White Collar and 9 more network TV and cable dramas to binge on Netflix

It's summertime which means we've reached a dearth of scripted programming on network TV. If you're like me and what's available for streaming originals isn't hitting it for you right now, it's time to pull out the 'to watch' list and pick a show (or two or three!) that's going to become a staple over the next few months as we wait for Fall TV to land.

I've already recommended the one network TV comedy you need to watch immediately on Netflix. Now, let's turn to network TV and cable dramas (and dramedies, they still count!) to watch on the streamer. There's a mix of genres on the following list so whether you're looking to tune into a sexy and murderous spy thriller or a family oriented sports drama, I've got you covered!

TV shows to binge on Netflix

White Collar

The Blue Sky procedural that made Matt Bomer a household name has been in the news lately thanks to the development of a White Collar revival. If you've never seen Neal Caffrey, master thief and con man, and his partnership turned familial bond with FBI special Agent Peter Burke, now's the time to binge the show! Bomer is charming as Neal and, like Peter, you won't be able to help being endeared to him even as he has an exasperating affinity for class, style, and things he shouldn't want. The series ran from 2009-2014 on USA Network. It has a total of six seasons and 81 episodes.

All American

This high school sports drama, which made the leap to its college era in season 4, is the last standing pre-Nexstar era CW original for a reason.

When the series begins, Spencer James is a Crenshaw High football player who's given an opportunity to play for Beverly Hills High under the direction of Coach Billy Baker, a former NFL star who now fosters young talent. Choosing to accept the scholarship, however, doesn't just open doors for Spencer. It puts him at odds with the life he once knew before as he tries to balance helping to uplift his community and striving for his dream to play in the NFL.

All American has a lot of heart as it deftly navigates its coming of age story and social issues. It is a teen drama so do expect messy romantic entanglements but the show is also about family and friendship as these young people learn more about themselves and what they want from life.

The series has been renewed for a seventh season which will premiere in 2025. They're currently five seasons available to binge on Netflix. Season 6 is expected to hit the platform in July.

Evil

Originally airing on CBS, before making the jump to Paramount+, Evil tells the story of forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard, Catholic seminarian David Acosta, and technology contractor Ben Shakir. They're investigating "supernatural" happenings for the Catholic church. Both Kristen and Ben are skeptics but the cases they're involved in do test their understanding of the natural world and what they believe to be true and not true about the incidents they encounter.

Evil is as thought provoking as it is absolutely weird and on the right side of bonkers. From a demon that plagues the trio's every step to a battle between Good and Evil that includes an attempt to foster discord through a fertility clinic, this procedural supernatural drama loves to spin a captivating tale that'll leave you thinking twice about the beliefs you hold.

The fourth and final season is currently underway with new episodes releasing weekly on Paramount+ but, if you aren't subscribed to the platform and you want to check it out, seasons 1-2 are available on Netflix.

Friday Night Lights

Nowadays, Zach Gilford is playing a scheming serial killer on Criminal Minds: Evolution but back in 2006, TV lovers knew him as Matt Saracen, the backup quarterback for the Dillon High Panthers who's thrust into the spotlight when golden boy Jason Street suffers a devastating injury.

Friday Night Lights is a comfort watch. There's a lot of drama that goes down in the small town of Dillon but these characters love one another deeply. "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" became a mantra because of how it resonated with audiences. Not to mention Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton's performances as Coach Taylor and Tami Taylor were scene-stealing and grounded the series in the down home warmth and sense of family that made it a favorite during its run.

The football drama aired from 2006-2011 on NBC and 101 Network with five seasons and a total of 76 episodes.

Good Girls

If you're looking for a laugh along with the dramatic story beats you crave, Good Girls is the show for you. The crime dramedy starring Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman transforms three unassuming suburban moms into criminals after they decide to rob a grocery store together. Unbeknownst to them, the store had been a money laundering front for a gang leader which inadvertently lands the trio in hot water.

From there, things spiral out of control in the most delightful of ways as they get roped deeper in the criminal underbelly of their town and establish themselves as real players in the game. Between stress, family issues, continued financial problems, and the secrets they have to carry, Beth, Ruby, and Annie must rely on each other and not get themselves killed or arrested in their newfound life.

Good Girls pairs the typical tug-of-war between what's right and what's wrong with off-beat humor, family drama, an ill-advised but spicy situationship with Beth and the gang leader Rio, and a tale about friendship for a winning combination. Unfortunately, the show was canceled in 2021, so the series was cut before its time but it did run for four seasons across 50 episodes on NBC.

