10 Greatest Netflix Original TV Shows

5. Master Of None

Who's In It? Aziz Ansari, Noel Wells, Eric Wareheim and Lena Waithe What's It About? The personal and professional life of Dev, a 30-year-old actor in New York. Why Should I Watch? Slinking into the gaps between Louie, Girls and Broad City, Ansari's beautifully assured portrait of post-modern NYC is quite simply divine; it's one of the smartest and sincerest comedies to arrive all year. Experimenting with thematic structure and tone, Master Of None feels like an ode to Woody Allen's 1970s portfolio whilst maintaining an urgent sense of individualism. Each episode focuses on a particular topic or scenario such as immigration, race portrayals on television, sexuality et al, as well as providing a developmental narrative strand which sees his Dev, a commercial actor with moderate ambitions, attempting to make in big in The Big Apple. As well as being consistently riotous - seriously, some of the jokes here will make you howl with laughter - it also has a lightness of touch emotionally which strikes effectively. Nuanced is perhaps the best term to describe both the show and its central character. Through tenderly plotted sequences and remarkably human beats, we become immersed and invested in Dev's world; he becomes an old friend who we care deeply for. There might be shades of Ansari's direct comedic approach here (such as his brazen alter-ego Raaaaaaaandy or Parks and Recreation's delightful Tom Haverford), but ultimately Master Of None remains level-headed, and greatness comes from its grounded approach. Enigmatic and endearing in equal measure, Netflix's latest is something rather special .