Bad, and the second half of the final season is here. Will the Byrdes finally get their wings clipped? (Yesterday's rank: 3)

3. The Circle

For fans of: People being stuck in one place with no way of getting out, but in a fun way | Is it good?: It's not as good as it was in Season 1

It kind of seems like The Circle just premiered its third season, but in any case, it's already back for a fourth. Netflix's competition series follows contestants who are confined to their own rooms in an apartment complex and can only communicate with each other over social media. There's tons of catfishing, tons of poorly kept secrets, and tons of cheesy hashtags. Also, Baby Spice and Scary Spice are competing under their own catfish profile this season. Sure, why not? (Yesterday's rank: 2)

4. Who Killed Sara? 

For fans of: Seeking vengeance, melodrama | Is it good?: It's a solid and compelling revenge mystery

This Mexican crime series follows Alex (Manolo Cardona), a man who sets out to exact revenge on the people who framed him for his sister's murder. In Season 3, Alex is still trying to clear his name while reckoning with the troubling things he's learned about his sister's past. (Yesterday's rank: 4)

5. The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib

For fans of: Babies who are bosses | Is it good?: You probably have to be a kid to enjoy this one

Teach your kid about white collar crime with this series about adult Ted Templeton reverting back to his alternate Boss Baby persona after he's framed (!) for embezzlement (!!). To hide out, he goes to live with his brother and poses as one of his children! I can't believe that's what this show is about. (Yesterday's rank: n/a)

Here's what's worth watching in Netflix's overall Top 10 (movies and TV shows)

6. Bling Empire 

For fans of: The inner lives of the exorbitantly wealthy, expensive clothes | Is it good?: It's a must-watch for any reality TV fan

This reality show, now in its second season, is billed as a real-life Crazy Rich Asians, which isn't a far-off description, except there's no heartwarming love story at the center of it. The cast is indeed crazy, rich, and Asian-American, making this a Bravo-style series full of excess and drama. (Yesterday's rank: 5)

7. Love on the Spectrum U.S.

For fans of: Dating shows that actually make you feel good | Is it good?: It's heartwarming and moving

Love on the Spectrum, the Australian Netflix series about dating on the autism spectrum, has come to America. Love on the Spectrum U.S. follows singles who are looking for love as they step into the dating pool. Experts and their families are on hand to offer help and advice, but, refreshingly, the perspectives of people with autism are the focus here. (Yesterday's rank: 7)

8. Workin' Moms

For fans of: Cult sitcoms, giving moms their due | Is it good?: It's fun!

Much like Schitt's Creek, Workin' Moms is a Canadian sitcom that really found its audience when Netflix starting distributing it globally. Catherine Reitman's comedy about four working mothers just trying to get through the day is now in its sixth season, and the show is exploring everything from life after maternity leave to equal pay in the office to dealing with troubled teens. (Yesterday's rank: 8)

9. Kat Williams: World War III

For fans of: Katt Williams, when famous people talk about COVID | Is it good?: If you're a fan of Williams' whole thing, you'll love it

Katt Williams recorded this special in January in Las Vegas during a particularly crazy COVID surge, which is only worth mentioning because he talks so much about the pandemic and vaccines here. He also talks about his thoughts on Joe Biden, America's history with drugs, and Taco Bell. (Yesterday's rank: 6)

10. Outlander 

For fans of: Time travel, sex, history | Is it good?: Of course

Depending on who you ask, Outlander is either the sexiest show on TV, or it's a historical drama with a touch of sci-fi. Or maybe it's both! In Season 5, Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) try to start a life in North Carolina as they and their family prepare for the Revolutionary War. (Yesterday's rank: 9)

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