Jane the Virgin

Am I cheating a bit with this one, quite possibly! But Jane the Virgin is a timeless romantic comedy drama that doesn't get enough praise. We meet Jane Villanueva (played expertly by Gina Rodriguez), waitress and aspiring author, when she's 23 years old and deeply in love with her boyfriend, Michael. So imagine her surprise when she finds out that she's pregnant by another man which should be impossible since she's never had sex before.

Thanks to a mix-up at a routine gynecology appointment, Jane is now pregnant and the father is Rafael Solano, the handsome man who years ago charmed her and pushed her to go after her dreams only for her to never hear from him again. Yes, this story does get messy but deliciously so and it's a telenovela to boot so the dramatics reach hysterical heights.

At its core, Jane the Virgin is about love, in all of its facets. The series prizes the familial and friendship bonds on the show as much as it does the romances. Through five seasons, and 100 episodes which ran from 2014-2019, this CW series grew its characters immensely and has some of the most beautiful writing to grace the small screen.

Killing Eve

This spy thriller has the lowest commitment on this list but its no less great than the other offerings. Coming in at four seasons, 32 episodes in total, Killing Eve paired Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh in a cat-and-mouse game that hops from country to country as British Intelligence investigator Eve Polastri (Oh) chases after Villanelle (Comer), an out of her mind assassin. What starts as an obsession quickly spirals into an unexpected and dangerous attraction between the two women.

Killing Eve is so good because it often does the unexpected. Its ending, however, left many fans disappointed, so proceed with caution (and potentially stop at season 3)! Despite this, if you love off the wall characters, killers sorting through newfound emotions, and investigators who get far too close to their suspects, then this is a show that'll be right up your alley. The series ran from 2018-2022 on BBC America.

Madam Secretary

Can a political drama be a comfort watch? If you ask me, yes! Madam Secretary is all heart. The series, which aired on CBS from 2014-2019, follows Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst turned college professor who must answer the call to become the Secretary of State after Vincent Marsh dies in a plane crash. She has to get her staff to adjust to the way she does things, help her family acclimate to their new life in D.C. and, of course, use diplomacy to stop the world from going to hell in a handbasket because of high stakes global misunderstandings or, in some cases, petty feuding between nations.

Elizabeth, affectionately referred to as Bess by those close to her, is as strong and forthright as she is warm, silly, and loving. This series is able to walk to the tight rope of being a dramatic, compelling, worldly drama and a family oriented program. One moment the characters will be handling a crisis in the Middle East or Elizabeth's husband, Henry, will be working an operation centered on getting an American asset to infiltrate the Russian military and the next the McCords will be arguing about dinner and the latest colorful commentary at school.

Madam Secretary is an underrated gem and if you're looking for a long binge, this should be your pick. The show is six seasons with a total of 120 episodes.

New Amsterdam

Look, New Amsterdam and I will likely always have beef (you know what you did, writers!), but this NBC medical drama is a dream of a show. Dr. Max Goodwin does the absolute most to ensure that the patients at New Amsterdam get the care they need and deserve. The series, however, is a lot like wish fulfillment because Max's motto, "How can I help?," often leads him to do wild and outlandish things to get his point across. There's a charm to his approach though that makes you root for him and the staff at the center.

Finishing its run in 2023 with five seasons and 89 episodes, New Amsterdam is the second youngest completed series on this list and definitely worth the watch. It's also potentially expanding into a franchise. A spin-off following Max's daughter Luna is in the works at NBC.

Riverdale

Did you think you were going to escape this list without a Riverdale recommendation? Ha, no. The agenda continues! Here me out. The CW adaptation of the beloved comics is bonkers. This is true. But that's a good thing. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa gave us a rare jewel, a campy series about high school kids (and later adults) that live in a truly out of this world small town and deal with the unimaginable. There's nothing like it and there likely will never be again.

Riverdale defies genre and often definition but it never takes itself too seriously. The plots range from "the highs and lows of high school football" to rat and gargoyle kings, mothmen, Annabelle-esque dolls, alternate universes, gang wars, serial killers, and more! Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, and all their friends are put through the ringer but they also have a lot of fun, fall in love, make terrible choices, and grow over seven seasons and 137 episodes. The series ran from 2017-2023, and it's surely missed during this new era for The CW.