Underrated Limited Series Nobody Talks About (But Should)

Limited series pack complete stories into a short run, which makes them easy to start and finish without a big time commitment. They often adapt novels or real events, bring in film level talent, and wrap up in a handful of episodes with a clear beginning and end. Networks and streamers use them to tackle specific subjects with tight production schedules and focused creative teams.

You will see shows here from the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond, with episode counts that usually land between three and ten. Many of them come from notable writers and directors, feature well known leads, and premiered on respected outlets that include BBC, Channel 4, HBO, FX, Hulu, Netflix, AMC, and Apple TV Plus. Every pick is a single season narrative, so you can watch the whole story without waiting for renewal news.

‘State of Play’ (2003)

This BBC political thriller follows a newspaper team and a parliament member as an inquiry into a death opens up a wider corruption case. The series was created by Paul Abbott and stars John Simm, David Morrissey, Bill Nighy, and Kelly Macdonald with direction by David Yates across the run.

‘State of Play’ spans six episodes that aired on BBC One and later reached international audiences. It features location shooting in London, an ensemble that includes James McAvoy early in his screen career, and a production approach that blends newsroom procedure with government intrigue.

‘The Lost Room’ (2006)

This science fiction mystery centers on a detective who discovers a motel room filled with everyday objects that carry unusual properties, each tied to a larger mythology. Peter Krause leads the cast with Julianna Margulies, Kevin Pollak, and Elle Fanning.

‘The Lost Room’ premiered as an event series on the Sci Fi Channel across three nights for a total of six episodes. The creators are Christopher Leone, Laura Harkcom, and Paul Workman, and the show built a dedicated following around its catalog of Objects and the rules attached to them.

‘The Honourable Woman’ (2014)

Hugo Blick created this geopolitical drama about a business leader who inherits her family company and becomes involved in international intelligence and diplomacy. The cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Andrew Buchan, Stephen Rea, and Lubna Azabal.

‘The Honourable Woman’ runs eight episodes and aired as a co production between BBC Two and SundanceTV. Gyllenhaal received a Golden Globe for her performance, and the production filmed across the United Kingdom and Morocco with a score by Martin Phipps.

‘Show Me a Hero’ (2015)

Based on the nonfiction book by Lisa Belkin, this series chronicles a mayor in Yonkers as a federal court orders the construction of public housing and the city faces political and social turmoil. Oscar Isaac stars with Catherine Keener, Alfred Molina, and Winona Ryder.

‘Show Me a Hero’ is a six episode HBO miniseries created by David Simon with direction by Paul Haggis. The production uses archival photography, period accurate design, and on location shooting in New York to recreate the legal and civic process behind the housing fight.

‘Rillington Place’ (2016)

This true crime drama explores the crimes of John Christie and the wrongful conviction connected to his actions, told from multiple points of view to show how the case unfolded. Tim Roth portrays Christie with Samantha Morton and Nico Mirallegro in key roles.

‘Rillington Place’ is a three part series from BBC One that filmed in Scotland while recreating the West London setting. The creative team emphasizes forensic details, police procedure, and domestic scenes to trace how evidence and testimony led to a miscarriage of justice.

‘National Treasure’ (2016)

Jack Thorne wrote this four part drama about a well known comedian who faces historical allegations, with the story examining legal process and public response. Robbie Coltrane leads the cast with Julie Walters, Andrea Riseborough, and Tim McInnerny.

‘National Treasure’ aired on Channel 4 and was produced by The Forge with executive producers who have worked across British prestige drama. Courtroom sequences and media coverage are central to the narrative, and the show uses flashbacks to chart the character career.

‘Alias Grace’ (2017)

Adapted from the novel by Margaret Atwood, this series follows a domestic servant and immigrant who is accused of murder, with a psychiatrist working to determine the truth. Sarah Gadon stars with Anna Paquin and Paul Gross, and the adaptation was written by Sarah Polley.

‘Alias Grace’ runs six episodes and is a co production between CBC and Netflix. Mary Harron directed the series, which filmed in Ontario and used historically researched costumes and interiors to depict rural and urban life in nineteenth century Canada.

