With so much television out there nowadays, it can be really difficult to settle on a television show you actually like and want to watch all the way to the end. That's the beauty of anthology TV. You're basically only watching either one episode, or one season, to get a full and complete story.
Some TV shows craft a new narrative story every episode, or by each season, either way, it's a short time to spend getting engaged in something. From horror to science fiction to drama, there is an anthology to meet your every genre need. We're ranking the most binge-worthy anthology series currently out there.
Updated January 19th, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Anthology series continue to gain popularity as there's more time to delve into a story in a ten-hour season or a succinct and focused hour or two of television, instead of fitting everything into one movie or dragging on a show for ten seasons when the plot doesn't warrant that much storytelling time. Anthology series continue to be released every year in both formats of either each episode telling a complete story or each season focusing on a different story although part of the same anthology series and world that has similar themes or familiar actors appear in the series.
Goosebumps
Goosebumps is an anthology kids' series based on the books of R.L. Stine that are meant for children and teens, but can still provide nostalgic scares for any viewer.
Each episode is a new story based on a different book and has different actors and characters at the center of every episode. There are episodes about creepy living ventriloquist dummies to episodes about possessed masks to an episode about cameras that predict tragic futures starring a young Ryan Gosling.
Little America
Little America is an Apple TV+ anthology series that follows several stories of immigrants in America that are all based on true events.
Each episode follows new characters and a new story with the common theme of each episode following someone who has recently immigrated to the United States. The stories are typically funny or romantic or heartfelt and always surprisingly unique.
Love, Death & Robots
Love, Death & Robots is a Netflix animated anthology series is a collection of short stories that tells a new story each episode. The series spans several different genres including horror, comedy, and science fiction that engage the viewer in stories typically around 15 minutes long.
There's different animation styles throughout from different creators and new and intriguing plots from intelligent yogurt overlords to the lives of robots in an apocalyptic world.
Modern Love
Modern Love is an Amazon anthology series about modern love and romance based on the weekly column from The New York Times.
Each episode has new characters and a new story of love at its center that covers a different story of love in the modern age from dating apps to missed opportunities. The series has a fantastic cast including Dev Patel, Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Andy Garcia, and Andrew Scott.
Night Gallery
Night Gallery came after Rod Serling's well-known narration on The Twilight Zone and it had a similar setup of presenting short macabre and fantastical stories.
Night Gallery focused more on supernatural horror stories in comparison to the science fiction focused Twilight Zone. This anthology series is worth checking out for any fan of horror stories and fans of The Twilight Zone.
Slasher
Slasher previously premiered on the Chiller network but after the network was dissolved Netflix bought the rights and now the series is a Netflix original. Currently, there are three seasons of the Canadian series. Each one centers around a different town, new characters, a new storyline, and a totally new serial killer terrorizing everyone.
Essentially the idea of the show is to craft each season like a multi-episode slasher movie, as the title suggests. Katie McGrath starred in the first season and you'll likely see many familiar faces from other popular Canadian series like Degrassi pop up over the three-season run. All three seasons of the show are available to binge right now. It's a really fun show if you're a horror fan and an easy one to binge.
Room 104
Jay and Mark Duplass teamed up to create this HBO anthology series. The series has aired two seasons and the third season will premiere in the near future. There are talks for a fourth season renewal already. The premise of the show is a single room at a hotel located in New York.
Every episode is about the different people who stay in the hotel room and episodes have their own genre and theme. The stories are often very unique and different, with the anthology structure being used to its fullest advantage. Some episodes are bad but some are exceptional. The third season of Room 104 will premiere this September.
Easy
Easy is a comedy-drama anthology series that can be found to stream on Netflix. Currently, the series has three seasons and the third, which premiered this past May, is the last one. It has attracted many stars to the project, such as Orlando Bloom, Zazie Beetz, Aya Cash, Dave Franco, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Aubrey Plaza, and Sophia Bush.
The series has been praised by critics and audiences for its compelling storylines and the chemistry between its actors. Every episode tells a different standalone story, although on occasion you will see actors appear more than once or protagonists show up in different episodes.
Electric Dreams
Electric Dreams is an Amazon Prime series that debuted in 2018 on Amazon Video. The series is based on the works of Philip K. Dick. Each episode tells an entirely different story. The show is predominantly based on science fiction. The cast included actors like Benedict Wong, Richard Madden, Holliday Grainger, Paul Ritter, Steve Buscemi, Anna Paquin, Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, and more.
Despite having a similar concept to other popular anthology shows like Netflix's Black Mirror, Electric Dreams never gained the same amount of popularity. However, that doesn't mean it's not worth a watch. The series is still incredibly engaging. Other popular media franchises based on his works include Blade Runner and The Man in the High Castle.
American Crime
Not to be confused with the FX anthology, American Crime Story, American Crime was a three-season crime anthology that aired on ABC. The series starred Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and Regina King, who all recurred in each season as different characters. The show has received high critical acclaim. It has received numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Regina King won two Emmy Awards for her work on the series.
The first season of the series focused on the aftermath of the murder of a veteran and an assault on his wife. The second season focuses on a harassment case when a high school boy has lewd pictures of him posted online after a party. The third and final season focuses on the devastating examples of slavery in the 21st century in reference to immigrants held prisoner and more.
American Crime Story
Coming from the same creator as American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy returns to tackle real-life crimes over the course of a season. American Crime Story was yet another hit for FX with each season focusing on a massive true crime. Season 1 won tons of awards and accolades for its depiction of the infamous OJ Simpson trial. Season 2 focused on the assassination of Gianni Versace.
Yet again it was nominated for multiple awards. A third and fourth season of the anthology is in the works. Originally ideas about Hurricane Katrina and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal were on the table but both ideas have been scrapped. However, you can anticipate future installments of the series within the next few years.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is far from the first anthology television series, it's not even the first horror anthology, but there is no denying that it helped make anthologies popular again in the modern TV landscape. The series was created by Ryan Murphy and each season follows a totally new story, theme, and set of characters.
However, despite each season introducing new characters, the cast mostly remains the same with some changes from year to year. Themes have included a freaky asylum, a witch's coven, the apocalypse, cults, a freakshow, and more.
Fargo
Fargo is a black comedy crime drama based on the 1996 Coen brothers film. The series is an FX show and each season follows a new story, new characters, and is set in a totally different era. The show has attracted a number of big-name stars like Colin Hanks, Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Billy Bob Thornton, Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and more.
Thus far there have been three seasons and a fourth season starring Chris Rock recently released set in 1950 Kansas City. The series has also been nominated for numerous Emmy Awards and won several.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror is the famous Netflix anthology series that explores the dark side of technology. The series was created by Charlie Booker and is a British show that became internationally famous for its twisted stories and a healthy dose of surrealism. People love Black Mirror for its thought-provoking topics and how every episode ends with some kind of gut punch.
The most recent season even featured an interactive episode titled Bandersnatch, which became the first of its kind on Netflix and was even nominated for an Emmy Award. No word yet on whether or not Black Mirror will return for a sixth season but given its popularity, it's likely it will.
The Twilight Zone
This is one of the original anthology series, created by Rod Serling. Every episode told a totally different story in various genres from fantasy to science fiction to horror to thriller and more. It became immensely popular and introduced tons of familiar sci-fi tropes still used today in some of your favorite series.
The original series ran from 1959 to 1964. Earlier this year, the series received a revival from auteur, Jordan Peele. The first season ran on CBS All Access and followed a similar format to the original. The new series has been renewed for a second season.