Featuring contained stories that are still allowed to evolve and expand over the course of multiple hours and numerous episodes, the miniseries format has become one of the most accessible and in-demand forms of entertainment and drama in the modern day. The trend has presented a great many iconic and acclaimed titles, but even some of the best limited series haven’t been immune to the occasional lull, laborious episodes that bring the narrative to a grinding halt.
It is no coincidence that many of the miniseries that avoid making this mistake have come to be celebrated among the greatest feats of the form. Ranging from some of the most esteemed streaming triumphs of recent years to decades-old gems of short-form television that have stood the test of time, these miniseries simply never falter in their runs.
10
‘The Night Of’ (2016)
A thrilling murder mystery with a unique spin that also features a compelling dash of politically-charged drama, The Night Of is a captivating experience throughout the course of its eight-episode run. Nasir (Riz Ahmed) is a young Pakistani-American who awakens from a night of hard partying to find his date stabbed to death next to him in bed. As he faces murder charges and awaits his trial in prison, world-weary defense attorney John Stone (played by John Turturro) takes his case, believing the murder is more complex than anyone thinks.
Expertly crafted and brilliantly performed, The Night Of is an enthralling dose of crime television, one that manages to thrive as a compelling and complex murder case, an examination of innocence lost in the criminal justice system, and a rousing courtroom drama rife with twists and turns aplenty. Its vast web of characters ensures every single episode contains moments of rich drama and engulfing suspense. Even almost 10 years later, The Night Of remains one of the sharpest and most audacious crime miniseries television has seen.
9
‘Lonesome Dove’ (1989)
A forgotten yet vitally important title in the context of the resurgence of Western drama in the early 1990s, Lonesome Dove marries ideas and convictions of revisionist Western storytelling with a sense of adventure that, over the course of four episodes, realizes Larry McMurtry’s novel with an epic sense of scope. Gus McCrae (Robert Duvall) and Woodrow F. Call (Tommy Lee Jones) are two former Texas Rangers living in the border town of Lonesome Dove who, with several of the townsfolk, agree to participate in a cattle drive from Texas to Montana, hoping to satisfy their yearning for adventure.
In 1998, the miniseries was received not only as a triumph of Western storytelling but as a groundbreaking feat for the small screen as well, one that redefined television’s possibilities with its scale and its emotional impact. In this regard, William D. Wittliff’s brilliant teleplay and Simon Wincer’s deft direction deserve endless praise—as does the ensemble cast that includes names like Diane Lane, Danny Glover, and Chris Cooper—for ensuring all four episodes are rife with rousing adventure, contemplative drama, and engrossing character depth.
8
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)
One of the defining titles of the miniseries format’s rise to prominence in the modern day, and one of the greatest original series Netflix has produced thus far, The Queen’s Gambit is a gripping coming-of-age story that uses a chess prodigy’s experiences in mid-century America as a canvas to explore addiction, female empowerment, and the burden of genius. Anya Taylor-Joy is sublime as Elizabeth Harmon, an orphaned girl who rises up the ranks of the chess world in the Cold War era, all while battling personal problems tied to her debilitating drug habit.
Granted, its seven-episode run does come close to being overlong and indulgent, but it manages to maintain its momentum thanks to Taylor-Joy’s excellence, its richly realized period details, and Scott Frank’s emotionally aware and measured adaptation of Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel. It makes for one of the best limited series released audiences have seen in recent years and one of the more recognizable titles of 2020s entertainment so far.
7
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)
While the revival of horror as a mainstream genre over the past decade has been most prominent in films like Hereditary, Get Out, and Sinners, the resurgence has had some fantastically frightful moments on the small screen as well. Mike Flanagan has been at the forefront of this, particularly on Netflix, with his ghost story miniseries The Haunting of Hill House an instant classic of the form, with every one of its 10 episodes presenting high drama and excruciating suspense in abundance.
A brilliant modernization of Shirley Jackson’s Gothic horror novel, it follows two storylines simultaneously. In 1992, the Crain family moved into the dilapidated Hill House to renovate it, but the five children soon experienced increasingly disturbing paranormal phenomena leading up to a deadly night of terror. 26 years later, the siblings and their estranged father reunite when another tragedy at the long-abandoned Hill House confronts them, forcing each of them to face their traumatic pasts at the manor. Defined by moments of skin-crawling dread and profound character-driven drama, The Haunting of Hill House is one of the best horror miniseries television has ever seen.
6
‘Brideshead Revisited’ (1981)
An epic of class, friendship, nostalgia, and the social upheaval that transpired in England in the period between WWI and WWII, Brideshead Revisited is a somber gem of British television seen by too few today. Based on Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 novel of the same name, it follows Army captain Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons) as his brigade’s relocation to the manor of Brideshead ignites his memories of the house’s former hosts, the wealthy and eccentric Flyte family, and his many past experiences with them spanning back to the early 1920s.
