For a lot of people, binge-watching is a way of life these days. But what if you just can’t commit to a weekend-long binge session or a 10-season show? The good news, friend, is that there are a number of short TV shows out there that are totally watchable in just one night, and we’ve rounded up a few of the best choices for you below.
Short TV shows you can finish in a night
A Very British Scandal
A Very British Scandal stars Claire Foy and Paul Bettany in a dramatisation of the marriage between Margaret and Ian Campbell, who partook in a very public divorce case in 1963.
The series has just three episodes, making it a totally achievable binge-watch in a night.
Stream A Very British Scandal on Prime Video.
The Witcher: Blood Origin
The Witcher prequel Blood Origin may not have been as well received as the flagship series on Netflix, but it’s a short trip through Witcher history with just four episodes in the series.
The series takes place 1,000 years prior to the events of The Witcher and explores the event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres. It stars Michelle Yeoh, Sophia Brown and Laurence O’Fuarain, among others, as a group of outcasts who unite against an unstoppable power.
Watch The Witcher: Blood Origin on Netflix.
I Am Not Okay With This
The dark teen comedy I Am Not Okay With This is based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman and follows a high schooler navigating the conflicting influences of her family, her sexuality and her emerging superpowers.
I Am Not Okay With This was cancelled after just one season and frankly, I’m not okay with it, but it does mean it’s an easy TV show to watch in one sitting with just seven short half-hour episodes.
Watch I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix.
Don’t F**k With Cats
Don’t F**k With Cats is a dark but gripping true crime docuseries that, speaking from experience, is impossible to stop watching.
Across three episodes Don’t F**k With Cats follows a group of amateur internet detectives who work together to catch the perpetrator of a series of gruesome videos involving the harm of animals.
Don’t F**k With Cats is streaming on Netflix.
Pick of the Litter
After the darkness of something like Don’t F**k With Cats, you might be looking for a pick me up and Pick of the Litter is exactly that.
The charming documentary series charts the journey of six puppies in training and explores what it takes for each of them to become a guide dog for the blind. The show comes out to just over three hours – perfect for a cosy night in!
Pick of the Litter is on Stan.
Crashing
Before the success of Fleabag and Killing Eve, Phoebe Waller-Bridge starred in Crashing, a comedy-drama series about a group of individuals living in an abandoned hospital. The whole TV show is short, taking around three hours to complete.
Crashing is streaming on Netflix.
When They See Us
Acclaimed director Ava DuVernay is behind this riveting drama series. When They See Us takes place over four parts, exploring the events of 1989 when a Central Park jogger was assaulted and five Black and Latino suspects were falsely accused of the crime.
Watch When They See Us on Netflix.
Chernobyl
With five hour-long episodes, Chornobyl is slightly longer than the rest on this list but is another series that is difficult to stop once you’ve started.
The drama series digs into the 1986 disaster at the Chornobyl nuclear plant and the heroes who put their lives on the line to save Europe. It’ll make you cry, it’ll make you angry, and it’ll have you on the edge of your seat until the end.
Watch Chernobyl on Binge.
The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Coming in at around four hours is The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window which, if you couldn’t guess, is a satirical take on the many mystery thriller movies featuring a woman witnessing a crime she shouldn’t have. Kristen Bell stars as Anna, the woman in question, who is unsure whether she witnessed a murder and sets out to find the truth.
Watch Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window on Netflix.
Janet Jackson.
The short documentary series Janet Jackson. explores the incredible career of one of the music industry’s highest-earning and most successful artists. Spanning just under three hours, the documentary includes never before seen home videos as well as interviews with Jackson.
Watch Janet Jackson on Stan.
If you’re stuck for something to watch after your one-night binge-watch, here are some of the other TV series to go down a rabbit hole with this year.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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