Netflix subscribers have been told they are "wasting their accounts" if they are yet to watch three particular series on the platform. TV critic Luke Eccleston, who often shares his TV and film recommendations online, insists these programmes are "must-watch" material, with one ranking amongst the "most underrated" available across the 6,000 titles on offer through Netflix in the UK and Ireland.
Netflix job cuts
Earlier this week Netflix announced plans to cut 1,000 jobs worldwide - around 6% of its workforce - due to competition gaining in popularity. It prompted co-chief executive Ted Sarandos to admit the company was "not growing as fast as I want us to".
However, if Luke's three recommendations are anything to go by, Netflix will hope to see a reversal in fortunes as he guarantees they will leave you totally "gripped".
Dept. Q
Topping Luke's selection is the thriller series Dept. Q. "Now this is an investigative, psychological thriller which follows after an incident where a man ends up seeing his friend paralysed and another police officer killed," he explained.
Following the incident, the protagonist finds himself permanently assigned to cold cases, according to Luke, who promises viewers will be "on the edge of your seat from start to finish" throughout the unfolding drama. "I guarantee you will absolute love it," he added.
Featuring Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie and Jamie Sives, the Netflix synopsis reads: "A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh's cold cases."
Midnight Mass
Second on Luke's roster is a "much more well-known" programme, yet one that appears to slip past numerous viewers. "Midnight Mass is one of the best shows you will ever see," he declared. Luke characterised the series as a "gripping horror" centred on life in a remote island community, where a man's return bearing a "special box" containing something that terrorises the entire town. "I promise you will love it, so make sure you don't miss this one out."
Midnight Mass features Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford and Hamish Linklater, with Netflix describing the storyline: "The arrival of a charismatic young priest brings glorious miracles, ominous mysteries and renewed religious fervor to a dying town desperate to believe."
American Primeval
Luke described the final series on his recommendations as a "brutal old-fashioned Western". "It's called American Primeval and follows a mother and son who have to flee their past across America in a haunting and desolate landscape."
The reviewer concluded by asserting that everyone he knows who has watched it "absolutely loved it". He urged: "So make sure you see this one right now."
Netflix outlines the drama: "A mother and son fleeing from their past form a found family while confronting a harsh landscape of freedom and cruelty in the American West." The series features Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin and Dane DeHaan.
Reacting to Luke's recommendations, one viewer declared: "Dept Q is brilliant! Can't wait for season 2." A second commenter enthused: "OMG American Primeval is 10/10." A third TikTok user remarked: "Midnight Mass is massively underrated." And a fourth concurred: "Midnight Mass is excellent, slightly slow burn the first couple episodes but stick with it and I promise you won't be disappointed."