‘Godless’ (2017)

This western centers on an outlaw who rides into a New Mexico territory town where many of the men have died, leaving women to manage the community. Jeff Daniels, Michelle Dockery, and Jack O’Connell lead the cast with writing and direction by Scott Frank.

‘Godless’ spans seven episodes on Netflix with producing partners that include Steven Soderbergh. The series filmed in New Mexico with large scale train work, extensive horse choreography, and practical town sets that anchor the action and the character arcs.

‘The Looming Tower’ (2018)

Based on the book by Lawrence Wright, this drama traces the paths of FBI and CIA teams as they investigate terrorist networks and navigate interagency barriers. Jeff Daniels, Tahar Rahim, and Peter Sarsgaard head the ensemble.

‘The Looming Tower’ includes ten episodes and premiered on Hulu with international distribution through Amazon in some regions. Filming took place across multiple cities to stand in for Washington, New York, and overseas locations, and the production drew on public records and interviews.

‘Patrick Melrose’ (2018)

This adaptation of the novels by Edward St Aubyn follows an aristocrat through childhood trauma, addiction, and recovery, with each episode mapping to a different book. Benedict Cumberbatch stars with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hugo Weaving, and Allison Williams.

‘Patrick Melrose’ is a five episode co production between Sky Atlantic and Showtime. David Nicholls wrote the scripts, Edward Berger directed, and the series filmed across the United Kingdom and France with period specific design and a focus on literary structure.

‘The Little Drummer Girl’ (2018)

Drawn from the John le Carré novel, this spy story follows a young actor who is recruited by intelligence services for a complex undercover mission. Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgård, and Michael Shannon lead the cast, and Park Chan wook directs the full run.

‘The Little Drummer Girl’ consists of six episodes and aired on BBC One and AMC. Production moved through Greece, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom, and the series uses theatrical training scenes and surveillance craft to present methods from multiple sides.

‘Seven Seconds’ (2018)

Created by Veena Sud, this crime drama begins with a hit and run involving a teenager and follows the investigation, the prosecution, and the impact on the communities involved. The cast includes Clare Hope Ashitey, Beau Knapp, and Regina King.

‘Seven Seconds’ is a ten episode Netflix limited series that takes place in and around Jersey City. The show uses parallel storylines for police, family members, and legal teams, and Regina King received an Emmy for her performance.

‘Unbelievable’ (2019)

This limited series retells the account of a young woman who reported an assault and was later charged with making a false claim, while two detectives in another state uncover a pattern that connects several cases. Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette, and Merritt Wever star.

‘Unbelievable’ runs eight episodes on Netflix and is created by Susannah Grant with Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon. The scripts draw from investigative reporting and a nonfiction book, and the production consulted legal documents and case files to build its timeline.

‘The Spy’ (2019)

Gideon Raff created this drama about Mossad agent Eli Cohen, whose infiltration of high level circles provided intelligence that influenced regional strategy. Sacha Baron Cohen stars as Eli Cohen with Noah Emmerich and Hadar Ratzon Rotem in supporting roles.

‘The Spy’ includes six episodes and was produced with involvement from French partners and Israeli creatives, with Netflix carrying international distribution. The series uses both Hebrew and English dialogue, and it recreates Damascus and other locations through a mix of sets and on location work.

‘Years and Years’ (2019)

Russell T Davies follows a Manchester family as they navigate rapid changes in politics, technology, and finance while a new political figure rises. The core cast features Rory Kinnear, T’Nia Miller, Jessica Hynes, and Emma Thompson.

‘Years and Years’ is a six episode production that aired on BBC One and HBO. The show uses time jumps between episodes, news bulletins, and imagined consumer tech to track social shifts, and the creative team worked with consultants to project near future developments.

‘The Virtues’ (2019)

Created by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne, this four part drama follows a man who returns to Ireland to face long buried trauma and reconnect with family. Stephen Graham leads the cast with Niamh Algar and Helen Behan.

‘The Virtues’ aired on Channel 4 and filmed in Liverpool and across Ireland. The score comes from PJ Harvey, and the series uses a handheld visual style and extended takes to follow character journeys with close attention to performance.

