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Television and streaming have all but taken over the screen sector, and the best miniseries to binge make TV more accessible. Without the need to invest in a long-term commitment, miniseries offer the same snappy storytelling, dramatic beats, and satisfying payoff that traditional TV does. The best miniseries have viewers hooked from start to finish, making sure that the story is short and sweet. Keeping the story refined and exciting ensures that viewers remain engaged the whole way through, which is why the best miniseries to watch over a weekend are often only a few episodes long.
In this way, some viewers feel that the best miniseries on Netflix and others are better than traditional television, where the story can stray too far from its original concept and beloved characters often leave too soon. The best miniseries to binge often deliver complex plots and compelling characters in a surprisingly short period, leaving viewers satisfied and feeling like the short series wrapped everything up well. With streaming giants like Netflix and Max adding even more miniseries to their roster, there's an ever-growing list to choose from.
60 The Offer (2022)
The Making-Of Story Of The Godfather
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The Offer is a Paramount+ limited series telling the untold story behind the making of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. The ten episodes center on producer Albert S. Ruddy and his experience working on the motion picture that would go on to become one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time.
Release Date April 28, 2022
Seasons 1
Showrunner Michael Tolkin
With The Godfather being considered by many as the greatest movie of all time, it makes sense that there would be plenty of fans interested in how it came together. While The Offer doesn’t come close to the greatness of that masterpiece of cinema, it is a wildly entertaining behind-the-scenes look at the chaotic, endangered, and nearly non-existent production of the film. The show focuses on one of the overlooked members of the production, Al Ruddy (Miles Teller), and his efforts to get this movie made.
While The Offer embellishes a lot of the facts of what happened for entertainment’s sake, it achieves its goal in telling a funny, engrossing, and vivid true Hollywood story. From worried studio heads to an unfinished screenplay to real-life gangsters threatening the project, The Offer proves making the greatest movie of all time is not easy.
59 WandaVision (2021)
The MCU's First Official Series
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WandaVision, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first TV show on Disney+, first aired in 2021. The series kicked off the MCU’s Phase 4 and brought back Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, and Paul Bettany as Vision. WandaVision strayed away from Marvel’s typical formula, this time formatting itself more like a classic sitcom as Wanda struggles to cope with the death of Vision.
Release Date January 15, 2021
Seasons 1
Showrunner Jac Schaeffer
The very first MCU Disney+ series is still considered by many to be the best thing the cinematic universe has done on the small screen. WandaVision picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame, focusing on the tragic couple of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). However, not only is Vision alive at the beginning of the story, but he and Wanda seem to be reunited in a 1950s domestic sitcom.
WandaVision marked a terrific achievement for the MCU, while Olsen and Bettany both received Emmy nominations for their performances as these beloved characters.
WandaVision was a thrilling promise for what these Disney+ shows could be, exploring sidelined characters in deeper ways and experimenting with some bold storytelling. Regardless of whether other shows fulfilled that promise, WandaVision marked a terrific achievement for the MCU, while Olsen and Bettany both received Emmy nominations for their performances as these beloved characters. The way each episode explored a new era of sitcoms also made WandaVision a celebration of television history.
58 Ripley (2024)
Andrew Scott Plays The Con Artist Turned Serial Killer
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Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, Ripley is a drama-thriller written and created by Steven Zaillian. Set in the 1960s, the series follows Tom Ripley, who is hired to attempt to coax a wealthy man's son to come home - but this job is just the first part of a lengthy and dangerous complex web of lies.
Release Date April 4, 2024
Seasons 1
Creator(s) Steven Zaillian , Patricia Highsmith
Showrunner Steven Zaillian
Andrew Scott delivers one of his best performances in the thriller miniseries Ripley. Based on The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and starring Scott as Tom Ripley, the show sees a meek and unsuccessful con artist who is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to help bring his wayward son, Dickie (Johnny Flynn) home. However, when Ripley meets Dickie, he becomes engrossed in his world and decides to take some of it for his own.
The series is shot in stunning black-and-white, giving it a dreamlike quality mixed with a dark foreboding quality that hints at the violent direction the story is heading in. Scott is hypnotic as the complex protagonist, making Ripley a sad and fascinating character while also embracing the cold-blooded nature of the man. Scott received an Emmy nomination for his performance, while the series itself was also nominated.
