The 10 Greatest Shows With Fewer Than 20 Episodes

21 hours ago 15

Nicola Coughlan as Clare Devlin in 'Derry Girls'

Published Aug 27, 2026, 5:52 PM EDT

Lisa Nordin is an actress, writer, and fan of all things performing arts. Her favorite genres are Sci-Fi and Fantasy. She is a self-published author and enjoys exploring how fictional stories help define and qualify the human experience.

When it comes to TV series, sometimes quality matters more than quantity. Many shows have written themselves into oblivion and fallen apart in their final seasons. Luckily, by chance or by design, these TV shows did not. With less than 20 episodes in total, they not only make excellent binge-watches, but also present definitive capsule narratives.

A sci-fi staple that was famously canceled before its time, a throwback series that crossed continents to find excellence, and two shows that feature perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores. This list has some of the absolute best TV shows with under 20 episodes that you can watch in a single weekend. Whether you're pressed for time or you don't want to press your luck and be disappointed by an overly involved and lengthy series, these TV shows are worthy of your watchlist.

'Sherlock' (2010–2017)

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes stands looking somber and contemplative in Sherlock

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman bring the classic literary characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson to life in Sherlock. Cumberbatch is ideal as the methodical and meticulous sleuth, and Freeman's chemistry with him as Watson is a recipe for success. Series creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat did a wonderful job of updating the IP for a new generation, having the characters utilize modern technology like smartphones and GPS.

With an hour or so of runtime, each episode of Sherlock feels like its own short film. The show is formatted to be mainly episodic in its storytelling, but there are some strong arcs that are woven throughout the series as a whole. Sherlock has won nine Primetime Emmys and several BAFTAs. It is endlessly engaging, and with so many details to pick up on, it makes a terrific rewatch, and viewers can catch something new with each subsequent viewing.

'Derry Girls' (2018–2022)

The cast of Derry Girls stand in the middle of the street in their school uniforms

Created by Lisa McGee, Derry Girls is a glimpse into her childhood, growing up in Ireland in the early 1990s. During the political turmoil known as the Troubles, a group of friends tries to live their lives and navigate their way through teenage angst that feels universally relatable. Derry Girls is a hilarious coming-of-age story that mixes laugh-out-loud moments with brief pauses for recognition of the tension that occurred during a pivotal time in history.

At 19 episodes long, Derry Girls makes for a perfect binge-watch. It is endlessly entertaining, and viewers won't want to miss any of the drama. Bridgerton fans will enjoy seeing Nicola Coughlan as the hyper and neurotic Clare. Derry Girls is an absolute triumph. It has a near-perfect 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is easy to see why.

'Firefly' (2002–2003)

Wash, Mal, and Zoe face danger and look tense inside their ship in Firefly

The TV show so famous for being canceled after only one season that it has almost passed into sci-fi legend is Joss Whedon's Firefly. Whedon would go on to pilot several other long-running series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, some would argue that his magnum opus is the one-season wonder that is Firefly.

Combining the vibe of a Western with the drama of an intergalactic space opera, Firefly created something altogether new and precious. Its single-season arc lives on in cult classic infamy and remains a beloved canon for fans around the world. While many wonder what might have been, the series remains perfect as it is, and Firefly is undoubtedly one of the best TV shows under 20 episodes of all time.

'Mr. Bean' (1990–1995)

Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) hunched over in Mr. Bean

Some think he's an alien; some simply think he's an oddball; either way, Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is not a normal human being. Watching this unique and eccentric persona interact with everyday conundrums is brilliant. The choice to limit the dialogue in Mr. Bean helps the show have international appeal, and you don't have to understand the spoken lines to get the humor. Relying on a fair amount of slapstick and physical comedy, Mr. Bean is profoundly quirky and uproariously funny.

Mr. Bean is classic comedy at its best, and if you haven't made time to watch it yet, this is your sign. The series and Atkinson's iconic performance have influenced countless other comedies. Mr. Bean has become a hallmark of screwball TV shows, and there is nothing else quite like it. At under 30 minutes per episode, you could watch the entire series in a single day, but your sides may be aching with laughter, so it might be better to pace it out.

Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek

Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one.

🚀Star Wars

💍Lord of the Rings

🧙Harry Potter

👑Game of Thrones

🖖Star Trek

FIND YOUR UNIVERSE →

What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.

ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully.

AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.

AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count.

NEXT QUESTION →

Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for.

AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space.

NEXT QUESTION →

What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are.

AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat.

NEXT QUESTION →

How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map.

AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it.

NEXT QUESTION →

What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?

AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before.

NEXT QUESTION →

What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.

AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be.

REVEAL MY UNIVERSE →

Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose.

Star Wars

You believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.

You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance.
You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources.
Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story.
The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is.

Lord of the Rings

You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.

Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate.
You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival.
Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance.
Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world.

Harry Potter

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.

The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle.
You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely.

Game of Thrones

You see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it.

Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation.
You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be.
Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer.
Winter always comes. You are already prepared.