‘The Plot Against America’ (2020)

Adapted from the novel by Philip Roth, this alternate history tracks a Jewish family in Newark as political events shift the country and change daily life. The ensemble includes Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan, John Turturro, and Morgan Spector with creators David Simon and Ed Burns.

‘The Plot Against America’ features six episodes for HBO with production in New Jersey and New York. The team built period streets, used vintage vehicles, and coordinated large extras casts to depict rallies, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

‘Devs’ (2020)

Alex Garland presents a tech thriller about a software engineer who investigates a secretive division inside a quantum computing firm after a sudden death. Sonoya Mizuno and Nick Offerman lead the cast with Jin Ha, Alison Pill, and Karl Glusman.

‘Devs’ runs eight episodes on FX on Hulu with a mix of Bay Area location work and soundstage builds for the Devs lab. The production design centers on a gold cube set and a woodland campus, and the series features an original score by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow.

‘Quiz’ (2020)

James Graham wrote this three part drama about the well known game show scandal involving Charles and Diana Ingram and the alleged coughing plot on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’. Matthew Macfadyen portrays Charles Ingram with Sian Clifford and Michael Sheen in key roles.

‘Quiz’ aired on ITV with Stephen Frears directing all episodes and was produced by Left Bank Pictures. The series recreates studio sets, contestant selection processes, and legal proceedings, and it draws on court transcripts and program archives.

‘The North Water’ (2021)

Based on Ian McGuire’s novel, this survival drama follows a disgraced surgeon who signs on to a whaling ship and encounters a brutal harpooner. Jack O’Connell and Colin Farrell star with Stephen Graham and Tom Courtenay in supporting roles.

‘The North Water’ runs five episodes for BBC Two and AMC Plus with extensive location work above the Arctic Circle. The production completed sequences on pack ice and open water, and it used a period ship with practical sets to stage whaling and crew life.

‘Station Eleven’ (2021–2022)

Patrick Somerville adapts Emily St John Mandel’s novel about a troupe of performers who travel after a global pandemic, linking past and present through a network of survivors. Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel lead an ensemble that includes Matilda Lawler and Danielle Deadwyler.

‘Station Eleven’ features ten episodes for HBO Max and filmed around Chicago and Toronto with large sets that show airports, arenas, and lakeside communities. The series intercuts timelines and performance pieces from the Traveling Symphony to reveal how characters connect.

‘A Spy Among Friends’ (2022)

This espionage drama adapts the Ben Macintyre book about the friendship between Nicholas Elliott and Kim Philby within British intelligence. Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce star with Anna Maxwell Martin and Stephen Kunken.

‘A Spy Among Friends’ consists of six episodes that premiered on ITVX in the United Kingdom and on Spectrum in the United States. Alexander Cary served as showrunner, and the production filmed in London and Eastern Europe to stand in for Beirut and other locales.

‘Black Bird’ (2022)

Created by Dennis Lehane and based on the memoir by James Keene, this true crime series follows a convict who agrees to befriend a suspected serial killer in a prison psychiatric unit. Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser star with Ray Liotta and Greg Kinnear in supporting roles.

‘Black Bird’ runs six episodes on Apple TV Plus with filming in Louisiana for both interior and exterior prison locations. The production secured cooperation from law enforcement sources and drew on court records to shape interrogation and evidence scenes.

‘The English’ (2022)

Hugo Blick presents a western about an aristocratic woman who teams up with a Pawnee scout on a journey across the Great Plains, with both characters seeking resolution to past violence. Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer lead the cast with Rafe Spall and Stephen Rea.

‘The English’ is a six episode production from BBC and Amazon Studios. Filming took place in Spain to capture wide open plains and desert vistas, and the series features detailed frontier costuming and a score by Federico Jusid.

‘A Very English Scandal’ (2018)

Russell T Davies wrote this three part drama about the Jeremy Thorpe affair, a political scandal that involved alleged conspiracy and a public trial. Hugh Grant portrays Thorpe with Ben Whishaw as Norman Scott.

‘A Very English Scandal’ aired on BBC One with Amazon as the United States partner and Stephen Frears directing all episodes. The show filmed in London and Devon and uses courtroom reconstructions, party conferences, and recreated media coverage to document the case.

Share the limited series you would add to this list in the comments.