Summary

• Prestige TV Miniseries are appealing due to longer stories, big-name actors, and no reliance on box office. They've become popular.
• The market is oversaturated with miniseries, making it hard to keep up. Many streaming services have their own limited shows.
• WeCrashed, Irma Vep, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Essex Serpent, and Candy are binge-worthy miniseries of 2022.

Prestige TV Miniseries seems to be the new golden goose of streaming, and it's easy to see why. Its draw is appealing — creators can develop longer stories, big-name actors aren't stuck in the same characters for years, and studios can skip the intricacies of the box office altogether. These limited TV shows seem to have everything, from unique stories with interesting characters to easily bingeable runtimes. It's no wonder they've become so popular.

What was once a novel, misunderstood concept, however, has since oversaturated the market. Now, it seems every streaming service worth its salt has its own limited miniseries. There has been a boon of riveting new miniseries in the past several years, so much so that it's near impossible to keep up. There were so many in 2022 one likely missed a few titles because there was just so much to watch.

Thankfully, we've done all the 'hard' work for you. Here are the most binge-worthy miniseries of 2022 for your viewing pleasure.

Update December 12, 2023: Fans of the miniseries will be happy to know this article has been updated with even more favorites and where each title can be streamed.

15 WeCrashed (2022)

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The Apple TV+ miniseries WeCrashed stars Jared Leto as Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork, and Anne Hathaway as his wife Rebekah. The series follows the rise of the co-working space, whose valuation reached a ridiculous $47 billion at its highest point, and highlights the crash that soon followed, which lead to its untimely demise.

What Makes It Great?

Leto is great as the eccentric business owner, as is Hathaway, who is wonderful opposite her co-star. In a modern workspace fueled by online meetings, its subject is one that has become easily relatable. It should be noted that, in addition to its talented cast, the series features a mix of real and fictional characters and events, some of which were further enhanced for TV. Stream on AppleTV+.

14 Irma Vep (2022)

Irma Vep, which debuted with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, is about Mira (Alicia Vikander), an American movie star looking to change the direction of her career. Mira travels to France to star in an adaptation of the infamous silent film Les Vampires. This film within a film was created, written, and directed by Olivier Assayas, and is a remake of an earlier 1996 film.

What Makes It Great

Anagram for vampire aside, Vikander’s acting as Mira is absolutely stunning, which in and of itself is a perfect tribute. The original actress for Les Vampires, an early femme fatale, arguably played a large part in the success of the early film, so it's only fitting that Vikander would prove just as prominent. Set against the gorgeous backdrops of France, this film captures the complexity of the first while transporting its audience to the precipice of early 1900s cinema. No wonder it has such a high Rotten Tomatoes rating! Stream on Max

Related: Irma Vep and Les Vampires: A Long, Weird, and Ghostly Movie History

13 Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

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The great Ewan McGregor reprised his former role in the highly anticipated Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The series takes place 10 years after the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), with Obi-Wan now hiding out on the planet Tatooine. Obi-Wan Kenobi brings memorable characters back to the franchise, including Jimmy Smits, James Earl Jones, and even Hayden Christensen, who reprised his role as Darth Vader.

What Makes It Great

The series took full advantage of the troubled time frame to give a unique spin to an old story. McGregor was and still is excellent as the titular character, which is only highlighted by Deborah Chow's directing style. The film dug deep into exploring how Obi-Wan Kenobi went from the lowest point in his life to becoming the wise mentor audiences meet in A New Hope. All in all, the show calls upon previous material while adding to the expanded universe Lucasfilm has created. Stream on Disney+

12 The Essex Serpent (2022)

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The Apple TV+ limited series The Essex Serpent is a Gothic romance period drama based on the book by Sarah Perry. The series stars Claire Danes as the recent widow Cora Seaborne, an archeologist who travels to the coastal town of Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. There she meets the local pastor, Will Ransome (played by Tom Hiddleston), with whom she forms an unlikely bond.

What Makes It Great

The Essex Serpent has stunning cinematography and gorgeous costuming as well as an interesting plot, not to mention a specifically fascinating performance from Hiddleston. No one does modern Gothic reinterpretations quite like him. Not to be outmatched, Danes is absolutely delightful as the forward-thinking Seaborne. Stream on Apple TV+

11 Candy (2022)

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Jessica Biel stars as the titular Candy Montgomery in the biographical drama Candy. The miniseries is based on the brutal 1980 murder of her neighbor, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey) in Wylie, Texas. Montgomery is accused of the crime and is forced to stand trial in the small town.

