25 Brilliant TV Shows That Only Lasted 40 Episodes (Or Less), But They Remain Some Of The Best Ever
By Nora Dominick,
14 days agoWe recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV shows with less than 40 episodes are the very best. From well-known ones to more underrated gems, here are some of their top responses:
1. " Gravity Falls . It's a show aimed at kids, but I'd recommend it to everyone. It's funny, has an actually good plot, and kept me on the edge of my seat at times."
— criticallyacclaimedclipboard
What it's about: Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off at Gravity Falls for the summer to spend time with their great uncle Stan Pines, who runs a tourist trap called the "Mystery Shack."
Who's in it: Jason Ritter , Kristen Schaal, Alex Hirsch, Linda Cardellini , J.K. Simmons, and more
How many total episodes: 40
Disney Channel2. " Santa Clarita Diet . It was original and hilarious, with an awesome cast. It's just too bad Netflix screwed us by canceling it on a cliffhanger."
What it's about: Joel and Sheila are seemingly normal suburban real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. However, everything changes when Sheila suddenly dies and comes back as a zombie craving human flesh.
Who's in it: Drew Barrymore , Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo, and more
How many total episodes: 30
Netflix3. Mindhunter is so good, and it should've won multiple awards, including an Emmy for Jonathan Groff. It gets you hooked from literally Episode 1.
Suggested by: pennyguide
What it's about: The series centers on FBI agents Ford and Tench, alongside psychologist Carr, who operate the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico. Together they launch a project to interview imprisoned serial killers to better understand their psychology and apply that knowledge to current cases.
Who's in it: Jonathan Groff, Anna Torv, Holt McCallany, Hannah Gross, Cotter Smith, and more
How many total episodes: 19
Netflix4. " Galavant . This show was just a happy, fun, fantasy musical. The humor was excellent, the cast clearly loved every minute of the show, and nearly all of them have been trying to get more seasons. They even referenced it in the last song of the show, 'There's not much left to tell; and hey, that's just as well! Unless we get one more surprise renewal.'"
— lacjiba
What it's about: A musical comedy series that follows Galavant, a dashing knight who wants to reclaim his reputation and find his "happily ever after." He decides to go after the evil King Richard, who ruined his life the moment he stole the love of his life, Madalena.
Who's in it: Joshua Sasse, Timothy Omundson, Vinnie Jones, Mallory Jansen, Karen David, Luke Youngblood, Hugh Bonneville, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and more
How many total episodes: 18
ABC5. "Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Crashing . It has only six episodes."
What it's about: Crashing follows six twenty-somethings who all live together as property guardians at an abandoned hospital.
Who's in it: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jonathan Bailey, Julie Dray, Louise Ford, Damien Molony, Adrian Scarborough, Amit Shah, and more
How many total episodes: Six
Netflix6. "The original UK Ghosts , which has 34 episodes and is a great comedy to watch."
What it's about: Alison suddenly inherits a vast estate from a distant relative and decides to move in, renovate it, and turn it into a luxury hotel with her husband. However, after Alison suffers a near-death experience while on the property, she can now see and talk to the ghosts that live at Button House.
Who's in it: Charlotte Ritchie, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Martha Howe-Douglas, Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Lolly Adefope, Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond, Katy Wix, Jim Howick, and more
How many total episodes: 34
BBC One7. " Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix. A British mini-series that’s smart, intelligent, and very well-written! It's timely, has some twists, and will keep you going until the end. I’ve seen it a couple of times and picked up things I missed the first time around. Give it a shot. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed."
What it's about: Sophie Witehouse's life is turned upside down when she discovers that her husband, British Tory MP James Whitehouse, has been having an affair with his young aide. The news hits the public and changes their lives, especially after James is accused of sexual assault and put on trial.
Who's in it: Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery, Rupert Friend, Naomi Scott, Joshua McGuire, Josette Simon, Hannah Dodd, Nancy Farino, and more
How many total episodes: Six
Netflix8. " This Way Up with Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan. Bea plays Áine, who is restarting her life after completing rehab. Horgan plays her sister. Two seasons of heartfelt, hilarious perfection. I would kill for a third season."
What it's about: After recovering from a nervous breakdown, Áine wants to start fresh and put her life back together.
