Credit: ABC StudiosNetflix’s library of hit movies, award-winning TV shows, and unique originals is one of the reasons why the streamer remains so popular. Shows like Suits, which had a successful run on cable TV, exploded in viewership on Netflix. While Netflix would love to keep its licensed programming forever, it’s an unrealistic ask, meaning many notable shows eventually leave for other streaming services.
The four shows listed below all experienced the Netflix bump. However, they eventually migrated off the service and found new streaming homes. Some of these beloved shows left as recently as the end of June. Will these must-see shows find new audiences? We’ll find out. One thing is clear: You can’t watch them on Netflix U.S. anymore.
This Is Us
This is family
A crowd-pleasing family drama like This Is Us was always going to work on Netflix. The first episode contains an effective twist that almost guarantees viewers will tune in for more. The twist worked on me, as I went on to watch every episode during its six-season run. It may no longer be on Netflix, but it remains on Hulu. Dan Fogelman’s creative show intertwined storylines across multiple timelines. The show begins in 1980, where Pittsburgh-based couple Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore) are expecting triplets.
Jumping to 2016, twin siblings Kate (Chrissy Metz), a personal assistant struggling with her weight, and Kevin, an actor suffering from a personal crisis, are celebrating their 36th birthday. Meanwhile, Randall (Paradise’s Sterling K. Brown) sets out to meet his biological father (Ron Cephas Jones), who left him at a fire station as an infant. I always appreciated This Is Us‘ optimism — that, no matter how bad life gets, you can always take the sourest of lemons and turn it into something resembling lemonade.
Stream This Is Us on Hulu. You may also watch every episode on the NBC app and NBC.com with a TV provider.
Sex and the City
The iconic story of four women looking for love in New York
Sex and the City helped popularize HBO’s Sunday night lineup, which is now reserved for the network’s premier shows like House of the Dragon. Based on Candace Bushnell’s novel, Sex and the City chronicles the lives of four women — Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) — navigating love, careers, and everything in between in New York City.
Sex and the City is a true dramedy, but it’s more effective when leaning into its comedic roots. Genre questions aside, Sex and the City is a landmark show that paved the way for other female-centric ensembles like Girls and Insecure. All six seasons of the show arrived on Netflix in 2024 thanks to a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery. However, the show departed Netflix on June 30, 2026. Have no fear, all 94 episodes can be streamed on HBO Max.
StreamSex and the City on HBO Max.
Roku Ultra
$99
Save $17.05
Operating System
RkuOS
The impressive Roku Ultra has everything you’d want from a streaming device, with Dolby Vision and Atmos providing quality 4K picture and sound.
Connectivity
luetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi
Gilmore Girls
Spend time in Stars Hollow with Lorelai and Rory
Gilmore Girls is the definition of a comfort show. It features an easy-to-digest premise, likable characters, and family-centric themes. Amy Sherman-Palladino’s dramedy focuses on the relationship between Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and her daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), in the charming town of Stars Hollow.
Gilmore Girls is a mother-daughter show at its core, but the show evolved into more of an ensemble as the years went on thanks to the emergence of supporting characters like Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson). After more than a decade on Netflix, all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls are now on Prime Video. You can also watch the show on Hulu. However, the sequel miniseries, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, remains on Netflix.
Stream Gilmore Girls on Prime Video. The show is also available on Hulu.
Lost
Supernatural show with an all-time pilot episode
I don’t want to say that pilot episodes don’t matter anymore. However, they’ve certainly lost some of their luster in the streaming era. Most shows have already filmed the entire season by the time the first episode airs. Back when top shows aired on broadcast TV, a strong pilot was necessary to survive. You had to bring in the audience immediately, or networks would consider cancellation sooner rather than later. Up there on the list of greatest first episodes is Lost’s two-part pilot in 2004.
In the pilot episode, Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on a strange island in the South Pacific, leaving the survivors — including Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), and Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews) — to band together and find a way home. The episode establishes its use of flashbacks, which would become an important narrative technique, and incorporates supernatural elements into the story. It’s a fantastic pilot that can no longer be watched on Netflix, along with all 121 episodes. Instead, head to Hulu to experience the mystery that led to debates that will never die.
Stream Lost on Hulu.
More shows to consider watching on streaming
These four shows are worth adding to your watchlist. If you’re still undecided, then check out some classic shows you might have missed, including The Wire and Arrested Development. Elsewhere, head to Hulu to stream the fifth and final season of The Bear.
