August brings a wealth of new content for Netflix subscribers in the U.S., especially if you enjoy thrillers like “The Last Mile” and “The Pronunciation Man,” mind-bending documentaries such as “Giant Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy,” or the latest season of Shane Gillis’s “Tires.” While the streaming gods love to tease us with delayed releases, there’s still plenty worth watching right now. I’ve curated a selection of fresh and newly arrived Netflix shows perfect for a weekend binge.
The lineup includes the dramatic conclusion of one of the world’s greatest literary adaptations, Ricky Gervais’s affection for cats manifested in animation, a grumpy doctor series prowling the Netflix Top 10, and my top pick this weekend – a palate cleanser you can literally drink.
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Part 2)
The Beginning of the End of Macondo’s Family Saga
Netflix’s ambitious adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s renowned Nobel Prize-winning novel, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” captivated audiences when the Spanish-language series’s first part premiered on the streamer in 2024. Fans eagerly awaited the continuation, and Part 2 arrived on August 5—featuring all seven stunning episodes plus a feature-length finale released on the 26th—to bring this epic to its dramatic conclusion.
Divided into two 50-year spans, Part 1 chronicled the early generations of the Buendía family and the founding of the fictional Colombian utopia of Macondo, including the early years of plagues and hardships, and a brutal civil war. Part 2’s concluding 50 years resume after the armistice, but shift focus to the contemporary threat of corporate exploitation and imperialism as the American banana company descends on the once-idyllic town, endangering the future of the Buendía family.
Alley Cats
Ricky Gervais’s Feral, Foul-Mouthed Strays Pounce on Netflix
The quick-witted, crude, and delightfully British banter combined with stellar voice acting in this original Netflix series from Ricky Gervais is absolutely worth your time. Lighthearted yet sharp, “Alley Cats” also features a subtle bid that adds an unexpected layer of depth. Created by Gervais, a well-known animal lover and advocate, the comedian voices Gus, a fat, ornery, and opinionated ginger feral cat who hangs out in a run-down building watching TV with his mates: Puke (David Earl, “Brian and Charles”), Ponce (Tom Basden, “After Life”), Kitten (Jo Hartley, “This Is England”), Fang (Andrew Brooke, “PhoneShop”), and Olive (Diane Morgan, “Cunk on Earth”).
Between scavenging for food, lounging about, and trading quips about life, death, and foolish humans, the gang’s mundane routine gets shaken up when a lost kitten arrives, giving them something to care about for a change. “Alley Cats” is fast-paced and hilarious (especially if you appreciate dry, biting British humor), and supremely bingeable, with each of season one’s six episodes running approximately 17 minutes.
Best Medicine
Josh Charles’s Charming Fish-Out-of-Water Doctor Dramedy
I’ve been a fan of actor Josh Charles since he “carpe”d the heck out of the day in “Dead Poets Society” back in ’89. Since then, he’s built an impressive base of character roles, most notably as attorney Will Gardner on “The Good Wife” and as the creepy Gilead Commander Gabriel Wharton on “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Charles’s latest role is a perfect fit, too, as he takes on hotshot surgeon Dr. Martin Best in the hit Fox series “Best Medicine,” which has just arrived for streaming on Netflix.
Following the smooth-current British dramedy “Doc Martin” that ran from 2004 to 2022 in the UK, the series follows Best, who gives up the fast pace of Boston’s operating rooms to become the sole GP in the tiny town of Port Wenn, Maine. As a family doctor, his bedside manner is initially frightening; he carries a big-city chip on his shoulder and lacks humor, but eventually he warms to the locals, which include schoolteacher Louisa (Abigail Spencer, “Rectify”), lobsterwoman Joan (Annie Potts, “Ghostbusters”), and sheriff Set Mylow (Josh Segarra, “The Other Two”). All 13 episodes are now streaming.
The Cocktail Lab
Learn How to Channel Your Inner Tom Cruise This Weekend
My top pick should significantly enhance your weekend and quench your thirst for knowledge. From the prestigious team at America’s Test Kitchen, public television’s culinary establishment, “The Cocktail Lab” could easily be the most valuable suggestion on this list. With 10 crushable, 10-minute tutorial episodes you can cherry-pick or power through, host Joe Gitter—a senior editor at ATK—breaks down some of the world’s tastiest and most refreshing cocktails and shows you how to make them.
From the difference between a shaken martini and a stirred one, and why the daiquiri is a drink every bartender should know how to construct, to why the classics remain so popular, Gitter’s videos are smooth, fast-paced, and straightforward to follow. There’s even an episode on zero-proof drinks for those who don’t consume alcohol. Equal parts happy hour and chemistry lesson, it’s a binge where you’ll actually learn something.
Pour Yourself Something New This Weekend
“New to Netflix” doesn’t always mean brand new, but there are plenty of fresh TV titles on this weekend’s list to choose from. If you’re into documentaries, though, we’ve got recommendations for that too. Or if you prefer a more holistic overview across multiple streamers, we strive to scour them all to bring you the best options.
