7 Great Miniseries That Are Actually Worth the Hype

Great miniseries intentionally tell a single story over the course of just one season. They balance their focus between their characters and their main storylines, in order to tell a story that builds up to a shocking and emotional ending. Some of the best miniseries are really devastating, because they tell painful and impactful stories in a limited format, with the purpose of resonating emotionally with their viewers.

It is understandable for some viewers to put off watching certain miniseries, due to their heavy themes and often heartbreaking endings. That said, the best miniseries will leave viewers wishing that they had watched them sooner. These shows have nuanced and complex characters, gut-wrenching main storylines, and themes that will leave you deep in thought long after finishing the series finale.

‘Looking for Alaska’ (2019)

Image via Hulu

Based on the 2005 John Green novel, Looking for Alaska follows Miles Halter (Charlie Plummer), a teenage boy who decides to go away to boarding school for his junior year of high school. Miles goes to Culver Creek Academy in search of a bigger and more vibrant life, but it turns out to be more than he ever could have expected. Miles soon joins a tight-knit friend group made up of his roommate, Chip “The Colonel” Martin (Denny Love), and The Colonel’s friends, Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth) and Takumi Hikohito (Jay Lee).

Miles’ new friend group is on one side of an intense war with the “Weekday Warriors,” a group of wealthy students who go home every weekend. The Weekday Warriors and The Colonel’s friend group both blame each other for the recent expulsion of Paul (Brandon Stanley) and Marya (Meg Wright), a couple made up of people from both groups. They were snitched on last semester, and as a result, the war has escalated to new heights this year. Looking for Alaska is an emotional and captivating series with sharp dialogue and nuanced characters – as well as an unforgettable gut-punch of an ending.

‘Normal People’ (2020)

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Based on the 2018 novel by Sally Rooney, Normal People is a romantic drama that follows the complex relationship between Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) over the course of about four years. At the start of the series, Marianne and Connell are nearing the end of secondary school in County Sligo in Ireland. The two are drawn to each other and soon start up a romance, but they keep it a secret, because the popular Connell is embarrassed to be seen with outcast Marianne at school.

Over the course of Normal People‘s twelve episodes, Marianne and Connell move through secondary school to college, where they reconnect and become friends. When they reconnect at Trinity College Dublin, Marianne and Connell have already changed quite a bit, and they find their dynamic continuing to shift upon reentering each other’s lives. Normal People is a beautiful and heartbreaking series that packs quite the emotional impact, and that will leave viewers thinking about Marianne and Connell long after the final episode.

‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ (2023)

Daisy Jones & The Six details the story of how the most successful band of the ’70s suddenly fell out and disbanded after one of their biggest shows. Now, decades later, each of the willing surviving members of the band and their team sit down for a tell-all to talk about the events that led to that night — and what really went down. In the past, a rock band called The Six forms, while separately, rising star Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) finds her voice and becomes famous.

The main events of the series kick off when Daisy Jones and The Six are paired up to work together. The Six’s lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter, Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), doesn’t want to work with Daisy. He has a massive ego, and he feels threatened by her natural talent and easy confidence. What everyone soon realizes, though, is that Daisy and Billy make magic when they write and sing together. This soon leads to a more long-term partnership between Daisy and the band, which turns out to be really amazing — that is, until it isn’t anymore.

‘I May Destroy You’ (2020)

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Michaela Coel‘s I May Destroy You is a miniseries about a social media influencer and novelist named Arabella (Coel). While on deadline for her second book, Arabella goes out for drinks for her friends, and she is drugged and sexually assaulted. In just twelve episodes, I May Destroy You tells the story of Arabella’s assault and the trauma that she deals with in the aftermath, all while she is still trying to finish her second novel.

I May Destroy You is a gut-wrenching and deeply emotional story, but it is also a sharp and clever dark comedy series. In addition to Arabella’s trauma from the events of the first episode, the show focuses on Arabella’s career and the complex relationships that she has with the people in her life, giving an in-depth look at the entirety of her life. The series is unlike any other, and its finale, “Ego Death,” stands out as one of the best TV episodes of recent years.

‘One Day’ (2024)

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One Day follows the complicated friendship and occasional near-romance of Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) over the course of 14 years. Each episode takes place on July 15th, a year apart, starting with Emma and Dexter’s meeting on the night of their graduation from the University of Edinburgh. Initially planning to just hook up for one night, Emma and Dexter instead become best friends and stay in each other’s lives for the long-haul.

Each July 15th shows a snippet into Emma and Dexter’s lives in the years following the night they met. They move to different places, start dating new people, and try out various jobs to see what works best for them. Through it all, Emma and Dexter grow – sometimes closer together, and sometimes impossibly far apart. One Day is an emotional and compelling series that slowly builds up to a true gut-punch of an ending.

‘Midnight Mass’ (2021)

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Midnight Mass is a horror miniseries that kicks off when Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) returns to his small hometown of Crockett Island after four years in prison. Riley accidentally killed a teenage girl while driving drunk, and has been sober since. Now, he is still haunted by what happened, and he struggles with facing everyone from his past when he moves back home. Not long after Riley returns to Crockett Island, a new priest called Father Paul (Hamish Linklater) has also moved to the tiny island to preach there.

As Riley struggles to adjust to life outside of prison and back home, Father Paul begins performing strange and thrilling miracles. Soon enough, everyone from Crockett Island’s small church is buying into Father Paul’s promises of bigger and better things. Little do they all know, though, Father Paul has a terrible secret that has been making these miracles possible. Midnight Mass is a terrifying and beautiful series that keeps viewers on the edges of their seats throughout, and that leaves them deep in thought long after that haunting final scene.

‘Half Man’ (2026)

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Half Man follows the toxic and codependent relationship between two stepbrothers named Niall Kennedy (Mitchell Robertson and Jamie Bell) and Ruben Pallister (Stuart Campbell and Richard Gadd). The show starts off with a flash-forward to Niall’s wedding day, where a vengeful Ruben has come to have a word with him after they’ve been estranged for some time. In the past, Niall and Ruben start sharing a room together as teens, due to their mothers’ relationship. While Niall is initially afraid of Ruben, they soon form a close bond and become inseparable.

Over the next few decades, Niall and Ruben’s relationship sees a number of shifts. They hurt each other in unforeseen and deeply painful ways, and they also save each other, time and time again. Despite how explosive they are together, Niall and Ruben just can’t stay away from each other, no matter what happens. Half Man is a compelling, horrifying, and deeply emotional series that is both suspenseful and surprisingly heartfelt.

Half Man

Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

Network

BBC One