In an era where series often stretch stories across multiple seasons with increasingly diminishing episodes, the 10-episode miniseries has become a rare but potent format. It’s long enough to build rich characters and complex worlds, yet concise enough to avoid filler and narrative drag. These miniseries feel more like extended films than traditional TV, allowing creators to tell complete, self-contained stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Regardless of the genre, the format attracts top-tier talent both behind and in front of the camera, often resulting in some of the most compelling storytelling on screen.
This list highlights the best 10-episode miniseries that masterfully use their limited runtime to leave a lasting impact. From the harrowing trenches of war to haunted family homes, these shows stand out for their storytelling precision, memorable characters, and cinematic ambition. Each entry offers something unique and proves that sometimes, ten episodes are all we need. Fair warning, miniseries that have been picked up for a second season are excluded from this list. Sorry, Shogun!
10
‘Maniac’ (2018)
Created by Patrick Somerville
Set in a retro-futuristic version of New York, Maniac follows two troubled strangers, Annie (Emma Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill), who enroll in a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that promises to cure psychological pain. Overseen by a malfunctioning AI and a team of eccentric scientists, the trial takes participants deep into surreal, alternate realities generated by their subconscious minds, ranging from fantasy quests to noir thrillers. Meeting repeatedly inside these dreamscapes, they begin to form a meaningful bond that may heal them.
Loosely based on a Norwegian show and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Maniac is an audacious blend of sci-fi, dark comedy, and emotional drama. Its trippy visual design and genre-hopping structure allow for inventive storytelling that feels both expansive and intimate. Superbad co-stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill deliver outstanding performances that force them to go emotional and absurd at the same time. While its surrealism can be too much for some audiences, the show’s emotional core gives the series weight. Maniac is a rare miniseries that uses its experimental style to tell a very grounded story.
9
‘The Pacific’ (2010)
Created by Bruce C. McKenna
The Pacific follows the brutal, often overlooked campaigns of the U.S. Marines in the Pacific Theater during World War II, told through the real-life experiences of three soldiers: Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), and John Basilone (Jon Seda). Spanning from the early battles in Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the series paints a harrowing portrait of combat and brotherhood.
As a companion piece to Band of Brothers, The Pacific is more brutal and fragmented, opting for emotional realism over tidy narrative arcs. Its performances, especially from Mazzello as Sledge and Seda as Basilone, are excellent. Being an HBO series, the production values are staggering, with haunting battle sequences and immersive set pieces that capture the chaos and disorientation of jungle warfare. But what truly sets The Pacific apart is its focus on the psychological cost of survival, offering a devastating look at what war leaves behind in the minds of those who fought it. In spirit, it’s more akin to introspective war movies like Flag of Our Fathers.
8
‘The Young Pope’ (2016)
Created by Paolo Sorrentino
The Young Pope introduces an American Pope, Pius XIII, born Lenny Belardo (Jude Law). A deeply conservative and unpredictable leader, Lenny shocks the world with his unorthodox methods, cutting against the grain of traditional papal authority. His rule is marked by a mysterious aloofness and an unsettling detachment from both divine faith and earthly politics. Predating the actual American Pope by 9 years, the show also stars Diane Keaton, Cecile de France and James Cromwell.
Created and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, one of the best Italian directors working today, the series is a great exploration of Catholicism and power in the modern era. Sorrentino’s direction imbues the show with a surreal, cinematic quality, turning the Vatican into a labyrinth of grandiose architecture and shadowed corridors that reflect Lenny’s inner turmoil. The performances are exceptional, with Law’s portrayal of Lenny as a deeply conflicted, almost messianic figure anchoring the series’ wild mix of dark humor, religious symbolism, and intrigue. The Young Pope defies conventional storytelling, maintaining an air of mystery and ambiguity that challenges the audience.
7
‘1883’ (2021)
Created by Taylor Sheridan
1883 is a prequel to the addictive Yellowstone, following the Dutton family’s journey as they embark on a treacherous journey to settle in Montana. Led by Captain Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott), the Duttons and their fellow travelers navigate the brutal realities of the Great Plains, facing relentless challenges. At the heart of the story is Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), the free-spirited young woman who provides the narration for the series.
Taylor Sheridan crafts 1883 with cinematic ambition as he expands the world of Yellowstone beyond the modern-day ranch. The writing of the series seamlessly blends the historical pioneer setting with the exceptional narrative, making it both riveting and eye-opening. The performances are amazing, with Elliott delivering a standout portrayal of a man worn by grief and responsibility, while May’s Elsa serves as the emotional backbone of the story with the intimate, personal narration. As a standalone miniseries, 1883 is a heartfelt, mesmerizing tale that deepens the mythology of the Yellowstone universe while standing firmly on its own.
6
‘Maid’ (2021)
Created by Molly Smith Metzler
Maid follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young mother who escapes an emotionally abusive relationship and is forced to rebuild her life from scratch. With no money and a toddler to look after, she begins cleaning houses to survive, while trying to escape her past, her boyfriend’s custody battle, and her unstable mother. Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir, Maid is a powerful portrayal of resilience and self-discovery.
