Sometimes, life is too short to sit down and watch a three-hour movie or a show with episodes that push an hour. If you’ve only got time for a quick Netflix fix, here are some great shows that have episodes of around half an hour or less.
Binge-Watching Ruins TV Shows and Movies (Here’s What I Do Instead)
Sometimes it’s best to not hit “play” on that next episode.
Beef
There’s a new season of the dark comedy
The first season of Beef follows the aftermath of a road-rage encounter that grows into a bitter feud. It’s a dark comedy-drama about characters who are mostly awful, but in very recognizable ways.
There’s a new season now available that introduces a fresh cast and story. While the episodes in the first season are all around half an hour, they vary more in length in season two, with some episodes half an hour and others close to an hour. If you’re after a quick watch, stick to season one.
This is a Gardening Show
Short but sweet
This could be my new favorite show, which is not something I ever expected to say about a gardening show. To be fair, there isn’t a huge amount of gardening that takes place in each episode.
- Subscription with ads
-
Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
-
Two or four
Stream licensed and original programming with a monthly Netflix subscription.
The show is presented by Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover fame. He’s a gardening fan, and the show is loosely a factual show about gardening and growing your own food, interspersed with some hilarious scenes of the host discussing gardening with kids.
This one is ideal if you’re short on time, as each episode is only around 15 minutes long. It’s a light and comic show, although it does have a serious message lurking underneath.
This is a Gardening Show is now streaming on Netflix.
Love, Death & Robots
Adult animation like no other
If you think animation is purely for kids, think again. Love, Death & Robots is a very adult animated anthology series. Each episode is a standalone story, covering everything from a lost civilization inside a freezer to yogurt becoming sentient. You never really know what you’re going to get next.
This is another great choice if you’re really short on time. Some episodes are as short as six minutes, and even the longer episodes are only around 20 minutes. It’s not something to watch with your kids; some episodes include graphic violence and sexual scenes.
Love, Death & Robots
- Release Date
-
March 15, 2019
- Network
-
Netflix
- Directors
-
Víctor Maldonado, Patrick Osborne, Robert Valley, Alfredo Torres Martínez, Jerome Chen, Emily Dean, Rémi Kozyra, Léon Bérelle, Dominique Boidin, Alberto Mielgo, Maxime Luère, Andy Lyon, Robert Bisi, Dave Wilson, David Nicolas, Simon Otto, Damian Nenow, Laurent Nicolas, Kevin Van Der Meiren, Vitaliy Shushko, Owen Sullivan, István Zorkóczy, Javier Recio Gracia, Oliver Thomas
BoJack Horseman
An animated comedy that hits you in the feels
If Love, Death & Robots whets your appetite for adult animated shows, then BoJack Horseman is about as good as it gets. The premise sounds ridiculous: the main character is a horse who also happens to be a washed-up sitcom star.
The show starts off as silly as you’d expect, but if you stick with it, it gradually evolves over the course of six seasons into a deep and devastating show about addiction and depression. It’s amazing how hard a cartoon about a talking horse can actually hit you.
Unlike some of the shows on this list, it sticks to a fairly rigid runtime, too. Most episodes are about 26 minutes long.
Russian Doll
Groundhog Day for grown-ups
Do you ever wish that Groundhog Day was darker, way more stylish, and featured Natasha Lyonne? If so, Russian Doll is for you.
It’s a dark comedy-drama in which the protagonist keeps reliving the same night over and over. Unlike Groundhog Day, however, she dies at the end of every loop. As she tries to solve the mystery of what’s happening, the show explores themes such as self-destructive tendencies and dealing with trauma.
Episodes vary in length, but they’re all roughly around 30 minutes. There are two seasons to keep you going, and a third season hasn’t been officially ruled out.
Russian Doll
- Release Date
-
2019 – 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne
- Directors
-
Leslye Headland
Nobody Wants This
A rom-com with a difference
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody star in this modern rom-com about an atheist podcaster who falls in love with a rabbi. As you would expect, the issue of faith becomes a pretty big sticking point in their blossoming relationship.
The B-story of the unlikely relationship between the rabbi’s brother and the podcaster’s sister is also great, to the point where you’re almost more invested in their relationship than the central plot of the show. At under half an hour per episode, it’s a great way to get a light, enjoyable fix when you’re short on time.
Nobody Wants This
- Release Date
-
September 26, 2024
- Network
-
Netflix
- Showrunner
-
Jenni Konner, Bruce Eric Kaplan
