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The 25 best TV shows with fewer than 40 episodes

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The 25 best TV shows with fewer than 40 episodes

Bronwen Cerys Posted on August 24, 2024

We recently asked the BuzzFeed community to tell us which TV shows with fewer than 40 episodes are the very best. From well-known series to more underrated gems, here are some of their top answers:

1.

“Welcome to Gravity Falls. It’s a show for kids, but I would recommend it to anyone. It’s funny, has a really good storyline and kept me hooked at times.”

2.

“Santa Clarita Diet. It was original and hilarious, with a great cast. It’s just a shame Netflix screwed us over by canceling it on a cliffhanger.”

3.

Thought Hunter is so good and should have won multiple awards, including an Emmy for Jonathan Groff. It literally grips you from episode 1.

4.

“Galavant. This show was just a lighthearted, entertaining fantasy musical. The humor was excellent, the cast obviously enjoyed every minute of the show, and almost everyone was trying to get more seasons. They even referenced it in the show’s final song: ‘There’s not much left to tell; and hey, that’s a good thing! Unless we get another surprise renewal.'”

5.

“Phoebe Waller Bridges crash. It only has six episodes.”

6.

“The original United Kingdom Ghostswhich has 34 episodes and is a great comedy.”

7.

“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 turns and will keep you hooked until the end. I’ve watched it a few times and have noticed things I missed the first time. Give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”

8.

“Here to the top with Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan. Bea plays Áine, who starts her life anew after completing rehab. Horgan plays her sister. Two seasons of heartfelt, hilarious perfection. I would kill for a third season.”

9.

Arcane is undoubtedly one of the most beautifully designed animated series of all time. The soundtrack is also a 10/10.

10.

“The patient with Steve Carrell captivated me! The ending was shocking. I was speechless and wished I could watch it again for the first time!”

11.

“The IT crowd. Unrivalled humour and Matt Berry? Of course.”

12.

“Mr. In-Between. Great black comedy, great script and great direction.”

13.

October Street. I watch literally anything by Bryan Greenberg, and this was another great (and underrated) show he starred in in the 2000s.

14.

“The artistic dodger. The perfect mix of all genres in just 8 episodes. It’s so well written and acted. You discover new things every time you watch it.”

15.

“Timeless. It was such a good show and I’m still sad it didn’t last longer. But I can imagine what it cost to produce, so I can understand why it only ran for such a short time.”

16.

“Two incredible miniseries from John le Carré. The little drummer girl. Florence Pugh falls in love with Alexander Skarsgård while spying for the Mossad in the 1970s.”

17.

And secondly: The Night Manager. Tom Hiddleston infiltrates the inner circle of gangster Hugh Laurie at the request of MI5/Olivia Colman. I can watch both on repeat!”

18.

“Hannibal. Absolutely phenomenal. Beautiful cinematography, amazing special effects and a great script. And it has Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy in it – what more could you want?”

19.

“DopeSick. Not only is it brilliantly written and acted (Michael Keaton and Rosario Dawson – enough 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 angry and then do something about it).”

20.

“Why women kill. Holy cow. The drama. The murder. The clever way of telling the story. Three different timelines in one house!”

21.

“Derry Girl. The script, the acting and the cast were perfect. I can’t think of another show with so many characters that I not only liked but really loved.”

22.

“Flea bag. These 12 episodes changed me.”

23.

“Fireflies — in the correct episode order. And you can continue with the movie serenity.”

24.

“Freaks and Geeks. It only ran for a single season, but it was a rich, engaging show with lots of great performances from young actors, many of whom went on to become big stars. It was set in a decade (the 1980s) that was part of my childhood, so it was particularly relatable, but it could have been set in any other era. A very good and special show!”

25.

And finally:The Queen’s Gambit. Everything about this show was amazing. I think it was responsible for a measurable increase in interest in chess.”

We can’t fit all of the shows into one post, so what other TV shows with 40 episodes or less do you think are so good that everyone should watch? Tell us in the comments below!

