Netflix found all the reality contests and brought them together. Here are the best competition shows available on Netflix in 2019.
I’ve always loved the concept of TV competition show but was never satisfied with their execution. It felt like they focused too much on petty interpersonal drama and not enough on the actual mechanics of what the contestants were trying to achieve. But ever since there’s been increasingly more creative competition shows on Netflix, I’ve found multiple shows to love!
Whether you’re interested in cars, athletics, baking, painting or glass blowing, these shows will keep you intrigued as contestants pursue more and more challenging goals and put their skills to the test.
Netflix’s Best Competition Shows in 2019
Hyperdrive
If you like talking about and looking at cars, this is the show for you. But even if you don’t, Hyperdrive does a great job of teaching you more about how cars work and how experienced street racers get their cars to do some truly wild maneuvers.
This competition show brings together the best street racers from around the world and puts them in one of the most challenging obstacle courses ever made for cars. Each contestant tries to beat the others’ time without failing any of the obstacles — and those obstacles can get truly wild as the competition progresses!
The spirit of the show is one of innovation and mutual encouragement, as the racers show off their moves but also learn from each other. It’s both badass and wholesome — who doesn’t like that?
Ultimate Beastmaster
Athletes from around the world compete for the title of Ultimate Beast Master in this incredible sports competition, where increasingly complicated obstacles form a massive, terrifying obstacle course that they all have to get through using their skill, strength and intelligence.
This show is great fun to watch on the couch as you eat something decidedly unhealthy, and be amazed at the great feats the human body can achieve when people really set their mind to it. And maybe it’ll inspire you to finally go to the gym. Maybe. Maybe you’ll just get another serving of ice cream and watch another episode.
The Great British Baking Show
Also known as The Great British Bake-Off, you’ve probably heard of this one, but if you haven’t you should definitely start watching. This year, Netflix is premiering the new season one episode per week… the first time they’ve ever done that with any competition show on Netflix — or any show, period! I guess it shows just how much Netflix users like to watch it.
The Great British Bake-Off is pure, endless fun as a group of talented bakers pursue different baking challenges based on the history of the U.K. and their own life experiences. Each episode sees them face three challenges, and one contestant wins while another is eliminated.
The hosts are comedians who keep everyone laughing the whole time, and the contestants really see each other as a team, even when they’re competing against each other: you’ll often see them lend a helping hand to someone who’s struggling.
Skin Wars
You may have never really spared a thought for what wild creations can be made with body paint, but Skin Wars will change that! This show brings body painting experts together to face increasingly difficult body-painting challenges that show off their technique, creativity and artistic ability. From effectively camouflaging a person in a grocery store, to drawing inspiration from the zombie apocalypse, it’s always mind-blowing to see the result of each artist’s work.
The one thing that can be a bit annoying about Skin Wars is that they do focus a little too much on interpersonal drama at times. Some contestants are arrogant and others are mean, and sometimes that takes the focus away from the art. Still, it’s incredible to see what the artists can do with just a bit of paint!
Blown Away
Glass blowing is an amazing art, and finally there’s a show that offers a glimpse of how it all works! In Blown Away, some of the best glass blowers come together to create amazing works of glass: some functional, some artistic, some both. Armed with only a few assistants and all the materials in the world, it’s a competition where anything can go wrong at any moment: glass shatters very easily, the temperatures are insanely hot, and you don’t often get a second chance to do anything.
Blown Away can be a truly nail-biting experience, but it’s also awe-inspiring as you realize the level of expertise required to do even the simplest things in glass blowing. By the end of the show, you’ll be looking up glass blowing classes near you.
Sugar Rush
This is one of the best competition shows on Netflix for people who are afraid to commit to an entire season’s worth of episodes. In Sugar Rush, each episode holds three challenges, and each episode sees a whole new set of bakers! So if you’re anxious about getting attached to losing contestants, or just aren’t sure if you want to watch a whole season, give Sugar Rush a try.
This competition show brings little teams of baking experts — often owners of small-town bakeries or just aspiring bakers with day jobs — to showcase their talent in fun, themed challenges. They aren’t necessarily required to use a technique, but to bring the spirit of the theme out through their work. The result is a great variety of desserts centered around the ocean, or the forest, or love. It’s exciting to watch (and will make you hungry without fail)
Related: ‘The Absolute Best Feel-Good Reality Shows on Netflix’
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