The concept of a miniseries first hit the scenes back in the 1970s and 1980s, but tapered off once cable started airing their own TV shows. It wasn’t until the mid 2000s that the miniseries came back. As a short and sweet but eventfully packed series, TV miniseries has grown in popularity over the last few years. Let’s take a look at some of the best TV miniseries you can stream right now.

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8 Maid - Netflix

     Netflix

Nominated for 15 awards including Emmys for Best Actress for Margaret Qualley and Best Limited Series, Maid is a heart-warming story about an emotionally abused mother who tries to give her daughter the best life. Qualley’s character Alex finds a job as a maid and quickly learns how hard it is to support a small child on her own. In addition to trying support herself and her daughter, Alex also tries to find peace with her erratic mom, played by Qualley’s real life mother, Andie MacDowell. The dynamic between the two is raw and moving. Maid is certainly an emotional miniseries whose total runtime is just over nine hours. Maid is adapted from the novel Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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7 Midnight Mass - Netflix

Midnight Mass is a mystery, fantasy, drama miniseries that centers around an island, a new priest, and religion. This slow burn forces the viewer to keep watching and waiting for answers. Who is this mysterious young priest? What is so special about this island? What came out of the box? Will anyone survive? From creator Mike Flanagan, who you might know from The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire miniseries. With a total runtime of seven hours and 30 minutes, Midnight Mass is the perfect weekend miniseries.

6 WandaVision - Disney+

     Via: Marvel Studios

WandaVision is one of the highest nominated shows on this list having won 21 awards and being nominated for an additional 84. As perhaps Marvel’s most popular, and first miniseries, WandaVision follows the events after the Avengers have defeated Thanos and brought everyone back from the snap. In a small town in New Jersey, we see the lives of Wanda and Vision unfold with each episode featuring the beloved pair in a new decade. By using a miniseries format for the show, the storyline was able to grow at a slower but captivating pace. The episode length varies, but the shows total runtime is just under six hours.

5 Mare of Eastown - HBO Max

Mare of Easttown was another highly rated show receiving 16 wins and 68 nominations in total, including an Emmy for Best Actress in a Limited Series by Kate Winslet. This crime-solving show centers around a small town cop, the eponymous Mare (Winslet), and the murder of a young girl. Facing pressure to find the killer, Mare must solve the murder and the disappearance of other local girls. The finale will leave you breathless with its shocking twist of whodunit. Perfect for a day spent lounging on the couch, this seven hour will keep you guessing up to the very end.

4 Behind Her Eyes - Netflix

Most TV miniseries storylines come from book adaptions. Adopting a book into a miniseries allows for slow pacing that captures the full story without having to omit of change much of the plot. Behind Her Eyes is a perfect example of this. Staying very true to the original story by Sarah Pinborough, Behind Her Eyes follows four people: a seemingly shady and cheating husband, the woman he had an affair with, the wife, and the wife’s best friend (whom she met at a psychiatric institute). Full of twists and turns, this five-hour thriller combines a unique storyline with terrific acting.

3 Stay Close - Netflix

Stay Close is another miniseries that is based on a book. This one is adapted from Harlan Coben’s novel of the same name and is one of six adaptations of his that is available to stream on Netflix. Stay Close premiered in December 2021 and has quickly climbed to the top of many’s watch lists. Stay Close builds upon secrets spanning over a 17-year period and ends when they all come crashing down. With a runtime of a little more than 6 hours, Stay Close is the perfect slowburn crime miniseries to watch.

2 Nine Perfect Strangers - Hulu

     Hulu

Another book adaptation, Nine Perfect Strangers comes from the mind of Liane Moriarty a.k.a. the author of Big Little Lies. With multiple awards nominations, Nine Perfect Strangers centers around a group of people that have been called to a resort owned by Nicole Kidman’s Masha. By using a miniseries format, all nine strangers are introduced, given a backstory, and allowed the chance for a full character arc. The star-studded cast includes Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, and more. With a runtime of six hours and 28 minutes, Nine Perfect Strangers can fit nicely into a relaxing weekend plan.

1 Clickbait - Netflix

Rounding out the list is Netflix’s Clickbait. Clickbait is an eight-episode, six-hour miniseries that highlights a different character per episode. Using this approach, the viewer is able to get into the mind of each individual character as they try to find out what happened to Nick Brewer. By allowing each individual to act as a main character for an episode, viewers fall more engrossed with finding out why Nick Brewer was kidnaped and if he was really killed because people watched a video.