10 Best Netflix Shows With Fewer Than 20 Episodes, Ranked
Not everyone has time to commit to a series that goes on for a million years. Fortunately, these Netflix shows are conveniently efficient.
1. Mindhunter is a Netflix original series based on the book "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" by Mark Olshaker and John E. Douglas. It follows two FBI agents in the 1970s as they interview serial killers to understand their minds and pioneer criminal profiling. The show was co-produced by David Fincher and has 19 episodes.
2. The Midnight Club is a horror Netflix original series based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Pike. It follows eight teenagers in a hospice facility battling terminal illness who form a midnight book club to share ghost stories and form a pact to haunt each other if one dies first. The show has 10 episodes.
3. The Queen's Gambit is a Netflix miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. It tells the story of an orphaned chess prodigy in Kentucky during the 1950s and 1960s, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, as she strives to become a world-class chess player while struggling with a drug and alcohol addiction. The show was a limited series with seven episodes.
4. The Residence is a Shondaland-produced Netflix original series created by Shonda Rhimes. It follows an eccentric detective, played by Uzo Aduba, who investigates a murder at the White House during a state dinner with a foreign leader. As she delves into the staff of the White House, she uncovers political intrigue and personal secrets. The show premiered its first eight-episode season in 2025 and was canceled after one season.
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