57 The Penguin (2024)
The Origin Of The Batman Villain
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Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022's film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family's empire.
Release Date September 19, 2024
Seasons 1
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc
Like WandaVision, The Penguin was a chance to delve deeper into certain aspects of a comic book world that hadn’t been touched on in the movies. Colin Farrell reprised his role as Oz Cobb from The Batman with the miniseries taking place following the events of the film. The series explores Oz’s attempts to rise to power in the criminal underworld of Gotham City while also facing off with Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) the dangerous and capable daughter of late crime boss Carmine Falcone.
Farrell’s transformative performance as Oz is the main reason to tune into this miniseries as he is able to bring a terrifying quality to the villain while also having moments of charisma and humor. Milioti is also a highlight, playing this complex character to perfection. The series is able to go darker than the movies while also providing a nice precursor to the long-awaited The Batman II.
56 Say Nothing (2024)
A True Crime Saga During The Troubles In Ireland
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Say Nothing is a film examining the perspectives of Irish Republican Army members, delving into the intense commitment to beliefs, the transition from division to conflict, and the enduring impact of radical violence. The narrative reflects on the emotional and psychological burdens resulting from a culture of silence.
Release Date November 14, 2024
Cast Anthony Boyle , Hazel Doupe , Lola Petticrew , Josh Finan , Maxine Peake
Based on the novel by Patrick Radden Keefe, Say Nothing is a mix of a true-crime story as well as an exploration of a dark period in Ireland’s history. The series spans several decades as it details an incident in 1970s Belfast when a single mother of 10 children was abducted by members of the Irish Republican Army. As various people involved look back on the incident and the events leading up to it, the disturbing picture comes into full view.
The miniseries is a gripping and intense look at history and the regret people have after feeling they were on the right side of the fight. Filled with unknown Irish actors, the series shapes these fascinating characters throughout the years and delivers a haunting look at the true-crime story with blame placed on both sides of the conflict.
55 Band Of Brothers (2001)
Easy Company's Journey Through World War II
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Band of Brothers tells the dramatized story of World War II's "Easy" company, as they go through training together, participate in major wartime events in Europe, all the way until the end of the war.
Release Date September 9, 2001
Seasons 1
Band of Brothers helped to reshape television and the notion of the scope of the stories that could be told on the small screen. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the 10-episode series is a look at World War II through the eyes of the members of a company of American soldiers as they go from basic training to the frontlines of the war in Europe to the end of the conflict.
Band of Brothers tells the true story of Easy Company and its members in such a compelling and thrilling way, delivering the kind of big battles audiences might expect from a war movie. Throughout the 10 episodes, the entire cast of Band of Brothers helps bring these characters to life and will have the viewers riveted by their journeys through the war, wondering which of them will survive and which will fall.
54 Pride And Prejudice (1995)
The Small Screen Adaptation Of Jane Austen's Classic
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Pride and Prejudice follows the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner. They must overcome the titular sins of pride and prejudice in order to fall in love and marry.
Release Date October 29, 1995
Creator(s) Andrew Davies
Seasons 1.0
There have been many adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice throughout the years, but this miniseries is often regarded as the best take on the material. Jennifer Ehle stars in this version as Elizabeth Bennet, the strong-willed and opinionated girl of a household of several girls. When their community is suddenly populated with eligible bachelors, Elizabeth’s mother becomes preoccupied with finding husbands for all of her daughters while Elizabeth faces off with the seemingly standoffish Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth).
The novel is seen as one of the most romantic pieces of literature of all time but is also a perfect example of Austen’s unrivaled wit and ahead-of-its-time exploration of women of her era. This is all present in the miniseries, but it is understandable if most viewers are caught up in the engrossing love story that is passionate and intense without the two characters even sharing anything physical for much of the story.
53 Lonesome Dove (1989)
A Western Adventure Based On The Beloved Novel
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Lonesome Dove is a television miniseries based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Larry McMurtry. It follows retired Texas Rangers Woodrow F. Call and Augustus McCrae, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, as they embark on a perilous cattle drive from Texas to Montana. Directed by Simon Wincer, the series delves into themes of friendship, adventure, and the harsh realities of life in the Old West.
Release Date February 5, 1989
Seasons 1
Another beloved piece of literature inspired a miniseries which is celebrated for doing justice to its source material and also bringing in a new audience to the story. Lonesome Dove is an expansive Western story that takes audiences back to the end of an era and the dying days of the Old West. Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones star as two older Texas Rangers who decide to head out on an adventure, driving a cattle herd across the country.