What Makes It Great

Not to be confused with Love & Death, which was released one year later and also covers the tale, this version explored the case from a more psychological, introspective angle of its perpetrator.

Said Writer Robin Veith,

"The thing about this story is there's like 100 ways to tell this story. I'm also the person who watched three Fyre Festival documentaries that came out at the same time, I watched them all back-to-back. I just love different perspectives, so I'm very excited for what they're doing."

While both versions feature an all-star cast, Jessica Biel's nuanced performance is nothing short of phenomenal. Both her and the rest of the cast make this an absolutely captivating drama. Stream on Hulu

10 Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

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Andrew Garfield is a police detective faced with solving a devastating murder of a wife and infant child in the Hulu true crime drama Under the Banner of Heaven. The show chronicled the efforts of a Utah police department as they are rocked by the two brutal deaths in the Mormon community. Adapted from Jon Krakauer's acclaimed novel, this riveting program is based on real-life crimes committed in 1984 by two Mormon brothers who claimed to be doing so in the name of God.

What Makes It Great

Garfield is phenomenal as Detective Jeb Pyre, a Latter Day Saints officer who finds his faith rocked by the heartbreaking deaths and the unfortunate truth behind them. His compelling performance earned him both a Golden Globe and Satellite Award nomination and with good reason. This character-forward drama is far removed from true crime porn. In fact, its attention to the humanity of the victims and the situation in which they found themselves is told with a previously unforeseen grace and dignity.

A word of warning - this is a lengthy saga, so have the popcorn at the ready. Stream on Hulu

9 Esterno Notte (2022)

2022 was a great year for Director Marco Bellocchio. First, his deeply moving yet politically complicated documentary Marx Can Wait premiered to great acclaim. Shortly after, he revealed his five-hour epic miniseries Esterno Notte, aka Exterior Night at Cannes to great acclaim. Much like Marx Can Wait, Bellocchio's miniseries investigates the intersection of the personal and the political by dramatizing the 1978 kidnapping of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro.

What Makes It Great

The combined five-hour cut was screened in theaters to great acclaim, the only one on this list to premiere in this manner. It's obvious Bellocchio had mixed feelings about the Red Brigades, the revolutionary group responsible for the act of terrorism, whose legitimate political concerns devolved into sheer acts of chaotic violence. The result is an ethically complicated epic in the truest sense of the word, one that sheds light not just on the gray areas of politics, but on the grayness of the human condition itself.

Unfortunately, this title is unavailable for streaming at this time.

8 The Dropout (2022)

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The Dropout documents the shady exploits of the dishonored biotechnology company Theranos and its infamous co-founder, Elizabeth Holmes. The company manufactured and marketed a faulty medical device that was meant to perform lab tests for public use. Spoiler alert... it didn't work. The attempts to keep this minor detail under wraps while actively promoting its use led to much heartbreak and mayhem for everyone involved, from doctors and patients to employees.

What Makes It Great

The lengths this company went to in order to hide its faulty product was nothing short of despicable. Beyond a compelling story, however, this Hulu biographical crime drama features a sensational performance by Amanda Seyfried, who sheds light on Holmes' journey from Silicon Valley Wonderkind to disgraced charlatin. Both audiences and critics couldn't get enough of Seyfriend's commanding portrayal, with the actress mastering both Holmes' demeanor and distinct voice. Stream on Hulu

7 The Thing About Pam (2022)

Adapted from the Dateline podcast, The Thing About Pam is a story that's nothing short of diabolical. The miniseries centers around the murder of Betsy Faria, who was found dead in her Troy, Missouri home in 2011. Her best friend, Pam Hupp, played by played by Renée Zellweger, was the last person to see her alive. She points the finger at Faria's husband, Russ. One wrongful conviction later, investigators are less than certain of her intentions.

