Around this time last year, the popular streaming service, Netflix, premiered yet another Original Series, Derek.

The show stars Ricky Gervais as the titular lead, a 50-year-old care worker at the Broad Hill Home for the Elderly, and follows his daily adventures with his senior-aged charges. Compassionate and loyal Derek, along with his coworkers, played notably by An Idiot Abroad’s Karl Pilkington and Kerry Godliman, struggle against prejudice and budgets cuts as they care for the sweet and quirky residents at the home. The troubles of aging, mental illness, social acceptance, and love are explored throughout both seasons.

Filmed in the same “mockumentary” style that brought fame to both Gervais’s The Office as well as its American adaptation, Derek is a fictional show meant to resemble a true documentary.

While I haven’t watched the thousands of items available for streaming on Netflix, I’ve decided that Derek’s combination of dark comedy and heart wrenching drama make it truly one of a kind, and possibly my favorite show of its genre on the site.

Every episode is jam-packed with situations that not only make viewers reflect on their own lives, but appreciate what they have.

Gervais shows what many call a sweeter side to his demeanor in this comedy, by playing a character whose sole purpose is to make others happy– his charges, his friends, and strangers included.

Although Derek is branded as a Netflix Original, it must be mentioned that the program did appear in the United Kingdom on BBC 4 before it made its way to the streaming website.

Both seasons of Derek are available for streaming on Netflix.