...this charming and surprisingly moving story of friendship between these two hard-working and tough old men who are by each other’s side through it all.
Along with the two Oscar winners in the lead role, Lonesome Dove features a number of stand-out performances from the likes of Danny Glover, Steve Buscemi, and Chris Cooper. The epic saga is a celebration of the Old West and the way of life that was on its way out at the time. However, at the center, it is really this charming and surprisingly moving story of friendship between these two hard-working and tough old men who are by each other’s side through it all.
52 John Adams (2008)
A Look At The Career Of The Second President Of The United States Of America
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The main moments in the life of John Adams, one of the great founders of the United States, including his 54-year marriage to Abigail, considered one of the most moving relationships in American history.
Release Date March 16, 2008
Creator(s) Kirk Ellis
Seasons 1
While some might be turned off by a history lesson about the founding of America, John Adams is an eye-opening and thrilling look at the formation of the country’s independence through the eyes of one of its most fascinating figures. Paul Giamatti stars as John Adams, the man who would become the second President of the United States. His journey takes him through the outset of the American Revolution through his travels to France and into the early days of American politics.
Giamatti is excellent in the lead role, playing Adams as a deeply complex character who has qualities that helped shape the country, as well as deep flaws that make him a controversial founding father. He is backed by an excellent cast, featuring the likes of Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson, and David Morse as George Washington. There are also some future stars in early roles, including Andrew Scott and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
51 Roots (1977)
An African Family's American History Through Generations
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Roots is a 1977 historical drama mini-series set during the United States era of slavery. The 9-time Emmy award-winning series is based on the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley. The series tells the story of Haley's family, from their ancestor Kunta Kinte all the way through his descendants' liberation.
Release Date January 23, 1977
Seasons 1
Roots was a television phenomenon when it aired, earning some of the highest viewership in television history for a scripted show. It has also been seen as a pivotal cultural moment in American television as it addressed the dark history of slavery as well as the rich story of African Americans in the country through an epic and expansive story. The miniseries is based on Alex Haley's 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, exploring his ancestor’s journey.
Even decades later, Roots is a harrowing experience with some deeply upsetting moments that will stay with viewers for a long time. However, it is also an uplifting, touching, and powerful story at times, as the audience witnesses this family throughout generations maintaining a part of who they are and where they come from. With each installment jumping forward in time, it is a riveting examination of American history.
50 Get Even (2020)
Based On The Book Series Don't Get Mad By Gretchen McNeil
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In Get Even, four teenage girls at an elite private school form DGM (Don't Get Mad), a secret group dedicated to exposing bullies and injustices. While maintaining their everyday school life, they secretly orchestrate elaborate schemes to avenge their peers. However, when they become the prime suspects in a murder case, the girls must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse to clear their names.
Cast Kim Adis , Bethany Antonia , Jessica Alexander , Mia McKenna-Bruce
Release Date February 14, 2020
Creator(s) Holly Phillips
Based on the book series Don’t Get Mad, Get Even was initially produced for BBC iPlayer before Netflix picked it up internationally. The series follows a group of teenage girls who take the bullying culture of their British school into their own hands, dubbing themselves DGM, as they take revenge on those who bully their classmates. When the secret group is implicated in a murder, however, they have to find a way to clear their names.
It fleshes out what could be stereotypical character types very quickly.
The show features more twists and turns than almost any other modern mystery on TV. It fleshes out what could be stereotypical character types very quickly, making for a compelling and dramatic short series. The young teen characters in the middle of the high-stakes mystery add an exciting new element to the typical thriller genre with the strong ensemble providing a lot of fun.
49 The Dropout (2022)
A Biopic Based On Theranos & Elizabeth Holmes
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Based on the true story of the failed health technology company that chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, a woman with unyielding ambition who eventually was indicted for her deception relating to supposedly lifesaving advances in technology. Holme's desire for success ultimately leads her down a dark path - one that, in hindsight to those around her, could be seen from miles away - ultimately to the destruction of her career and eventual incarceration.