What Makes It Great

This series takes full advantage of comedic undertones to enhance the outrageousness of the story. Zellweger’s off-kilter performance as the self-proclaimed businessperson turned potential Gone Girl murderess is ridiculous in the best of ways. Who can forget that Big Gulp moment! This, of course, leads to a tone that is more Fargo than true crime. Buy on Apple TV+

6 The Girl From Plainville (2022)

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The Girl From Plainville is based on the true story of the death of Conrad Roy III and the later conviction of his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, who encouraged him to kill himself via text. She was later convicted of manslaughter, thereby setting a precedent for similar text-based crimes.

What Makes It Great

Elle Fanning is captivating as high schooler Michelle Carter and received praise for her performance, as did her costars Colton Ryan and Chloë Sevigny. The series is emotional and shed light on cyberbullying, but offers few easy answers to this painful subject. Stream on Hulu

5 Pam & Tommy (2022)

Pam & Tommy chronicles the turbulent three-year marriage of actress Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan). If for nothing else, watch it for the make-up and costume design, which is nothing short of transformational. The series focuses on the theft and distribution of their infamous honeymoon sex tape. The series is based on The Rolling Stone article that broke down the affair.

What Makes It Great

Seth Rogen's Pam & Tommy, based on the 2014 Rolling Stone article by Amanda Chicago Lewis, received several award nods, including several Emmy nominations for an excellent Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, and Lily James in her first nomination. One would have hoped the series got the go-ahead from at least Anderson before proceeding, but this was not to be. Several attempts to reach out were declined, and Anderson has since, of course, criticized the film for just this reason. Stream on Hulu

Related: Pamela Anderson Wants a Public Apology from Pam & Tommy Creators

4 Pistol (2022)

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Pistol is a biopic that follows Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones (Toby Wallace) as the band rises to notoriety. The series, which was created by Craig Pearce, is a stylized retelling of the memoir by the band's guitarist and founder, Steve Jones. Pistol is full of crazy characters based on real people, from Vivienne Westwood (Talulah Riley), a famous fashion designer of the punk rock movement, to Chrissie Hynde (Sydney Chandler), the lead singer of the Pretenders.

What Makes It Great

While the band itself was only together for three years, their status as punk icons has lasted far beyond that. This high-strung rendition of the story stays true to its off-kilter, working-class punk rock roots. The series also features Maisie Williams as punk icon Jordan in what can only be described as an absolutely stunning transformational departure from her previous roles. Unfortunately, this title is unavailable for streaming at this time.

3 The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

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Samuel L. Jackson delivers one of his best performances yet in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. The six-episode miniseries, based on the novel by Walter Mosely, follows Ptolemy Grey (Jackson), a 91-year-old man with dementia who temporarily regains his memories after undergoing an experimental treatment. He uses this newfound gift to try to get to the bottom of the murder of his former caretaker, his nephew.

What Makes It Great

Jackson's epic portrayal was easily one of the best of 2022. The relationship between Jackson and Dominique Fishback, who plays his new caregiver, Robyn, is beautiful and honest. The result is a wonderful, heartfelt, and melancholic story that's stylistically reminiscent of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but with much darker and grounded themology. The series went on to receive several nominations, from the NAACP Image Awards to the Critics' Choice Awards. Stream on Apple TV+

2 Black Bird (2022)

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Black Bird tells the true story of James “Jimmy” Keene (Taron Egerton), a promising footballer who turns to a life of crime. The series, based on Keene’s autobiography In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, follows Keene as he is transferred to a maximum security prison after being offered an opportunity to commute his sentence by becoming an informant.

What Makes It Great

The miniseries is intense and dramatic with Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser in particular delivering amazing performances. It also features one of the last characters Ray Liotta ever played. There's a specific nuance to the story and its performances that just works for a miniseries. Stream on Apple TV+

1 Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

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Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities is a curated anthology collection of horror by none other than del Toro himself. With several guest appearances by stars and episode directors alike, the series presented a whole new story with a different set of characters in each episode. Del Toro produced, directed, and co-show ran the series while also co-writing two of its episodes. Each episode begins with an introduction by the man himself, an obvious homage to Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Netflix took full advantage of the October release date, releasing two episodes a day in the lead-up to Halloween.

What Makes it Great

Del Toro and Netflix go together like PB&J - excellent apart and even better together. This series gave the filmmaker a chance to show off a curated selection of episodic horror, each with its own monkey paw twist. There is a chance this series will pivot into multiple seasons, but so long as it maintains a separate storyline with rotating characters, it should be good to go on the limited series front. Stream on Netflix