4 awesomely nostalgic binge-watches on Netflix this summer

Each month, Netflix drops a large amount of new content, and the novelty of the new releases can sometimes dim the excitement for the throwback titles coming back to our watch lists. After all, some of the most popular shows (and even movies!) on the platform in the past few years have been those that are up to a decade or more old. Suits, anyone?

The summer of 2024 might be Netflix's most nostalgic yet as the streamer continues dropping three-Disney owned fan-favorite shows and welcomes the surprise return of another fan-favorite series from Showtime. Throughout the year, Netflix has acquired lots of outside content that subscribers want to watch, but this summer's picks might be its best round up yet.

Looking to keep your summer watch list stocked with solid picks from the past? Want to revisit an old fave for a second, third, or millionth binge-watch? Ready to finally dive into a show you've been hearing about forever? Here are the four best throwback shows to check out on Netflix this summer!

How I Met Your Mother

Look, even if you have never watched a frame of How I Met Your Mother and can't even identify a single character, you probably know at least one thing about the hit CBS sitcom: Everyone hated the ending. But with a show as long-running as HIMYM (nine seasons, 208 episodes), the fun can be in the journey, and you could even decide where the story ends for you, just like some people choose to stop watching The Office after Michael leaves.

Sure, the series had a mythology as rich and twisty as that of Lost, which we'll get to in a second, but How I Met Your Mother has some of the funniest standalone episodes and memorable detours from the central premise. The cast — Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan — is one of the all-time best sitcom ensembles ever. The jokes might have aged poorly and the ending might be hit or miss, but HIMYM will always be worth the nostalgia.

Dexter

He's a serial killer, but the good kind, so he says. Dexter stars Michael C. Hall as the titular forensic technician who moonlights as a vigilante of sorts taking out inadequately sentenced murderers. The series first premiered on Showtime back in 2006 and ran for eight seasons and 96 episodes, coming to an end in 2013. The series returned in 2021 for a 10-episode revival limited series called Dexter: New Blood, which won't be included on Netflix when the original eight seasons drop on June 19. Dexter is beloved and sure to be a huge hit once again with his Netflix comeback this summer.

Lost

We have to go back, and we are when all six seasons of Lost return to Netflix at the top of July. One of the first series to popularize Netflix binge-watching, the ABC sci-fi survival drama has maintained its popularity and place in pop culture since debuting in 2004 and ending in 2010. Its impact on television and narrative structure can't be understated and can still be felt today. Lost was an obvious inspiration for multiple sci-fi mystery series, including Netflix's own Manifest and NBC's La Brea.

Like How I Met Your Mother, the polarizing series finale has been debated for the nearly decade and a half the show has been off the air. Some don't like the ending, others defend the ending. Some think the show jumped the shark in the middle, others love it all the way through. Find out how you feel about Lost and watch it for the first time on Netflix this summer, or revisit the series 20 years later and see if your opinions on the series have changed. We can all be "lost" together.

Prison Break

Another mid-aughts favorite is coming to Netflix in July, and it's sure to continue drumming up rumors and hopes for a potential sixth season among fans. Prison Break brings all five seasons and 90 episodes of its run to the streaming service on July 29 for a blast from the past that makes for an exciting summer binge-watch. The series, while an underdog during its run on Fox, return for a limited fifth season in 2017, though no future installments have been planned. Whether there's another season or not, Prison Break will always have a spot on fans' watch list.

Which throwback show will you be watching on Netflix this summer?