Maid is so affecting for its viewers for its realism and emotional honesty. The Emmy-nominated Qualley gives a remarkable performance as the single mother, capturing the character’s strength, vulnerability, and desperation. The writing doesn’t sensationalize poverty or trauma, but it patiently explores how systemic failures trap people in cycles that are hard to escape. With strong supporting performances, particularly from Andie MacDowell as Alex’s bipolar mother, Maid finds heartbreaking truth in everyday struggles. Throughout its ten-episode run, the series shines a light on survival and the power of the human spirit, even when the odds are stacked against you.
5
‘The Underground Railroad’ (2021)
Created by Barry Jenkins
Based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Underground Railroad centers on Cora (Thuso Mbedu), a young enslaved woman who escapes from a Georgia plantation in search of freedom and finds out that the fabled Underground Railroad is a literal subterranean train system. Each state she passes through becomes a haunting chapter; some offer hope, others mirror the horrors she’s fled. On her tail is Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton), a slave catcher obsessed with taking her down.
Director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) transforms the novel into a visually poetic and devastating miniseries. With his signature style of slow, lingering shots and dreamlike pacing, Jenkins crafts a narrative that shows history as it is despite its reimaginings. Mbedu delivers a powerful performance as Cora, capturing her evolution from terrified fugitive to strong survivor. It’s not a traditional story of escape, but it’s much more meditative and introspective of this dark chapter in history. It’s the perfect adaptation for a towering piece of literature. While the series was nominated for two Emmys for Best Limited Series and Best Director for Jenkins, it remains criminally underseen.
4
‘Station Eleven’ (2021)
Created by Patrick Somerville
Station Eleven begins in the chaotic early days of a deadly pandemic that wipes out most of the global population. Amid the disaster, the story centers on a young girl named Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis), who survives and grows up to become a member of the Traveling Symphony, a troupe of actors and musicians performing Shakespeare in settlements spread across America. Moving through multiple timelines and various characters, the series also stars Himesh Patel, Danielle Deadwyler and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Based on Emily St. John Mandel‘s novel, Station Eleven was eerily prescient as it was conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of focusing on bleakness and spectacle that would hit too close to home, it shows human connection in desperate times. The ambitious nonlinear storytelling rewards patient audiences as it gradually reveals how each character’s decisions ripple across time. All the cast delivered great performances, particularly Davis in the lead, and Patel, who was nominated for an Emmy for his role. Visually stunning and thematically rich, Station Eleven is more than just a story about the end of the world, making it one of the best miniseries released in the past five years.
3
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)
Created by Mike Flanagan
The Haunting of Hill House follows the Crain family as they move into an enormous, dilapidated mansion with plans to renovate and flip it. But their stay is cut short by a series of terrifying supernatural events that culminate in tragedy. Years later, the siblings, now adults, remain haunted not only by the ghosts of Hill House but by the psychological trauma and fractured relationships left in its wake.
Mike Flanagan had quietly built up a strong resume in horror films before this series, but this adaptation of the Shirley Jackson novel made him one of the best horror writer-directors working today. The series could resort to the usual haunted house jump scares, but instead, it opts to build its story as a metaphor for grief, addiction and guilt, making the film a family drama with ghost story settings. The ensemble cast, which includes Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Henry Thomas, delivers incredible performances throughout. The production is also a masterclass, most memorably highlighted by the intricate, jaw-dropping long-take sequences in Episode 6. Flanagan went on to create more modern horror classics like The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass, but Hill House remains his 10-episode masterpiece.
2
‘Dekalog’ (1989)
Created by Krzysztof Kieślowski
Dekalog is a ten-part Polish miniseries set within a single Warsaw apartment complex, with each episode loosely inspired by one of the Ten Commandments. But far from religious sermons, the series presents morally complex stories rooted in the everyday struggles of ordinary people. Each episode introduces new characters facing deeply personal dilemmas, like a man torn between faith and science, a woman dealing with life-or-death decisions for her child, and more. All the standalone episodes are connected by a mysterious, silent figure observing them.
Coming from acclaimed Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski, who made the Three Colors trilogy, the series is a masterclass in minimalist storytelling and philosophical depth. It is remarkable for how it treats moral questions not with judgment but with empathy and ambiguity, inviting viewers to reflect on them as well. Each story is tightly constructed yet emotionally expansive, and the performances are naturalistic and understated. Dekalog is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in television history, with notable figures such as director Stanley Kubrick and film critic Roger Ebert calling the series a masterpiece.
1
‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)
Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg
Band of Brothers chronicles the journey of Easy Company, a unit of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, from their training at Camp Toccoa through their participation in major World War II battles like D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. The series closely follows several key soldiers, including Richard Winters (Damian Lewis), Lewis Nixon (Ron Livingston), and Carwood Lipton (Donnie Wahlberg), as they navigate the horrors of war and forge deep bonds with one another.
Fresh off their collaboration in Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg created this sprawling miniseries. This 10-episode series is a benchmark in war storytelling thanks to its balance of large-scale war spectacle with intimate human storytelling. The large ensemble cast, filled with up-and-coming actors at the time, from Tom Hardy, James McAvoy, to Jimmy Fallon, delivers deeply emotional portrayals. The series never forgets the real story that inspired it by grounding the narrative in firsthand veteran interviews that bookend each episode. A winner of seven Emmy Awards, Band of Brothers is both emotionally harrowing and profoundly respectful, making it one of the most enduring pieces of war stories ever produced.