Who's in it: Aisling Bea, Sharon Horgan, Tobias Menzies, Dorian Grover, Aasif Mandvi, Indira Varma, Kadiff Kirwan, and more
How many total episodes: 12
Hulu9. Arcane is easily one of the most beautifully crafted animated series of all time. The soundtrack is a 10/10, too.
Suggested by: lifetheuniverseandeverything
What it's about: The series focuses on sisters Vi and Jinx, who live in a time of unrest between the rich, utopian city of Piltover and the oppressed underbelly of Zaun. Soon, they find themselves at the center of a developing conflict over arcane technologies.
Who's in it: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro, Katie Leung, Jason Spisak, Toks Olagundoye, Harry Lloyd, JB Blanc, Reed Shannon, Mick Wingert, and more
How many total episodes: 18 (the final season premieres in Nov. 2024)
Netflix10. " The Patient featuring Steve Carrell had me hooked! The ending was shocking. I was floored and wish I could watch it again for the first time!"
What it's about: Alan Strauss, a therapist, is held captive by his new patient, Sam, a serial killer who wants help trying to stop his urges to kill people.
Who's in it: Steve Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, Linda Emond, and more
How many total episodes: 10
Hulu11. " The IT Crowd . Unmatched humor and Matt Berry? Hell yes."
What it's about: The IT Crowd is a workplace comedy that follows the three members of the IT department at Reynholm Industries in London.
Who's in it: Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Matt Berry, and more
How many total episodes: 25
Channel Four / Via youtu.be12. " Mr Inbetween . Great dark comedy, great writing, and great direction."
What it's about: The series follows Ray Shoesmith, a hitman known as "The Magician," who is trying to balance his job as a hitman for hire with taking care of his family and being there for his friends.
Who's in it: Scott Ryan, Justin Rosniak, Brooke Satchwell, Nicholas Cassim, Chika Yasumura, Damon Herriman, and more
How many total episodes: 26
FX13. October Road . I will literally watch Bryan Greenberg in anything, and this was another great (and underrated) show he starred in during the 2000s.
Suggested by: wagrobanite
What it's about: October Road follows Nick Garrett, who returns to his hometown in Massachusetts after a decade away.
Who's in it: Bryan Greenberg, Laura Prepon, Warren Christie, Geoff Stults, Tom Berenger, Rebecca Field, Brad William Henke, and more
How many total episodes: 19
ABC14. " The Artful Dodger . The perfect mix of every genre in just 8 episodes. It's so well-written and acted. You discover new things every time you watch it."
What it's about: The series follows Jack Dawkins, aka Dodger from Oliver Twist. Living in Australia now, he's established himself as a well-known young doctor who just wants to help others. However, when his old acquaintance Faigin arrives in town, Jack's past threatens to come to the surface and ruin the new life he's established.
Who's in it: Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Maia Mitchell, David Thewlis, and more
How many total episodes: 8
Hulu15. " Timeless . It was such a good show and I'm still sad that it didn't last longer. I can just imagine what it cost to produce, though, so I can see why it had a short run."
What it's about: After a time machine is stolen, Lucy Preston, a history teacher, Wyatt Logan, a US Army sergeant, and Rufus Carlin, an engineer, are tasked with hunting down the time machine and the person who stole it, Garcia Flynn. They soon learn that Flynn plans to rewrite history as they discover his connection to a mysterious organization known as Rittenhouse.
Who's in it: Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, Claudia Doumit, Goran Višnjić, Sakina Jaffrey, Paterson Joseph, and more
How many total episodes: 28
NBC16. "Two incredible John le Carré miniseries. First, The Little Drummer Girl . Florence Pugh falls for Alexander Skarsgård while spying for Mossad in the '70s."
What it's about: Based on John le Carré's novel of the same name, The Little Drummer Girl follows an aspiring actor, Charlie Ross, who is recruited by an intelligence agency in Israel to infiltrate a Palestinian group in 1979.
Who's in it: Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Shannon, Michael Moshonov, Simona Brown, Clare Holman, Charles Dance, and more
How many total episodes: Six
BBC One17. "And second, The Night Manager . Tom Hiddleston infiltrates mobster Hugh Laurie's inner circle at the request of MI5/Olivia Colman. I can watch both on repeat!"
