Entertainment
The 8 Greatest Shows With Fewer Than 50 Episodes
TV shows are a great way to spend time, with viewers immersing themselves in a plethora of stories, from grand fantastical plots like Game of Thrones to prestigious crime thrillers such as The Sopranos. However, those two TV shows are known for being pretty long, and while that can be fun, sometimes viewers want something not too long, but also not too short.
There is no set benchmark, but 50 is a nice number that can also fit plenty of storytelling while not being too long for some viewers. That is why this list will feature the best TV shows that have fewer than 50 episodes based on aspects such as fan opinion, entertainment value, originality, pacing, critical acclaim, directing, writing, and overall quality. These are the best shows on television for fans who want a good story but don’t want to spend months watching it.
‘Black Sails’ (2014–2017)
TV shows can take viewers all around the world and into different time periods, and one such show is Black Sails, letting fans set sail on the high seas for swashbuckling adventures. Set during the Golden Age of piracy, Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his crew of pirates fight against the British Empire for control over New Providence Island and their survival.
Boasting 38 episodes, Black Sails has a nice pace with a good number of episodes to tell everything they want while not going overboard. While it simply starts as a fun pirate adventure with action and ship battles, Black Sails evolves into a politically complex show. From historical figures with some real stories to fictional pirates, this series has all the swashbuckling fun and intrigue fans could ever want.
‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
One way for fans to be sure that a show is less than 50 episodes is to choose a miniseries, which is why this list features a couple, including Chernobyl, based on the titular disaster. After the terrifying event happens, everyone mobilizes to deal with it, and that is what this show chronicles. From the first responders to the locals nearby to the ones in charge of planning the cleanup, it details the historical event in incredible detail.
Chernobyl is only a miniseries with five episodes, but that means viewers can binge it in a single day or two. This series acts like a real-life horror film, detailing the tragic disaster with a haunting authenticity that will stick with viewers for a long time. Fans can take anything they want out of it, from fascinating historical truth to the tragedy it left behind to the incompetence that started it to the implications it left for the future. Chernobyl is a flawless modern miniseries that is a short, but heavy binge.
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The unexplained is always fascinating, building a strong mystery from start to finish, including The Leftovers. The Sudden Departure was a global event where 2% of the world’s population suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving the rest of the world in shock. Three years later, the residents of Mapleton struggle to rebuild their lives and deal with the trauma while searching for meaning amid the chaos, cults, and coping.
Fans may want to learn more about the Sudden Departure and that grand mystery it proposes, but The Leftovers focuses on an entirely different part of the story, specifically the grief of those remaining. It is both touching, relatable, and completely surreal, delivering a unique mix of themes and motivations that create such a phenomenal show. The Leftovers is fairly underrated, but with a solid 28 episodes, more people need to experience this masterpiece.
‘Cowboy Bebop’ (1998–1999)
There is a whole world of TV out there which doesn’t just include Hollywood productions, which is why fans should dip their toes into the ocean of anime. Cowboy Bebop is a Western sci-fi show that follows Spike Spiegel (Koichi Yamadera) and his group of bounty hunters cleaning up the galaxy. However, when his dark past catches up with him, Spike must face it head-on or risk putting himself and his friends in more danger than they are already in.
Cowboy Bebop is a classic anime that convinced the West that the medium isn’t just cutesy girls and over-the-top fights. It is a profound and artistic expression of style, philosophical storytelling, and some fun action here and there. Its unique blend mixes jazz music, noir, Western style, 1980s action, and sci-fi worldbuilding to create one of the most intriguing TV shows ever. Cowboy Bebop is a one-of-a-kind anime that is perfect for non-anime fans to get into the medium with 26 episodes.
‘Mr. Robot’ (2015–2019)
A lot of these TV shows so far are under 50 episodes, but they have fewer than some expected as well; for fans wanting something a little closer to 50, they should enjoy Mr. Robot, which boasts 45 episodes. Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) is a brilliant cybersecurity engineer, but when he is reached out to by the titular hacking organization, he decides to join them in the fight against the largest conglomerate in the world.
Mr. Robot has established itself as one of the best modern TV shows through its phenomenal acting, tight writing, and fascinating characters. Not only does it portray one of the best examples of hacking on television, but its depiction of mental health in its characters is also top-notch, authentic, and subtle. Mr. Robot is a bundle of writing prestige that shows the best and worst of its characters and an intriguing plot.
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
War never changes, and despite it being the largest pressing matter in the world, it is still fascinating to watch stories about it, including miniseries such as Band of Brothers. It is a prestigious miniseries that follows Easy Company during the Second World War, chronicling their history from their very first training session all the way to the end of the war in gruesome detail while also showcasing the soldiers and their personal lives.
No war series gives fans a better look at the battle and the personal state of the soldiers like Band of Brothers, which gives an in-depth view of their struggles and daily life during the war. The intimate cinematography makes the style even more immersive, putting viewers right into battle with technical innovation. Band of Brothers is a landmark in television and arguably the best miniseries of all time.
‘Twin Peaks’ (1990–2017)
David Lynch is one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, known for films such as Mulholland Drive. However, he also delved into television with Twin Peaks, which earns a spot on this list. After the brutal murder of a high school student, FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) travels to an isolated, yet quaint town where something surreal and supernatural lies beneath the quiet village aesthetic.
Twin Peaks had a brief revival in 2017 that added a bunch of new episodes, but that luckily didn’t add too many, keeping it right below 50 with 48 episodes. Before Twin Peaks, TV was simply made for entertainment, but this show proved that it could be as weird, profound, and artistic as cinema, like Lynch’s other arthouse films. Not only that, but the revival completely redefined the show again with bizarre storytelling and uncompromising themes that cemented itself as one of the best shows on television.
‘Dark’ (2017–2020)
As mentioned, not all perfect TV shows are from Hollywood; some come from foreign studios, and one of the best under 50 episodes is Dark, originating in Germany. After the sudden and sad disappearance of a child, the whole town searches for any clues, but things start to get weirder by the day. When Jonas (Louis Hofmann) finds a cave that takes him into the past, he realizes the disappearance might be connected after he learns it wasn’t the first one.
Time travel is extremely difficult to write with zero flaws, yet somehow, Dark accomplished this task with storytelling prestige. With no plot holes or loose ends, it creates an interconnected mystery where everything is related to one another. The characters are engaging, and the mystery only deepens with each episode, delving into more unique territories, proving Dark is 26 episodes of pure masterful intrigue and writing.
Dark
- Release Date
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2017 – 2020-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Jantje Friese
- Directors
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Baran bo Odar
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Louis Hofmann
Jonas Kahnwald
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Lisa Vicari
Martha Nielsen
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