Release Date March 3, 2022
Seasons 1
The Dropout is one of the best miniseries on Hulu and is part of the streaming platform's trend of bringing headline-grabbing news stories of the 21st century to the small screen. Inspired by real events, the series follows Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) and her company, Theranos, as she struggles to make a dream product a reality. Or more accurately, how she cuts corners and falsifies data to make sure her company doesn’t lose their investors when she can’t make her dream product a reality.
The Dropout is unlike any role Seyfried has played before, and that’s what makes it such good TV, as the talented actress won an Emmy for her standout performance. She does an amazing job with such a complex character who can be deeply unlikable throughout the series, but there is something admirable about her determination and fascinating about her arrogance.
48 Mrs. America (2020)
A Biopic About Activist Phyllis Schlafly
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Release Date April 15, 2020
Creator(s) Dahvi Waller
Just a few years ago, movie fans would not have believed a star like Cate Blanchett would do a TV series. Streaming and the comeback of the miniseries have changed that though. Blanchett stars in this Hulu miniseries that is set in the 1970s and centers around the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and the backlash the movement received.
In addition to Blanchett, the series features an impressive roster of women playing real-life historical figures, like Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm and Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem. Seeing these powerful women from history playing off each other in the same story is a thrill with these amazing actors bringing them to life. Not everything in the series is historically accurate to the amazing real-life story, but Mrs. America is elevated by that cast to tell an entertaining and compelling look at a pivotal historical moment.
47 I Am The Night (2019)
Inspired By The Memoir One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings Of Fauna Hodel
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Created by Sam Sheridan, I Am the Night is a Drama series starring Chris Pine, Jefferson Mays, and India Eisley. The six-episode release dropped in 2019 and followed the story of a young woman who set out to discover more about her birth mother, only to end up deep diving into the Black Dahlia killing.
Release Date January 27, 2019
Seasons 1
Inspired by the memoir of Fauna Hodel, I Am The Night traces the possible connection between a young woman who was adopted and the Black Dahlia murder. India Eisley plays Fauna Hodel while Chris Pine plays the journalist investigating her grandfather, George Hodel, one of the suspects in the Black Dahlia case. While much of Hodel’s book could be disputed, the miniseries also takes liberties with gaps in historical knowledge, making it more of a work of fiction than fact.
Pine as a down-on-his-luck investigator who just wants to find the truth, however, is the big selling point for the miniseries. It’s a different role for him, one that doesn’t allow him his usual charm, and one that will intrigue his fans. It is a gripping and dark modern take on the noir genre from Wonder Woman filmmaker Patty Jenkins.
46 From The Earth To The Moon (1998)
A Miniseries About The Space Race To The Moon
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Release Date April 5, 1998
Seasons 1
When From The Earth To The Moon was first televised in 1998, it featured impressive visual effects and was nominated for a slew of technical awards across different guilds and film societies. It also won both the Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries. The 12 episodes follow the American space program’s journey to put astronauts on the moon. It was unique, however, in that it didn’t retread material already presented in movies.
Tom Hanks has writing, directing, and producing credits on the impressive series.
For example, the episode covering Apollo 13 tells the story from the perspective of the media instead of the astronauts, since the movie has already given the astronaut’s account. Tom Hanks has writing, directing, and producing credits on the impressive series, and he also narrated the episodes and featured in a reenactment in the finale. It was a true passion project for him.
45 Stay Close (2021)
Based On The Novel By Harlan Coben
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When Carlton Flynn disappears 17 years after Stewart Green's vanishing, interconnected lives unravel as secrets, lies, and unsolved mysteries surface. This gripping thriller explores the impact of past events on present relationships, drawing individuals into a web of intrigue and danger as they confront their hidden truths.
Release Date December 31, 2021
Seasons 1
Inspired by the Harlan Coben novel of the same name, Stay Close is part of a deal that Coben has with Netflix in which 14 of his novels will eventually be adapted for the streaming site. Stay Close is the sixth. The story follows the investigation of a missing man on the anniversary of another missing person’s case, tying together the lives of a burnt-out detective, a former exotic dancer, and a photographer.
Like most of Coben’s mysteries, there are plenty of twists in the story to be unraveled, but it’s a character-driven drama with great performances. It is an engrossing story that pulls the audience into the mystery early with its intriguing premise and unanswered questions. The attempt to get to the bottom of what is really going on is part of the fun of watching miniseries like this.
