13 Greatest TV Miniseries of All Time (Ranked)

Long-running TV shows are all well and good, but sometimes, you just want an all-killer, no-filler one-off story. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up (and ranked) the 13 greatest TV miniseries of all time below.

13 Greatest TV Miniseries of All Time

A few quick notes, before we dive in. First, we’ve disqualified all anthology shows (sorry, True Detective) and miniseries that were later upgraded to ongoing series (looking at you, Shōgun). Second, we haven’t included ongoings that were cancelled after one season; complete stories only!

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13. Dopesick

Based on Beth Macy’s non-fiction tome Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, Hulu’s Dopesick chronicles the causes (and casualties) of America’s opioid crisis. It’s an infuriating watch as Michael Stuhlbarg’s Richard Sackler and his big pharma family wreak untold havoc without care—or consequences. That said, Dopesick also makes time for more sympathetic plot threads (most notably, the redemption arc of Michael Keaton’s Dr. Samuel Fennix) that keep viewers hanging in there throughout its blistering eight-episode run.

12. Sharp Objects

HBO’s Sharp Objects takes its cues from Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, so that should give you some idea of what to expect. Showrunner Marti Noxon and director Jean-Marc Vallée cram this psychological thriller full of damaged characters and not-so-sunny family dynamics. Then, they layer a hefty dose of Southern Gothic atmosphere on top. It’s a winning combination, especially once you toss in stellar performances by the likes of Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, and Chris Messina. Oh, and make sure to watch all the way through the eighth and final episode’s credits!

11. Godless

If this were a list of the most unfairly overlooked TV miniseries of all time, Godless probably would’ve nabbed the top spot. But as it stands, Netflix’s 2017 Western drama is still one of the greatest TV miniseries ever made. Writer-director Scott Frank puts a fun spin on the genre, teaming Jack O’Connell’s outlaw with a band of gunslinging women (led by Downton Abbey veteran Michelle Dockery). Don’t let this potentially fluffy premise fool you, though; Godless is just as unflinching as any classic Western. Indeed, it’s raw, it’s mean, and it’s all wrapped up in just seven episodes.

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10. Black Bird

Another all-time great miniseries inspired by real events, Apple TV+ true crime drama Black Bird casts Taron Egerton as Jimmy Keene, an FBI informant. Jimmy’s mission? Coax a confession out of fellow prisoner—and suspected serial killer—Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser). It’s as gripping as it sounds, thanks in no small part to Egerton and Hauser’s performances. Supporting players Greg Kinnear and Ray Liotta are dependably great, as well. If you’re in the market for a lean, cerebral prison thriller, Black Bird is the miniseries for you.

9. Devs

Devs is one of the more original miniseries on this list, but then, what else can you expect from an Alex Garland joint? Written and directed by Garland, this eight-episode sci-fi/thriller uses a shocking murder as a springboard to tackle everything from tech bros to freewill. It gets under your skin, even when the pacing occasionally slows to a crawl. Does it all add up at the end? Maybe, and your mileage will vary depending on how worthwhile Garland’s answers are. But for its sheer ambition alone, Devs is a computer age parable that’s definitely worth booting up.

8. Station Eleven

Station Eleven was the victim of terrible timing when it premiered on Max in 2021. Based on Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel of the same name, it takes place in a dystopian world where a flu pandemic has wiped out most of humanity. So, not exactly the kind of yarn people were in the mood for back then. Yet most of us have since regained our appetite for post-apocalyptic fiction, and Station Eleven is some of the best there is. Anchored by Mackenzie Davis’ powerful lead performance, it’s a moving meditation on survival, art, and more besides.

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7. The Queen’s Gambit

Is Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit a teensy bit overrated? Yes. Is it also one of the greatest TV miniseries of all time? Also yes. Written and directed by Scott Frank (him again!), The Queen’s Gambit builds on Walter Tevis’ original 1983 coming-of-age novel and does the impossible: it makes the average punter give a damn about chess. Frank doesn’t deserve all the credit, though. Leading lady Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a tour de force turn as prickly protagonist Beth Harmon. And the seven-episode series’ lush cinematography and period details are the icing on the cake.

6. The Night Of

An American do-over of the British crime drama Criminal Justice, The Night Of loses none of its source material’s magic in the trip across the Atlantic. If anything, co-creators Richard Price and Steven Zaillian improve upon the original. Spearheaded by John Turturro and Riz Ahmed’s perfectly calibrated performances, The Night Of is as riveting as the genre gets. Is Ahmed’s Naz Khan a murderer or an innocent guy caught up in an outrageous web of coincidences? The Night Of will keep you guessing throughout its entire eight-episode run (and beyond).

5. Watchmen

On paper, HBO’s Watchmen shouldn’t work. Not only is it a sequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ comic book maxiseries (not Zack Snyder’s movie adaptation), but said maxiseries is famously self-contained. However, showrunner Damon Lindelof overcomes these hurdles with a densely plotted, thematically rich expansion of Moore and Gibbons’ original “superheroes in the real world” tale. Admittedly, the Watchmen show never quite feels like a true sequel to the comics. But its story is so engrossing and its cast—particularly lead Regina King—are so on point, most viewers won’t care.

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4. Angels in America

Al Pacino. Meryl Streep. Emma Thompson. Michael Gambon. Jeffrey Wright. These are just some of the acting legends who star in Angels in America, which should give you an indication of why it’s such a big deal. Oh, and the miniseries—a magical realism fable centered around a gay man with AIDS—is based on a Tony Kushner play that won a freakin’ Pulitzer! As portraits of 1980s Reagan Administration America go, this one’s hard to top. Yet Angels in America ultimately soars not because of its pedigree but because it’s a beautifully told, poignant story.

3. Chernobyl

“Harrowing.” That’s one word to describe HBO’s five-episode historical drama, Chernobyl. “Brilliant,” “captivating,” and “essential” are a few more. Created by future The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin, Chernobyl provides a near-forensic account of the tragedy that went down outside Pripyat, Ukraine, in 1986. In the process, it offers a damning indictment of state censorship and post-truth politics. At the same time, Chernobyl never loses sight of the everyday heroism of the ground-level folks trying to help, either. Great performances by a talented ensemble (including Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson) round out this incredible small-screen achievement.

2. Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers would be many people’s pick for the number one slot on this list. Developed by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the 2001 World War II epic is certainly TV at its most grand. Band of Brothers is also an undeniably moving affair, thanks to its emphasis on the ordinary men who stepped up to stop the Axis machine. That said, the sheer scale of Band of Brothers almost works against it, occasionally making it hard to invest in anyone outside of Damian Lewis’s Major Winters. This is a minor quibble, though, and Band of Brothers is undeniably one of the greats.

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1. Midnight Mass

We’ll say it again, just so we’re clear: we know picking Midnight Mass over Band of Brothers as the greatest TV miniseries of all time is a controversial call. We don’t regret doing it, though. Co-writer/director Mike Flanagan’s horror outing is the complete package. The story is equal parts terrifying and heartfelt, and it shifts gears effortlessly between the two. The acting is phenomenal across the board (special kudos to Hamish Linklater as Father Paul Hill). Visuals and audio? Both superb, and so on down the list. True, Flanagan’s signature monologue-heavy scripting style isn’t everyone’s bag. Yet those who embrace it will get a disarmingly deep reflection on faith, grief, forgiveness, and love in return. Greatest miniseries of all time? You betcha.

And that’s the 13 greatest TV miniseries of all time, ranked!