What it's about: Based on John le Carré's novel of the same name, The Night Manager follows Jonathan Pine, a night manager at a hotel in Cairo and a former soldier who is recruited to infiltrate the inner circle of a powerful arms dealer.
Who's in it: Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, Elizabeth Debicki, Russell Tovey, and more
How many total episodes: Six
BBC One / AMC18. " Hannibal . Absolutely phenomenal. Gorgeous cinematography, fantastic practical effects, and great writing. And it has Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy — what more could you want?"
What it's about: Hannibal focuses on the relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a forensic psychiatrist who is hired to help Graham investigate a serial killer.
Who's in it: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Hettienne Park, Laurence Fishburne, Scott Thompson, Gillian Anderson, Aaron Abrams, and more
How many total episodes: 39
NBC19. " Dopesick . Not only is it brilliantly written and acted (Michael Keaton and Rosario Dawson — nuff said), but it's timely and tells an important story. The reason we have an opioid crisis is because of corporate greed, and thousands upon thousands of lives have been ruined because of it. Everyone should watch it (and get furious and then do something about it)."
What it's about: Dopesick paints a vivid (and horrible) picture of the epicenter of America's struggle with opioid addiction. The series shows how Purdue Pharma, the DEA, and a mining community in Virginia were all impacted by or reportedly created the opioid crisis, namely the introduction of OxyContin.
Who's in it: Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson, John Hoogenakker, Phillipa Soo, Mare Winningham, and more
How many total episodes: Eight
Hulu20. " Why Women Kill . Holy cow. The drama. The murder. The clever story telling. Three separate timelines in one house!"
What it's about: Why Women Kill follows three women from three different eras who live in the same mansion in California at different points in time. All three find out about their husband's cheating and eventually leads to a murder taking place.
Who's in it: Lucy Liu, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Alexandra Daddario, Sam Jaeger, Reid Scott, Jack Davenport, Sadie Calvano, Allison Tolman, Lana Parrilla, B.K. Cannon, and more
How many total episodes: 20
Paramount+21. " Derry Girls . The writing, the acting, and the casting were all perfection. Off the top of my head I can't think of another show with so many characters I didn't just like, but I genuinely loved."
What it's about: Derry Girls follows five teenagers living in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the mid-1990s, while they attend Our Lady Immaculate College. Honestly, they're just trying to survive being teenagers the best they can.
Who's in it: Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Nicola Coughlan, Louisa Harland, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Dylan Llewellyn, and more
How many total episodes: 19
Netflix22. " Fleabag . Those 12 episodes changed me."
What it's about: The series follows Fleabag, a young woman who is trying to cope with life while coming to terms with a recent tragedy.
Who's in it: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Bill Paterson, Brett Gelman, and more
How many total episodes: 12
Prime Video23. " Firefly — in the proper episode order. And you can follow it up with the movie Serenity ."
What it's about: Set in the year 2517, Firefly follows the adventures of the crew of the Serenity , a " Firefly- class" spaceship.
Who's in it: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, and more
How many total episodes: 14
Fox24. " Freaks and Geeks . It lasted but a single season, but it was a rich, engrossing show featuring plenty of fine performances by young actors, many of whom later became major stars. It was set in a decade (the 1980s), which was part of my childhood, so it was especially relatable, but it could have been set in any era. A very good and special show!"
What it's about: The series follows two groups of friends who attend a suburban high school outside of Detroit during the 1980–1981 school year.
Who's in it: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Becky Ann Baker, Joe Flaherty, Busy Philipps, and more
How many total episodes: 18
NBC25. And finally, " The Queen's Gambit . Everything about that show was amazing. I think it was responsible for a measurable uptick in interest in chess."
What it's about: The Queen's Gambit follows Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy who suddenly rises to the top of the chess world after stumbling upon the game in the mid-1950s.
Who's in it: Anya Taylor-Joy, Moses Ingram, Bill Camp, Marielle Heller, Harry Melling, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and more
How many total episodes: Seven
NetflixWe can't fit every show into one post, so which other TV shows with 40 episodes or less are so good that you think everyone should watch them? Tell us in the comments below!
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