It’s always sad to say goodbye to summer, but we all get through it, year after year, in part because it means we’re shifting into such a satisfying season. The autumn equinox, coming on Monday, will announce the true arrival of fall, and already the sensory gifts of this time of year are starting to creep into our every day: the sound of crunching leaves underfoot, the feel of a soft sweater amid a cool breeze, and, of course, the familiar tastes of pumpkin and cinnamon, back again at last. 

Go ahead and let your weekend viewing be suffused with sweet autumnal vibes, too. Queue up a pair of movies based on classic characters that embody the lightly spooky magic in the air (before it gets turned all the way up next month), get sporty with a gridiron-set stream, or devote yourself to a cherished dramedy that has become synonymous with the season. Savor the moment now, because winter is already waiting in the wings. 

But first, what’s new on Netflix?

New York City’s hottest club. That would be Black Rabbit, a restaurant and VIP lounge run by a mismatched pair of brothers (Jude Law and Jason Bateman) in the new crime drama series from creators Zach Baylin and Kate Susman. Not on the list? Try visiting Haunted Hotel. The new adult animated series — a horror comedy created by Rick and Morty writer Matt Roller — follows a woman running a haunted hotel with some help from her brother, who is also one of its ghosts. Don’t want to make that booking? Pull up a seat at the table of Next Gen Chef. Hosted by Olivia Culpo, the new reality competition series features 21 talented young chefs competing at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America for a substantial cash prize. The first seven episodes are now streaming, and the finale will be served on Wednesday.  

If you have just a night … 

Take the case — in fact, take two. Timeless though he is, Sherlock Holmes is perhaps best suited for this particular time of year, exemplifying the sense of mystery that characterizes the season and evoking images of warm woolen capes and rainy London streets. So let Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic creation solve your streaming dilemmas by calling up Guy Ritchie’s 2009 action mystery Sherlock Holmes, in which the famed detective is played by Robert Downey Jr. opposite Jude Law as Dr. Watson. For a different spin on the Holmesian mythology, pair it with Harry Bradbeer’s Enola Holmes (2020), based on Nancy Springer’s novel series imagining the adventures of Holmes’ little sister Enola, played by Millie Bobby Brown (with Henry Cavill as Sherlock). 

If you have a whole day … 

Give it the old college try. Football season is well underway — and not just for the pros. Throw it back to undergrad with Season 1 of SEC Football: Any Given Saturday, which dropped last month. The seven-episode docuseries delves into some of the most intense and high-profile football programs in the Southeastern Conference during the 2024 season, delivering unprecedented access to the coaches and athletes who are key players in the high drama of college football in the South. For a victorious closer, follow it up with Rudy, David Anspaugh’s beloved 1993 sports biopic starring Sean Astin in the title role, as a young man determined to fulfill his dream of playing football at Notre Dame.    

If you have the entire weekend … 

Set your course for Stars Hollow. It’s become a cliché that autumn is for Gilmore Girls — but things become clichés for a reason, and even now, a quarter of a century since it premiered, the quirky-cozy mother-daughter dramedy reigns supreme this time of year. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the seven-season series stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel as mother Lorelai and daughter Rory Gilmore, respectively, as the former raises the latter in a picturesque Connecticut town full of eccentric people and whimsical traditions. The story kicks off when Lorelai reluctantly reconnects with her wealthy parents (Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann), from whom she’s been estranged for half her life, and who want to get to know their granddaughter. 

Don’t forget, you have one last chance … 

To be good. In Michael Schur’s fantasy sitcom The Good Place, which ran for four seasons from 2016–2020, a group of immortal souls navigate the afterlife together in the titular utopia — though a new arrival (Kristen Bell) believes she has landed there erroneously and that her mortal life ought to have earned her a spot in the Bad alternative. After next week, the show will be sent to a different place altogether.