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The 25 best TV shows with fewer than 40 episodes

2.

“Santa Clarita Diet. It was original and hilarious, with a great cast. It’s just a shame Netflix screwed us over by canceling it on a cliffhanger.”

3.

Thought Hunter is so good and should have won multiple awards, including an Emmy for Jonathan Groff. It literally grips you from episode 1.

5.

“Phoebe Waller Bridges crash. It only has six episodes.”

6.

“The original United Kingdom Ghostswhich has 34 episodes and is a great comedy.”

8.

“Here to the top with Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan. Bea plays Áine, who starts her life anew after completing rehab. Horgan plays her sister. Two seasons of heartfelt, hilarious perfection. I would kill for a third season.”

9.

Arcane is undoubtedly one of the most beautifully designed animated series of all time. The soundtrack is also a 10/10.

10.

“The patient with Steve Carrell captivated me! The ending was shocking. I was speechless and wished I could watch it again for the first time!”

11.

“The IT crowd. Unrivalled humour and Matt Berry? Of course.”

12.

“Mr. In-Between. Great black comedy, great script and great direction.”

13.

October Street. I watch literally anything by Bryan Greenberg, and this was another great (and underrated) show he starred in in the 2000s.

14.

“The artistic dodger. The perfect mix of all genres in just 8 episodes. It’s so well written and acted. You discover new things every time you watch it.”

15.

“Timeless. It was such a good show and I’m still sad it didn’t last longer. But I can imagine what it cost to produce, so I can understand why it only ran for such a short time.”

16.

“Two incredible miniseries from John le Carré. The little drummer girl. Florence Pugh falls in love with Alexander Skarsgård while spying for the Mossad in the 1970s.”

17.

And secondly: The Night Manager. Tom Hiddleston infiltrates the inner circle of gangster Hugh Laurie at the request of MI5/Olivia Colman. I can watch both on repeat!”

18.

“Hannibal. Absolutely phenomenal. Beautiful cinematography, amazing special effects and a great script. And it has Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy in it – what more could you want?”

20.

“Why women kill. Holy cow. The drama. The murder. The clever way of telling the story. Three different timelines in one house!”

21.

“Derry Girl. The script, the acting and the cast were perfect. I can’t think of another show with so many characters that I not only liked but really loved.”

22.

“Flea bag. These 12 episodes changed me.”

23.

“Fireflies — in the correct episode order. And you can continue with the movie serenity.”

25.

And finally:The Queen’s Gambit. Everything about this show was amazing. I think it was responsible for a measurable increase in interest in chess.”

We can’t fit all of the shows into one post, so what other TV shows with 40 episodes or less do you think are so good that everyone should watch? Tell us in the comments below!

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Bronwen Cerys

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The 25 best TV shows with fewer than 40 episodes

2. “Santa Clarita Diet. It was original and hilarious, with a great cast. It’s just a shame Netflix screwed us over by canceling it on a cliffhanger.”

3. Thought Hunter is so good and should have won multiple awards, including an Emmy for Jonathan Groff. It literally grips you from episode 1.

5. “Phoebe Waller Bridges crash. It only has six episodes.”

6. “The original United Kingdom Ghostswhich has 34 episodes and is a great comedy.”

8. “Here to the top with Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan. Bea plays Áine, who starts her life anew after completing rehab. Horgan plays her sister. Two seasons of heartfelt, hilarious perfection. I would kill for a third season.”

9. Arcane is undoubtedly one of the most beautifully designed animated series of all time. The soundtrack is also a 10/10.

10. “The patient with Steve Carrell captivated me! The ending was shocking. I was speechless and wished I could watch it again for the first time!”

11. “The IT crowd. Unrivalled humour and Matt Berry? Of course.”

12. “Mr. In-Between. Great black comedy, great script and great direction.”

13. October Street. I watch literally anything by Bryan Greenberg, and this was another great (and underrated) show he starred in in the 2000s.