44 Devs (2020)
A Sci-Fi Thriller Miniseries From Hulu
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A limited series event created for FX, Devs follows a software engineer named Lily Chan who believes that a wing of her company may have orchestrated the death of her boyfriend, Sergei. While digging deeper into the depths of her employer's development teams, she discovers a conspiracy, including a Russian government messaging app and other clues that lead to the truth of Sergei's death.
Release Date March 5, 2020
Seasons 1
Though some of Devs' twists might be too long and drawn out for some people watching, it is still a show that poses fascinating questions for the audience about the ethics of pushing the boundaries of science and technology. It kicks off with a woman who works for a tech company investigating the death of her boyfriend, who dies on the first day of his promotion to a very secret branch of the company. What follows is a terrifying advancement in technology and two governments fighting to have access to it.
It makes for a fascinating examination of the direction technology is headed. The show's story was developed by Alex Garland, the filmmaker who already explored such ideas in his acclaimed movie debut, Ex Machina. However, Garland is able to tell a unique story to his own sci-fi tale while also avoiding feeling like a Black Mirror clone. The movie also features several cast members from Garland's Civil War, including Nick Offerman, Cailee Spaeny, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
43 The Stand (2020)
A Stephen King Adaptation
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The Stand is a miniseries based on Stephen King's novel, depicting a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly plague has wiped out most of humanity. Survivors are divided into two camps, one led by a virtuous elder and the other by a sinister figure, culminating in a climactic battle between good and evil.
Release Date December 17, 2020
Seasons 1
From the mind of prolific horror writer Stephen King comes The Stand. The novel is one of King’s most famous, and it’s already been made into a miniseries in the past. This version of the miniseries, however, features a new extended ending written by King that gives an idea of how society proceeds after the events of the story. In the story, most of humanity is wiped out by a plague and a representation of evil on Earth tries to tempt humanity to the dark side.
The story is a classic one of good versus evil, but it’s done in King’s terrifying style. However, it is balanced with a gripping storyline of the end of the world that is grounded and terrifying before entertaining into a more supernatural and intense story. The cast of the series is a star-studded affair with the likes of James Marsden, Jovan Adepo, Alexander Skarsgård, and Whoopi Goldberg.
42 Lost Ollie (2022)
An Emotionally Strong Animated Project
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Release Date August 24, 2022
Creator(s) Shannon Tindle
Not all the Southern accents in Lost Ollie are perfect, but that doesn’t mean the emotional performances aren’t great. Based on the children’s book Ollie’s Odyssey, the live-action-animated hybrid follows a toy named Ollie who is in the lost and found section of an antique store. Ollie doesn’t have all of his memories about his past, but he does want to find his best friend.
It is not often that an animated miniseries reaches the mainstream, but Lost Ollie is exceptional. The series originally saw some comparisons to the Toy Story franchise, but because of the live-action element of the show, there’s a realism to it that isn’t present in Pixar’s movies. It’s a story that tugs at the heartstrings, just like Pixar’s projects, and is a great watch for both kids and adults.
41 Looking For Alaska (2019)
A Tragic Miniseries
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Looking for Alaska is a coming-of-age drama series based on John Green's novel. It follows Miles "Pudge" Halter, a teenager who enrolls in a boarding school to seek a deeper understanding of life. There, he forms a bond with enigmatic student Alaska Young, whose impact on his world is both profound and transformative. The series explores themes of friendship, love, and loss.
Release Date October 18, 2019
Cast Charlie Plummer , Cristine Froseth , Denny Love , Jay Lee , Sofia Vassilieva , Landry Bender , Uriah Shelton , Jordan Connor , Timothy Simons , Ron Cephas Jones
Creator(s) Josh Schwartz
While many of John Green’s young adult novels have received the movie treatment, like The Fault In Our Stars, Looking For Alaska gets the miniseries treatment. It’s a better option for it since it allows for more in-depth looks at the characters. Looking For Alaska follows a teenager who is sent to a boarding school where he meets the enigmatic Alaska. Though she captures his attention with effervescent energy, her story ends in tragedy.
Green's writing often mixes tragic stories of young love with heartfelt looks at the struggles of teen life.
Her story opens up a dialogue about mental health that doesn’t sensationalize it the way other teen stories have, making it a fantastic miniseries for teens and adults alike. Green's writing often mixes tragic stories of young love with heartfelt looks at the struggles of teen life. Looking for Alaska is no different and should please fans of the Green's other work.
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