Limited series, or miniseries, have been produced for decades mainly because they allow creatives to create a small, self-contained series without committing to five or more seasons. It is also how many large film directors have dipped their toes into the world of television, allowing themselves to expand their ideas from a single two-hour film to a multi-episode miniseries.
Of course, not all limited series have been able to capture the attention of broad audiences or were critically acclaimed. However, those who have achieved this have been recognized and remembered for crafting an unforgettable story in just four or eight episodes. Looking at IMDB’s Top 250 TV Shows list, many miniseries are featured on the list and have established themselves as the best of the best.
10
‘It’s a Sin’ (2021)
Besides creating Queer as Folk and serving as the showrunner and head writer for <em>Doctor Who</em>, Russell T. Davies has been the creative genius behind multiple incredible scripted miniseries, one of which is British Channel 4’s It’s a Sin. Running over five episodes, the British drama miniseries follows a group of gay men living through the HIV/AIDS crisis. Spanning a decade, we watch how the crisis impacts the friend group.
It’s a Sin became a smash for Channel 4, becoming the channel’s biggest drama launch. It also went on to receive the most nominations at the 2022 British Academy Television Awards. It received universal acclaim, particularly for its accurate portrayal of the HIV/AIDS crisis, as well as the writing and strong performances by the actors. Besides the young friend group, the cast also included actor veterans like Neil Patrick Harris and Stephen Fry.
9
‘1883’ (2021 – 2022)
Airing on Paramount+, 1883 ran for a short 10 episodes and acts as a prequel to the massively popular neo-Western Paramount drama Yellowstone. 1883 is the first of two prequels released so far in the Yellowstone franchise and takes place chronologically before the second prequel, 1923. One of the co-creators behind Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan, created, wrote, and co-directed 1883. The Western drama also boasts an impressive cast, including Sam Elliott, as well as country stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
The series was praised for depicting Western expansion without rose-colored glasses. 1883 is a grim, dark, slow-paced drama led by a powerful performance by Elliott. Critics also pointed out the show’s historical accuracy. Unlike the second prequel, 1923, which ran for two seasons, 1883 is a miniseries and only ran for one season.
8
‘Over the Garden Wall’ (2014)
