If you’re in search of a new show and don’t want to commit to multiple seasons, the following list is perfect! You can stream these one-season shows on Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Max.
The Queens Gambit
Set during the Cold War era, The Queens Gambit follows orphaned chess prodigy, Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) on her quest to become the greatest chess player in the world. The show came out in October 2020 and shortly became Netflix’s biggest limited scripted series ever. A month after its release Netflix revealed that 62 million households streamed the show.
The Undoing
The storyline for this mystery psychological thriller is based on the popular 2014 novel You Should Have Known, written by Jean Hanf Korelitz. The minisieries came out on HBO in October 2020 and follows a successful therapist (Nicole Kidman) whose devoted husband (Hugh Grant) is suddenly accused of muder. The show executes a whodunit plot line riddled with complex puzzles.
A Teacher
Based on series creator Hannah Fidell’s 2013 film of the same name, this controversial miniseries came out in November 2020 and became FX on Hulu’s most-watched original. A Teacher follows the relationship and consequences of a predatory relationship between a young teacher at a Texas high school and her student. The show is not based on a specific true story but is a portrayal of grooming, abuse, and trauma that are real for many people.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10680614/
Mare of Eastown
In this crime drama, Kate Winslet stars as a police detective investigating the recent murder of a teenage mother while trying to keep her own life from falling apart. Mare of Easttown came out on HBO in April 2021 and was billed as a limited series. Although viewers are clamouring for a second season, the story was intended to be told in 7 episodes and does not appear to have a season 2 in the cards.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10155688/
Inventing Anna
Netflix’s miniseries Inventing Anna is a dramatized version of the story of Anna Sorokin/Anna Delvey, who tricked numerous New York elites out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The story is told from the perspective of journalist Vivian Kent, who is investigating the case for a story. The show premiered in February 2022 and is based on the real reporter Jessica Pressler, who wrote an article about Anna Delvey for New York Magazine.
The Girl From Plainville
The Hulu original debuted in March 2022 and is inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s “texting-suicide” case. Based on the Esquire article of the same name by Jesse Barron, The Girl from Plainville explores the events that lead to the death of Conrad Roy and the conviction of his girlfriend Michelle Carter (Elle Fanning) for involuntary manslaughter.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12851512/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Dropout
In just eight episodes, this Hulu mini-series uncovers how the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lost it all at the drop of a hat. The Dropout premiered in March 2022 and tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, played by Amanda Seyfried, and Theranos. The miniseries was inspired by the Rebecca Jarvis podcast of the same name and is more historically accurate compared to other biopics. Most scenes depicted in the show are based on real people and facts.
Under The Banner of Heaven
Inspired by the true crime besteller of the same name by Jon Krauer, Under The Banner of Heaven came out on Hulu in April 2022. The show is set in 1984 Utah where LDS worshipper and detective Jeb Prye (Andrew Garfield) investigates the murder of a young woman and her baby daughter and it’s connection to a prominent Mormon family in the community.
