We've all fallen victim to the occasional binge-watching series, and more often than not in this past year of confinement. While the binge-watching phenomenon is starting to be seen as a problem, it's even more so if it affects our daily performance. To minimize this temptation, from SeriesRank we bring you the best Netflix series with short chapters (20 to 30 minutes).
The 9 best short series that you can not miss
The best thing about choosing series with short episodes is that they are relatively independent of each other. The best thing: you'll avoid being hooked in front of the screen all night long. We bring you here the best series on Netflix, so you can enjoy them on your commute, on your way home, or while you're having dinner:
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD (19-21min).
British teen black comedy series, inspired by the graphic novel The End of the Fucking World (Charles S. Forsman). The protagonists and narrators, James and Alyssa, attend the same high school and share a common passion: hating everyone. Fed up with the world around them, they decide to run away from home together, embarking on an odyssey that mixes identity building, love, and murder.
The episodes are short, but the characters are very well constructed and accompanied by an excellent soundtrack (by Graham Coxon of Blur). If you're nostalgic for grunge and cursed couples (Bonnie and Clyde style), this is the series for you.
- Seasons: 2
- Release Year: 2018
- Platform: Netflix
MODERN FAMILY (20-21min).
American series with a mockumentary style, it is considered the great family comedy of the last decade (awarded with five Emmys and a Golden Globe). The series chronicles the experiences of three families in the city of Los Angeles, connected through patriarch Jay Pritchett and his two children, Mitchell Pritchett and Claire Dunphy.
The series humorously portrays the relationships and clashes between these three families. They explore themes such as kinship, generational clash and distance, homosexuality and cultural diversity. There is no better comedy to watch at any time of the day. And if humour is your thing, don't miss our Netflix sitcoms list.
- Seasons: 11
- Premiere Year: 2009
- Platform: Netflix
THE GOOD PLACE (22min)
The Good Place is another one of the best Netflix series with short episodes. American sci-fi fantasy comedy, created by Michael Schur (The Office, Parks and Recreations). This short-form series centers on Eleanor Shellstrop, a young woman who, after being run over, awakens in the afterlife. Michael, the immortal architect who takes her in, sends her to the "good place," a utopia he designed as a reward for those who have behaved virtuously on earth.
Eleanor, extremely selfish in life, quickly realizes that she has been sent there by mistake. With the help of her "better half", Chidi Anagonye, Eleanor will try to learn how to be a "good person". This comedy is not only one of Netflix's best short-form series; it's also a brilliant lesson in ethics, accompanied by drama, romance, and above all a lot of humor.
- Seasons: 4
- Premiere Year: 2016
- Platform: Netflix
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE-NINE (22min).
American crime comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine revolves around immature but endearing detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg). Set in the fictional 99th Precinct in Brooklyn, New York, the plot begins with the arrival of the new commander, Ray Holt (Andre Braugher).
Holt is a strict and experienced cop, until then discriminated against because of his skin color and his avowed homosexuality. Upon taking over the station, Holt tries to bring order and discipline to the squad's officers.
In addition to its unusual humor, the series works because of the excellent cast (Braugher and Samberg in particular). It's also especially credited for its ability to tackle sensitive topics (racism, LGTBQ+) with elegant humor.
- Seasons: 8
- Premiere Year: 2013
- Platform: Netflix
PAQUITA SALAS (20-25min)
Spanish comedy directed by the Javis(Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo) and revolving around the figure of Paquita Salas (Brays Efe). After a stellar career as an actors' manager in the '90s, Paquita Salas discovers that show business has changed, and that she has been left behind. Having lost her best-known actress, Paquita and her inseparable assistant Magüi set out in search of new talent.
Moving deftly between fact andfiction, this Netflix short-form series is folded with cameos, goals and pop nods. Always humorous, the series critiques the entertainment industry, social media and media bullying. Both a reflection and an ironic distortion of modern-day Spain, Paquita Salas will make you laugh your head off.
- Seasons: 3
- Year of release: 2016
- Platform: Netflix
CRASHING (23-24min)
British black comedy written by and starring Phoebe-Waller Bridge. Lesser known than her successful, award-winning Fleabag, Crashing is one of the few series that represents what it really means to be a twenty-something in today's day and age.
The series follows a group of confused millennials living in a squat in expensive London, and begins with the arrival of Lulu (arguably the most disoriented of them all). There she reunites with Anthony, her childhood best friend, his fiancée and their friends.
If you're looking for a series of short episodes that mix friendship, love, sex, and humor as sharp as it is dark, Crashing won't let you down.
- Seasons: 3
- Release Year: 2016
- Platform: Netflix
LOVESICK (28min)
British comedy with an unbeatable approach: Dylan, a young man diagnosed with chlamydia, is forced to resume contact with all the women with whom he has had sex.
Each chapter contains flashbacks through which Dylan's love encounters and misunderstandings are narrated. What weaves the whole and is conjugated in the present tense are the intimate relationships he has with his two friends, Evie and Luke.
The series is excellent at bringing to the table the complexity of relationships, both love and friendship. The chemistry and naturalness with which they relate to each other offers a faithful and at the same time optimistic portrait of real human relationships.
- Seasons: 3
- Release Year: 2018
- Platform: Netflix
MASTER OF NONE (28-30min).
This Netflix original comedy follows the achievements and failures of Dev (Aziz Ansari), a thirtysomething actor in search of success in the film and television business. The series chronicles Dev's personal and professional experiences alongside Denise, his novelist and lesbian friend, through family dramas, love and show business.
Different social issues intersect in these experiences, from racial and sexual issues to the question of immigration and religion. Since its premiere Master of None has been celebrated as one of Netflix's best short-form series for its sincerity. If you're looking for a series that tackles 21st century conflicts from the banality of the everyday, this series is for you.
- Seasons: 3
- Premiere Year: 2015
- Platform: Netflix
THE CHAIR (30min)
This American satire, released this year on Netflix and starring the incomparable Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy, Killing Eve) has made waves. The series centers on Professor Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh), who has just been elected as the first woman of color professor in the English department at the prestigious Pembroke University.
The cast of professors who accompany Ji-Yoon Kim are as ridiculous as they are idealistic, and their attachment to tradition contributes to the students' disaffection. Thus, the series offers a portrait of the decadence of the Academy, as well as the recent conflicts surrounding social networks, the culture of cancellation and the sensibility of the new generations (Gen Z).
- Seasons: 1
- Premiere Year: 2021
- Platform: Netflix
