Mini-series, or limited series,could be considered the “sweet spot” in terms of narrative length. The television format is longer than film and therefore has more time to delve into story and character development. However, being characterized by only telling the story across a single season, there’s no risk of dragging out the story longer than it has to.
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While great comedy and drama series are still ever-popular, there have been just as many popular and addicting mini-series that have graced the small screen, especially in recent memory. WithHuluproducing its own original content as well as providing shows from many television networks, there’s a ton of great limited content to stream.
6American Crime
Not to be confused with the FX true-crime seriesAmerican Crime Story, this short-lived anthology was a surprisingly mature turn for network ABC, in terms of content, style, and themes. While the same actors return in each season, they always play new characters in new narratives involving crimes ranging from the violent to the personal.
Along with their engrossing narratives, each season also delves heavily into difficult and timely themes, often intertwining them with personal and emotional character growth. Despite perhaps not getting as much attention as other, more popular anthology series,American Crimewas reviewed more positively by critics with each passing season. Unfortunately, ABC ultimately pulled the plug on any future forAmerican Crime, but that doesn’t make any of the seasons not worth revisiting.
5Normal People
Looking for an absorbing romantic drama to binge? Look no further thanNormal People, Hulu’s limited romantic drama series based on the 2018 novel by Sally Rooney, who also co-wrote the series. The show follows the complex and intimate relationship between adults Marianne and Connell as they navigate their final days in secondary school all the way through their undergraduate years while attending Trinity College in Ireland.
The series is grounded by the mesmerizing performances of its two lead actors, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal. It has also received praise for the realistic way in which it portrayed intimacy. Overall,Normal Peopleis a beautiful portrait of a relationship brought to life through wonderful writing and directing.
4Over the Garden Wall
While animated shows are common, to find an animated mini-series, especially one for all ages, is incredibly rare. So when Cartoon Network debuted its ten-episode series fromAdventure Timewriter-director Patrick McHale, it was simultaneously surprising and refreshing. The show follows two half-brothers who find themselves in a mysterious and fantastical forest known as “the Unknown”, and must travel through it to find their way home.
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Stylistically both dark and whimsical,Over the Garden Walltakes its fairy-tale inspirations and runs with it, creating fun characters and an intriguing world. The final episode, “The Unknown”, ultimately ends the series on an emotional high note and with enough substance to keep anyone wanting more. The series won numerous awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. McHale is now set to createa film adaptation of the popularRedwallseries for Netflix.
3Mrs. America
As the fight for equality among the genders gathers more support,Mrs. Americatraces the roots in recent American memory that got the political ball rolling. The series tells the true story of the political movement in the 1970s to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which would guarantee equal rights for everyone regardless of sex. The liberal women in congress are then shocked when conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly builds a strong union of women in opposition to the amendment.
Cate Blanchett portrays Schlafly with such strong conviction, completely disappearing into her character. While Schlafly might be the star of the show, several other prominent fighters in the movement appear as well, including Gloria Steinem, Jill Ruckelshaus, and Shirley Chisholm, the last of which earned actress Uzo Aduba an Emmy. The series ultimately explores feminist ideas from all angles before shifting into a surprising optimistic future.
2The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story
As the true-crime cousin of Ryan Murphy’sAmerican Horror Story, each season contains a retelling of a famous and shocking criminal case. No season quite took the world by storm, however, like the show’s first season. It tells the true story of infamous former football player O. J. Simpson, whose ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson was found murdered one morning. Just like the mini-series, the crime catches the attention of the world, as the series retells the story from Simpson’s famous freeway chase all the way through his unlikely “not guilty” verdict.
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The People v. O. J. Simpsonis filled with performances that are not only fantastic but also look and act identical to their real-life counterparts. Its recreation of real-life events is relatively accurate, but also energetic and fascinating. The series leaves no stone unturned, unraveling every facet that led to the trial’s unexpected outcome and exploring all possible theories without necessarily endorsing any as being right or wrong. The series won numerous Emmy awards, including Outstanding Limited Series.
1Fargo
With a fifth season on the way, now’s the perfect time to catch up on this addicting series. Based loosely on the 1996 Coen brothers movie of the same name, each season ofFargofollows a similar setup: a cop, a criminal, and an innocent all somehow get caught up in some sort of crime in a small snow-filled midwestern town. While the plots always start simple, they rarely stay that way, eventually escalating into unpredictable violence and many shocking twists and turns.
In keeping with the Coens' signature style,Fargois often just as quirky and humorous as it is engrossing, with each episode keeping the false “true story” claim that the original film claimed. While the specific narratives of each season stand on their own, they also all contain nods and references to each other (as well as the original film),subtly connecting all the different stories together in a shared universe. Over the years,Fargohas won numerous awards and has featured many prominent stars such as Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemmons, David Thewlis, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Chris Rock.
