The TV industry can be quite astounding when it comes to long-running shows, with some having bested the test of time better than others. While shows like The Simpsons have been running for nearly 30 years and have turned into an internationally recognized entity, some others such as Star Trek have ascended from a TV show into a fully formed franchise of their own.
But in the present-day world, many might find it difficult to find the time to be able to sit and watch all 10 or 20 seasons of a long-running series. In such scenarios, a show with a shorter run time would be more optimal. These are 10 of the best shows with only 1 season to watch.
10 Firefly (2002) - 76%
Before he started working on Hollywood blockbusters like The Avengers and Justice League, Joss Whedon was involved in creating one of the most iconic TV shows in recent history, Firefly.
Although canceled after 11 episodes, the show has garnered a massive cult following over the years. Set in the year 2517, the plot of this space-Western revolved around the spaceship "Serenity" and its renegade crew and their adventures as they try to survive the aftermath of a galactic civil war.
9 Upload (2020) - 87%
Created by The Office and The Simpsons director and writer Greg Daniels, the Amazon Prime Video original Upload takes place in the future where humans have digitalized the concept of the afterlife, as in, people's consciousness is "uploaded" to a digital afterlife of their choice after their death. Although many shows before have creatively dealt with the idea of life after death in their own way, Upload puts a fresh spin on it.
A second season was announced right after the release of the first season in the May of 2020.
8 Sharp Objects (2018) - 92%
Featuring Man of Steel actress Amy Adams, 2018's Sharp Objects is a psychological thriller series based on the debut novel of female author Gillian Flynn, who is most well known as the writer of Gone Girl.
Created by Buffy the Vampire Slayer writer Marti Noxon, it tells the story of a psychologically unstable and alcoholic crime reporter Camille Preaker, who unwillingly has to revisit her hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls. The series received many award nominations at the Golden Globes and Emmys.
7 The Night Manager (2016) - 91%
From the director of Birdbox Susanne Bier, The Night Manager is a British drama starring Tom Hiddleston in the role of an ex-military luxury hotel manager in Cairo, who is appointed by authorities to infiltrate a high profile arms dealer Richard Roper, played by House, MD star Hugh Laurie. On release, the show received humongous praise from critics and audience alike and received more than 30 award nominations, some of which were directed towards the performance of the lead actors.
Although it has been nearly 5 years since the show premiered, a second season might be in the works.
6 The Night Of (2016) - 94%
The Night Of is an American crime drama mini-series based on the first season of the British TV show Criminal Justice from 2008, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian, whose most notable works include Schindler's List and The Irishman.
Starring The Big Lebowski actor John Turturro as a lawyer John Stone, its premise surrounds college student Nasir Khan (played by Venom actor Riz Ahmed) who becomes forcefully involved in the murder of a girl. It is regarded as one of the best crime-thrillers from HBO in recent years and has an equally high audience and critic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a rarity.
5 Band of Brothers (2001) - 94%
In 2001, a collaboration between Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg resulted in the creation of the definitive war drama in television history, Band of Brothers. The show gives an account of the exploits of the "Easy Company", an American Army division during World War II. It is one of the highest-rated shows of all time and also one of the most expensive.
Costing nearly $13 million per episode, it was the most expensive miniseries of its time before the record was broken by the series' sister show, The Pacific.
4 Watchmen (2019) - 95%
Created by veteran and highly praised comic book writer Alan Moore, 1986's Watchmen is one of the most iconic graphic novels ever published. Set in an alternate history timeline where the world is on the verge of World War III and the popularity of superheroes among the public at an all-time low, it featured a more gritty and explicit depiction of superheroes.
The 2019 HBO series was created by Star Trek Into Darkness co-writer Damon Lindelof and is a continuation of the events from the comics, set 34 years later in the same universe. Although it was a great critical success, due to the show creators' unwillingness, the chances of a second season are low.
3 When They See Us (2019) - 96%
Netflix's crime drama When They See Us is based on the true events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case, in which 5 men were falsely accused and charged for the rape of a woman. The limited series was created, directed, and written by A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay.
The show was a critical hit, being praised for its narrative and performances, and earned numerous Emmy Award nominations.
2 Chernobyl (2019) - 96%
HBO's holds the record for creating two of the highest-rated shows in TV history, one being Band of Brothers and Chernobyl.
As the name suggests, the historical drama series is a dramatization of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which is not only the worst nuclear disaster in history, but also one of the most serious man-made catastrophes ever. The mini-series received critical praise on release, as well as a multitude of awards and accolades.
1 Freaks and Geeks (1999) - 100%
Created by Ghostbusters director Paul Feig, NBC's Freaks and Geeks is one of the most iconic and highly rated teen dramas of all time. The plot followed talented teenager Lindsay Weir as she befriends a group of slackers (referred to as "freaks"), and her brother and his "geek" friends.
The success of the show helped in launching the careers of many of its cast members, like James Franco and Seth Rogen. The show was canceled after releasing 12 of the intended 18 episodes, but the rest of the episodes were eventually released later on due to fan pressure.
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