With Ryder’s memories taking the form of an idyllic fantasy of freedom and endless possibility, and his modern reality governed by regimented structure and conformity, Brideshead Revisited excels as a powerful tale of loss and longing. Realized with gorgeous, lavish visuals and a litany of outstanding performances, the amazing miniseries offers an arresting spectacle of faded glory and the victims of the new world order that, even over 40 years on from its original release, remains an enchanting viewing experience throughout the entirety of its 11-episode run.
5
‘Generation Kill’ (2007)
A collaboration between the creators of The Wire and the embedded journalist who wrote the original non-fiction book, Generation Kill offers a profoundly authentic look at the 2003 invasion of Iraq from the perspective of the US Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Focusing less on the violence of combat and more on the frustrations of bureaucratic process, the extended stretches of agonizing boredom and uncertainty troops endure, and the confronting morality that governs how the unit is led, the seven-episode series provides a first-hand look at military procedure that is as unflattering and earnest as it is compelling.
Not at all dissimilar to The Wire, Generation Kill has a knack for provoking deep thought and doubtful contemplation simply by presenting the facts of how the military operates. It occupies the mind long after the series is resolved, with its strong performances and its razor-sharp writing providing an enrapturing story of war in a way the genre has seldom been depicted on screen before or since.
4
‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1995)
There are few stories as famous and universally adored as Jane Austen’s high-society romance Pride and Prejudice, and perhaps even fewer stories that translate from page to screen as seamlessly. While there have been a number of movies based on the book, the best adaptation it has received for the screen comes in the form of the 1995 BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet.
Adored by fans and critics alike, it transpires in England at the time of the Napoleonic Wars as Elizabeth, the strong-willed daughter of a country gentleman and a marriage-minded mother, begins a tumultuous and often antagonistic romance with Darcy, a wealthy though aloof gentleman newly arrived in the countryside. Defined by its flawless casting and faithfulness to Austen’s original novel, Pride and Prejudice is an enrapturing tale of relationships, reputations, and class that unfolds with wry wit and a breezy elegance that makes the miniseries’ six-episode tenure a delightful period drama.
3
‘Scenes from a Marriage’ (1973)
Coming from renowned Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, Scenes from a Marriage excels as an engrossing look at the complexities of marriage, fueled by two powerhouse performances and a dare to pry almost uncomfortably into the truths of human connection. Transpiring over the course of 10 years, the six-episode miniseries follows the deterioration of the relationship between divorce lawyer Marianne (Liv Ullmann) and psychologist Johan (Erland Josephson). Covering their initial love, extra-marital affairs, attempts at reconciliation, and their ultimate acceptance of their incompatibility, the series is a mature and measured look at strained romance.
An astonishing presentation of the human condition that is defined by its honest simplicity, Scenes from a Marriage is a rich tapestry of emotions and motivational drives, one that illuminates the social change of the ’70s through Marianne’s feminist sensitivities and liberal ideas of marriage, divorce, and love. The series was famously edited down to a 167-minute-long film that is equally powerful, while it has also since been remade with Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain in the lead roles.
2
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
The greatest triumph of television drama in the past decade, Chernobyl has established itself as a timeless small-screen classic with striking immediacy courtesy of how it combines its story of real-world desperation with a systematic look at social structures and political corruption. It revolves around the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster of 1986, focusing on the large-scale efforts to contain the fallout as well as the efforts of the Soviet Union’s leaders to cover up the severity of the catastrophe from the rest of the world.
With an unflinching interest in the devastating facts of the incident and a litany of exceptional performances, every episode of Chernobyl exudes a palpable sense of dread, an enthralling dramatic wrath that explores the full scope of the disaster’s immediate consequences and lingering ramifications. The miniseries is a true masterpiece of modern television that haunts and harrows with its details and its depth. Every one of its five episodes presents a focused and precise examination of a different aspect of the aftermath, leading to a holistic summary of the bleak event that honors its heroes and victims while denigrating the institutionalized rot that allowed such a horrific calamity to occur in the first place.
1
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
Heralded by many as being not only the best miniseries ever made, but one of the greatest triumphs of small-screen drama in television history, Band of Brothers is a dazzling and devastating depiction of America’s involvement in the European Theater of WWII from the D-Day invasion right through to VE Day. Produced by HBO, it focuses on the men of Easy Company, covering not only the brutality of the battles they fought in throughout the war, but the bonds that were forged between them through their shared experiences in combat.
With Hollywood legends Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks serving as co-creators, and with each episode accompanied by snippets of interviews from the real-life soldiers the series is based on, Band of Brothers soars with its sense of humanity as well as with its grueling illustration of warfare. It is quite unbelievable to consider that nearly 25 years have passed since the limited series first aired, and in that time, there hasn’t been a television series or film that has surpassed it as America’s greatest exploration of combat in the Second World War.
Band of Brothers
- Release Date
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2001 – 2001
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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David Frankel, David Nutter, Mikael Salomon, Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Tom Hanks
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Donnie Wahlberg
C. Carwood Lipton