Star Trek

You believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation.

Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear.
You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better?
You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'My Lady Jane' (2024)

Emily Bader as Lady Jane Gray in My Lady Jane

Serving as this generation's Firefly, My Lady Jane was the period romance cancel heard round the world. When Prime Video decided to discontinue the fan-favorite series, there was widespread backlash from devotees. Like Firefly, it is a splicing together of two dynamics, blending modern comedy with historical romance.

Not given enough time to flourish, Prime Video pulled the plug on this witty and playfully anachronistic series that could have rivaled Netflix's Bridgerton. Fortunately, My Lady Jane does not end on an overly devastating cliffhanger, and it can be consumed as a capsule narrative. All of the cast are brilliant in their roles, and the show makes for an amusing and whimsical farce that can be thoroughly enjoyed as it is.

'Tales from the Loop' (2020)

Tales from the Loop is a hidden gem sci-fi series that will have viewers hooked from the very beginning. There are no bad episodes, and each situation is as fascinating as the last. Tales from the Loop focuses on a group of people who live and work near a particle accelerator called The Loop. The Loop is responsible for strange, unexplained phenomena that range from time manipulation to consciousness transfer.

Tales from the Loop has several interesting scenarios presented in its eight-episode tenure. The TV show is based on the art book of the same name by Simon Stålenhag and has gorgeous cinematography. Rather than shouting for attention, Tales from the Loop is a more introspective series and seeks to draw viewers in. It definitely had the potential to keep exploring The Loop and all the consequences it brought to the people who interacted with it, but the single season is solid as a standalone, and it makes for a great watch.

'Freaks and Geeks' (1999–2000)

Busy Philipps and Linda Cardelini in 'Freaks and Geeks'

Another beloved series that had fans up in arms when it was canceled is the coming-of-age dramedy Freaks and Geeks. Freaks and Geeks was a candid look at life as an adolescent in the 1980s, and its raw, not-everything-gets-solved format was years ahead of its time. The series has a phenomenal cast that all went on to enjoy successful careers in Hollywood, including Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.

Airtime irregularities and creative conflicts with executives meant this bright comet of genius only got to shine ever so briefly. Luckily, it remains a cult classic and is still vastly entertaining to watch. It has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of those rare instances where a show affected viewers on a deeply personal level and has stuck with audiences long after the credits rolled.

'Lockwood & Co.' (2023)

Another series with under 20 episodes that boasts a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is the supernatural fantasy Lockwood & Co. Based on the book series by Jonathan Stroud, Lockwood & Co. imagines an alternate version of London where the city has been beset by ghosts. In the wake of the chaos known as "The Problem," it is discovered that only young people can see and interact with the spectres.

The series focuses on Lucy Carlyle (Ruby Stokes), who joins the small, independent agency of Lockwood & Co. to help rid London of its malevolent entities. The worldbuilding of Lockwood & Co. is multifaceted and intriguing, and the show brings some interesting and new ideas to the world of supernatural lore. Lockwood & Co. has become a sleeper hit for Netflix and has over 39 million hours viewed. The special effects, acting, and storytelling are all superbly done, and these are just some of the reasons why it has earned the coveted perfect RT score. Lockwood & Co. is a single-season masterpiece, and it makes for a perfect weekend watch.

'Russian Doll' (2019–2022)

Nadia leaning and looking at something offscreen in Russian Doll

Natasha Lyonne is a consummate actor and gives a dedicated and gripping performance in any role she tackles. One of her best is in the time-travel dark comedy Russian Doll. In the series, Lyonne plays Nadia Vulvokov, a woman who keeps returning to the same fateful night over and over again.

Russian Doll tells a trippy, cerebral story, and it doesn't waste any time. As Collider's Jiminna Shillingford writes, "Russian Doll is a rather humorous show that makes each of its episodes count as it transforms existential dread into a comedy of self-recognition." The series is a concentrated dose of surrealist suspense, and it has lost none of its potency. Fans of Lyonne and psychological thrillers should keep this under-20-episode gem on their radar.

'Night Sky' (2022)

J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek look at one another in a kitchen in Night Sky

The best sci-fi series Prime Video has ever produced is the 2022 series Night Sky. In the show, Sissy Spacek stars as Irene York and J. K. Simmons stars as Franklin. They are a seemingly ordinary married couple who are guarding a precious secret. On their property is a portal to another world.

Night Sky is a breath of fresh air in the science fiction genre. It is refreshing to see veteran performers like Spacek and Simmons take center stage. Their combined talent is a force to be reckoned with on screen, and shifting the focus to an older couple makes the characters' motives vastly more interesting. Though the series arguably could have explored more of the story, it doesn't really need to. Night Sky feels engrossing enough on its own, and it is a perfect palate cleanser for a saturated genre that can feel formulaic. Night Sky and the rest of the series on this list prove through their critical and audience acclaim that quality beats quantity every time, and you don't have to have a plethora of episodes to tell a compelling story.