Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, which is why reality shows occasionally hit the spot more than scripted ones. From floral fights to lava-filled physical challenges, Netflix is full of options to get you through the weekend-long binge-watch (or a single day, we don’t judge).
Take a deep dive into these top reality shows on Netflix to get that TV fix you need—or maybe a look at your next gig.
‘Barbecue Showdown’
Good luck watching if you’re hungry. “Barbecue Showdown” features a wide variety of grillers cooking out and competing in mouthwatering challenges with all kinds of variables, from protein source to sauce requirements. While the show makes you salivate with its savory treasures, it’s also an intriguing snapshot of American culture, highlighting how different folks approach the common necessity of food.
“Barbecue Showdown” is mostly a wholesome affair, but there are occasional, invigorating flare-ups of temperament in the high-temperature pits.
‘The Big Flower Fight’
Hosted by brilliant English comedians Natasia Demetriou (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Vic Reeves (of Reeves and Mortimer), “The Big Flower Fight” is a charming look into the lives and talents of floral designers. Contestants from across the globe compete for the high prize of Best in Bloom in absurd yet gorgeous challenges such as “Enormous Insects” or “Giant Edible Thrones.” By the end of the eight-episode season, you’ll find yourself with deep-rooted opinions about what variation of posy is best to visually convey a green giant’s beard.
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‘Blown Away’
Is it hack to say “Blown Away” will blow you away? Too bad, we’re saying it! The Canadian series is visceral proof that the art of glassblowing is one of the wildest, most beautiful, and obviously dangerous acts a human being can undertake. As artists compete for cash and a residency at prestigious glassblowing museums (yes, those exist), your jaw will drop at the creations that emerge from blowing hot, molten glass through a tube.
‘The Casketeers’
If you liked “Fun Home,” the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel (or its Broadway musical adaptation), and thought, What if this, but reality show?, then we have a Netflix stream for you. “The Casketeers” is a surprisingly charming, even funny look at the day-to-day operations of a New Zealand funeral home run by couple Francis and Kaiora Tipene. While the show explores both the raw emotions and businesslike procedures surrounding the industry of “grief,” it’s never morose and doesn’t slide into trauma porn. Instead, “The Casketeers” approaches its subjects with honesty, empathy, and camaraderie. Plus, the show has a heavy emphasis on the indigenous Māori experience, with casual usage of the language and customs, providing international viewers an inclusive look into this culture.
‘The Circle’
For reality fans who enjoy the backstabbing gamesmanship of such programs, “The Circle” is a must-watch; it’s a purification of these elements into an essential, addictive form. Contestants live in the same apartment building, but aren’t allowed to see each other. Instead, they interact solely through a customized social media interface—and are allowed to portray themselves however they want (which is to say, catfishing abounds). Then, these same contestants rate each other on whom they like the best, and the lowest-rated players are in danger of being removed or “blocked.” It’s socially fascinating, morally sick, and the most “yell at your TV and play from your couch” reality show you’ll ever watch.
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‘Floor Is Lava’
We all played it as a kid: The floor has magically become deadly hot lava, requiring you to jump from surface to surface, lest you melt in its fiery clutches. What “Floor Is Lava” presupposes is: Maybe adults want to play, too?
“Floor Is Lava” is not challenging, brain-expanding television; but it is one of the silliest, most belly-laugh-inducing watches available for you right now. Plus, there’s a low barrier to entry for you as a potential contestant. No specialty skills are required—all you gotta do is look like a fool as you avoid some imaginary lava.
‘The Great British Baking Show’
The gold star of feel-good television, “The Great British Baking Show” is as good as everyone says it is. Charming contestants gather in an always-hot tent to engage in the gentlest of baking challenges. Watch them compete for the exalted title of Star Baker and shake with glee when judge Paul Hollywood gives them a handshake. With inspiring, intriguing dishes and tear-jerking origin stories (from contestants and audience alike), “The Great British Baking Show” is perfect entertainment for the whole family. It is “inoffensive” in the most positive connotation of the word.
‘Hack My Home’
Custom-designed to activate the DIY innovator in you, “Hack My Home” is a celebration of the ingenious. Rather than punting renovations to a DNA-altering group of expensive professionals, the wizards of “Hack My Home” offer tips and solutions within the spaces the residents already have. It’s a welcomely practical, inclusive take on the “home improvement” reality space, one that makes big change possible through small ones.
‘Nailed It!’
Another program that’s deliriously entertaining with a low barrier to entry, “Nailed It!” celebrates effort, rather than result. Hosted by the inimitable Nicole Byer, the baking show welcomes kitchen adventurers from, let’s say, “all kinds of skill levels” to do their level best at recreating professional cakes and goodies. The final products are always good for a guffaw, but never in a mean-spirited way; the show plays with the gap between reach and grasp with an endearing approachability. Plus, if Byer’s laugh doesn’t make you laugh, you have a heart of stone.
‘Physical: 100’
In the intersection of “American Ninja Warrior” and “Squid Game: The Challenge” lies “Physical: 100,” a brutal, addictive, and beyond-compelling quest to find as perfect a human specimen as possible. As suggested by the title, 100 contestants begin a series of challenges designed to test the body to its physical limits. Every episode—even every challenge—competitors begin dropping like flies (though, thankfully not in a lethal way; it’s just like “Squid Game: The Challenge”) until, at the end of the season, only one person remains to win the top prize. So, yeah, the barrier to entry is a lot higher on this one.
‘Queer Eye’
It feels biologically impossible to watch an episode of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot and not cry. The new Fab Five consists of chef Antoni Porowski, interior designer Bobby Berk, hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness, culture expert Karamo Brown, and fashionista Tan France. The crew visits various American towns (and once, Japan!) to help all kinds of folks in need of a life change. The show is simultaneously light but deep, packaging its clients’ sometimes serious traumas into easily digestible celebrations of life. There is never shallow pity on “Queer Eye,” only life-affirming empathy.
‘Rhythm + Flow’
For aspiring rappers and musicians, “Rhythm + Flow” is a must-watch. Hip-hop superstars Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, and Tip “T.I.” Harris host the infectious competition series, where up-and-coming rappers spit their best bars in the hopes of industry notice and advancement. It plays much deeper and more authentic than other “American Idol”–esque shows. This is true not just in the bench of mentors and collaborators brought in to educate the young talents—ranging from rappers such as Killer Mike to producers such as London on da Track—but in the exploration of the genre as a truly “American” art form representing the alchemy of struggle into creation.
‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’
“I love mess,” exclaims professional organizer Marie Kondo in an oft-memed moment from “Tidying Up.” If you live in a cluttered space, you might find the act of decluttering intimidating. But Kondo’s emphasis on joy—so much so that her main thesis is to only keep what “sparks joy”—makes the idea feel warm and approachable. Plus, she wisely clocks the relationship between the physical and mental and tends to focus on the latter—giving the springboard for more effective storytelling and, hopefully, genuine life improvement.