14. “The artistic dodger. The perfect mix of all genres in just 8 episodes. It’s so well written and acted. You discover new things every time you watch it.”

15. “Timeless. It was such a good show and I’m still sad it didn’t last longer. But I can imagine what it cost to produce, so I can understand why it only ran for such a short time.”

16. “Two incredible miniseries from John le Carré. The little drummer girl. Florence Pugh falls in love with Alexander Skarsgård while spying for the Mossad in the 1970s.”

17. And secondly: The Night Manager. Tom Hiddleston infiltrates the inner circle of gangster Hugh Laurie at the request of MI5/Olivia Colman. I can watch both on repeat!”

18. “Hannibal. Absolutely phenomenal. Beautiful cinematography, amazing special effects and a great script. And it has Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy in it – what more could you want?”

20. “Why women kill. Holy cow. The drama. The murder. The clever way of telling the story. Three different timelines in one house!”

21. “Derry Girl. The script, the acting and the cast were perfect. I can’t think of another show with so many characters that I not only liked but really loved.”

22. “Flea bag. These 12 episodes changed me.”

23. “Fireflies — in the correct episode order. And you can continue with the movie serenity.”

25. And finally:The Queen’s Gambit. Everything about this show was amazing. I think it was responsible for a measurable increase in interest in chess.”

We can’t fit all of the shows into one post, so what other TV shows with 40 episodes or less do you think are so good that everyone should watch? Tell us in the comments below!

LEAVE A RESPONSE Cancel reply

Bronwen Cerys

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2.

“Santa Clarita Diet. It was original and hilarious, with a great cast. It’s just a shame Netflix screwed us over by canceling it on a cliffhanger.”

3.

Thought Hunter is so good and should have won multiple awards, including an Emmy for Jonathan Groff. It literally grips you from episode 1.

5.

“Phoebe Waller Bridges crash. It only has six episodes.”

6.

“The original United Kingdom Ghostswhich has 34 episodes and is a great comedy.”

8.

“Here to the top with Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan. Bea plays Áine, who starts her life anew after completing rehab. Horgan plays her sister. Two seasons of heartfelt, hilarious perfection. I would kill for a third season.”

9.

Arcane is undoubtedly one of the most beautifully designed animated series of all time. The soundtrack is also a 10/10.

10.

“The patient with Steve Carrell captivated me! The ending was shocking. I was speechless and wished I could watch it again for the first time!”

11.

“The IT crowd. Unrivalled humour and Matt Berry? Of course.”

12.

“Mr. In-Between. Great black comedy, great script and great direction.”

13.

October Street. I watch literally anything by Bryan Greenberg, and this was another great (and underrated) show he starred in in the 2000s.

14.

“The artistic dodger. The perfect mix of all genres in just 8 episodes. It’s so well written and acted. You discover new things every time you watch it.”

15.

“Timeless. It was such a good show and I’m still sad it didn’t last longer. But I can imagine what it cost to produce, so I can understand why it only ran for such a short time.”

16.

“Two incredible miniseries from John le Carré. The little drummer girl. Florence Pugh falls in love with Alexander Skarsgård while spying for the Mossad in the 1970s.”

17.

And secondly: The Night Manager. Tom Hiddleston infiltrates the inner circle of gangster Hugh Laurie at the request of MI5/Olivia Colman. I can watch both on repeat!”

18.

“Hannibal. Absolutely phenomenal. Beautiful cinematography, amazing special effects and a great script. And it has Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy in it – what more could you want?”

20.

“Why women kill. Holy cow. The drama. The murder. The clever way of telling the story. Three different timelines in one house!”

21.

“Derry Girl. The script, the acting and the cast were perfect. I can’t think of another show with so many characters that I not only liked but really loved.”

22.

“Flea bag. These 12 episodes changed me.”

23.

“Fireflies — in the correct episode order. And you can continue with the movie serenity.”

25.

And finally:The Queen’s Gambit. Everything about this show was amazing. I think it was responsible for a measurable increase in interest in chess.”