Also called limited run series, the miniseries format was born with the broadcast of the BBC’s The Forsyte Saga back in 1967. These are series which, as opposed to regular shows, tell a pre-determined story over the course of a limited number of episodes. From the year 2000 until the present in particular, the world has been treated to many an exceptional miniseries. Because they’re so cinematic, not prone to premature cancellations, and so undemanding in terms of scheduling that they can recruit the talent of A-list creatives and actors, they have become one of the most popular and prolific forms of television over the course of the last 26 years.
From criminally underappreciated gems like It’s a Sin to award-winning masterpieces like When They See Us, the greatest miniseries of the last 26 years are proof of just how far this form of television has come since its early days. Combining the deeply complex character development that characterizes televisual storytelling with the focused narrative structure of a film, a great miniseries tends to offer the best of both worlds and can easily be binge-watched over the course of a single weekend. Whether they’re joyful, poignant, tragic, or exciting, the best miniseries that the small screen has seen since 2000 all share something in common: They’re essential viewing for people who love the medium. Documentary miniseries deserve a conversation all of their own, and therefore do not qualify for this list.
6
‘It’s a Sin’ (2021)
Created and written by Russell T Davies, one of the biggest legends in all of 21st-century British television, the British drama It’s a Sin is one of the biggest creative triumphs in all of 2020s television. Both BBC One and ITV passed on it due to the undeniably heavy and difficult subject matter of the deadly HIV/AIDS epidemic, and Channel 4 only took it on after their commissioning editor of drama ardently fought for it. The result? One of those HBO miniseries that don’t have any significant flaws. Critics adored it, it made Olly Alexander a mainstream star, and the series even had real-life impact, creating an upsurge in HIV and AIDS testing.
It’s the sort of legacy that only a bona fide modern classic can have; and, indeed, It’s a Sin is bound to go down in history as one of the greatest miniseries of the 21st century as a whole. Its cast is phenomenal, every actor playing a beautifully complex character and sharing tremendous chemistry with the rest of the ensemble; its critique of how rampant homophobia, government inaction, and media stigma multiplied the epidemic’s catastrophic effect is scathing; and though the show doesn’t shy away from the harrowing nature of its subject matter, it balances that tragedy with deeply moving queer joy.
5
‘Over the Garden Wall’ (2014)
People who think that cartoons somehow don’t belong in the same category as history’s greatest live-action televisual masterpieces clearly haven’t seen animated gems like Over the Garden Wall, Cartoon Network’s first-ever miniseries. Created by Patrick McHale and based on his own animated short film Tome of the Unknown, it’s one of the greatest dark fantasy TV shows of all time, infused with elements of surreal horror and a level of emotional and thematic maturity that’s uncommon in TV shows aimed at younger audiences.
Over a decade after it aired, Over the Garden Wall is still widely remembered as not just one of the best animated miniseries of all time, but perhaps the very best. Tightly paced over the course of its ten incredible 11-minute-long episodes, it’s a beautifully crafted story about grief, survival, and self-doubt. Zero filled, incredible visuals, and some of the most atmospheric world-building that any miniseries has ever seen are but a few of the reasons why Over the Garden Wall is a must-see not just for kids who love animation, but for pretty much anyone who loves well-made television.
4
‘The Night Of’ (2016)
Based on the first season of the 2008 British crime series Criminal Justice, HBO’s The Night Of is one of the greatest crime dramas that American television has delivered throughout the last decade. It’s one of those thriller shows that are perfect from beginning to end, bolstered by a pair of powerhouse lead performances by John Turturro and Riz Ahmed (the latter of whom won an Emmy for his performance). With a nearly-perfect 94% approval rating from ciritcs on Rotten Tomatoes, it remains one of the most universally acclaimed miniseries of the 2010s.
The whole series is a ruthless dissection and deconstruction of the American criminal justice system, subverting traditional whodunnit tropes and offering one of the most suffocatingly tense narratives that any crime miniseries has ever offered. Its sharp social commentary on things like class disparity and Islamophobia packs a hell of a punch, and instead of offering any sort of tidy and entirely unambiguous resolutions, the series is a morally gray masterpiece about how the pursuit of a conviction can at times eclipse the pursuit of true justice.
3
‘When They See Us’ (2019)
People who love crime shows based on true stories should consider Netflix’s When They See Us a must-see. And those who don’t care much for the genre? They should nevertheless watch this show created by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, because it’s one of the most timely and urgent miniseries that have come out at any point during the last 10 years. Based on the events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and focusing on the families of the five suspects who were falsely accused of the rape and assault of a woman in NYC, it’s one of the greatest true-crime dramas that the miniseries format has ever seen.
Composed only of four parts, When They See Us could very easily be watched over the course of a single day, though it’s such an emotionally draining and gut-wrenching experience that no one would blame anyone for choosing to space each episode out. It’s an entirely unsparing indictment of systemic racism in the United States, a visceral human tragedy that captures the unflinching devastation of the real story with perfect sensitivity and respect. This is a story which shows that no apology of any sort can ever truly compensate for a false conviction, and DuVernay never shies away from the painful nature of such a premise.
2
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
Back in 1986, reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in what is today Ukraine exploded, becoming the most destructive nuclear disaster and the most expensive disaster in human history. That is the subject matter of Chernobyl, and though its five episodes could easily be watched in only a day, its effect is bound to last a lifetime. This is, after all, one of the most harrowing stories ever told on television, certainly not made for the faint of heart. All in all, it’s one of the most perfect miniseries that have aired since 2010.
Creator and writer Craig Mazin took minimal creative license when making Chernobyl, a show that has been praised for its tremendous attention to historical detail. Add to that some masterful performances by the likes of Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård, Hildur Guðnadóttir‘s deeply haunting score, and some of the most flawless technical qualities that any miniseries has ever had to offer, and you get one of the most horrifying explorations of institutional hubris and state-sponsored denial that the small screen has ever seen. It’s an absolutely chilling show, but one that’s oh so essential.
1
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
What is the single most essential HBO miniseries? This is a question that may elicit several different answers, but there is one that’s bound to come up far more often than most: the highest-rated miniseries of all time on IMDb and the 2nd-highest-rated fiction series overall, Band of Brothers. Based on historian Stephen A. Ambrose‘s 1992 non-fiction book of the same name, the miniseries dramatizes the story of World War II’s “Easy” Company. It was created and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and it’s a must-see for pretty much anyone who likes war films like Saving Private Ryan.
It isn’t even slightly difficult to see why so many people still continue to praise Band of Brothers as the greatest miniseries of all time. It is, all in all, one of the quintessential gold standards of modern television, a towering landmark of miniseries-making with an exceptional star-studded cast, a visceral sense of realism, and a story grounded in the testimonies of real WWII veterans. Spielberg and Hanks entirely succeeded at stripping away the romanticization and propagandistic feel of classic war cinema and shows, instead delivering one of the most realistic war TV series of all time.
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