For fans of television, time is perhaps as important an asset as their investments. Spending so much as an extra minute on a substandard show is saddening, and waiting for them to get better is even worse. But when you find a TV show you love, you want to stick around until the end. However, sometimes, time isn’t plentiful, and watching episodes in parts is frustrating.
Thanks to innovative ideas, countless shows with episodes less than 30 minutes long exist. Sure, sometimes it may take a couple of episodes to intrigue interest, but it is the same time a 60-minute episode in another show would’ve taken. But if you need more than waiting for them to improve, it might be helpful to bookmark the best 30-minute shows to stream right now.
30
‘Girls5eva’ (2021–2024)
Episode Length: 28 minutes
Starring real-life singer Sara Bareilles, alongside Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, and Paula Pell, this workplace sitcom tapped into the world of spotlights and microphones as a ’90s girl group gets another chance to shine after their one-hit wonder. Filled with music (including an original by Bareilles), nostalgi,a and laughter, Girls5eva follows these four women as they reclaim their voice and find their place in the world again.
Critics raved about the show’s clever pop culture satire, high-energy atmosphere, and exploration of women reinventing themselves against societal pressures after they’ve reached a certain age. However, it wasn’t enough to save the show from low viewership, with Girls5eva ultimately being canceled by Peacock originally, then Netflix after the third season. It remains a hidden gem in Netflix’s catalog, promising bite-sized chunks of chuckles and hope.
29
‘New Girl’ (2011–2018)
Episode Length: 22 minutes
After being dumped, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moves into a new Los Angeles apartment with three male roommates she met on Craigslist: Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Nick (Jake Johnson), and Winston (Lamorne Morris). The quirky teacher in her late twenties finds herself in the most absurd and hilarious situations along with her roommates, as they tackle their financial and romantic crise,s all while on the precipice of some new kind of chaos. Leaning into the city’s 2010 sitcom atmosphere, the show is filled with comedic nostalgia that makes it an easy watch at any time of the day.
While the early seasons only received middling reviews, the general consensus was that the premise and chemistry between the cast members were promising. With each season, New Girl found its stride, becoming more self-aware and clever in its comedic beats. It’s one of those rare shows that becomes better with each season and is effortless to binge, making viewers more invested with each episode as the relationships evolve and the humor matures.
New Girl
- Release Date
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2011 – 2017
- Network
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FOX
28
‘Alexa & Katie’ (2018–2020)
Episode Length: 25 minutes
High school drama has enough material for TV shows to sink their teeth into, but mix that with a teenager who is fighting against cancer, and you get the humorous, teary, and powerful concoction that is Alexa & Katie. The mostly forgotten teenage sitcom follows Alexa (Paris Berelc), who is navigating the realities of having cancer while facing the milestones of adolescence, all while maintaining her extroverted and enthusiastic personality with the help of her bestie, Katie (Isabel May). Alongside the comedy of the usual teenage shenanigans, we feel the pressure of her diagnosis and witness how that impacts her relationships, giving us some truly gut-wrenching moments.
The show strikes the balance between inane, larger-than-life high school drama with the serious undertones of scenes in the hospital or the idea of shaving off your hair in solidarity. What’s compelling about the series is Berelc’s performance, which conveys the gravity of Alexa’s fears and emotions while fleshing out her character and making sure she isn’t defined by the cancer. We are privy to her dreams, her contentious relationship with her overprotective mother, and what pushes her buttons. The relationship between the two friends and how they navigate adolescence together makes it a heartwarming and evocative watch, even within the short episodes.
27
‘Mr. Inbetween’ (2018–2021)
Episode Length: 25 minutes
Australia has a rich tradition of crime dramas, and Mr. Inbetween is a compelling, short-episode installment of the genre. Ray Shoesmith (Scott Ryan, who is also the co-creator) is a highly skilled assassin who is struggling to balance his lethal profession with the demands of his roles as a father, brother, and lover. Despite his body count, the deadpan and grounded assassin operates on a strange moral compass, where taking human life is okay, but he draws the line at killing huntsman spiders, making him a bizarrely endearing character.
While the Australian show has a small cult following (in the U.S. no less), it definitely deserves more hours being poured into it, especially as it boasts a 95% RT score. Ryan’s performance as the nuanced yet badass assassin makes Ray easy to root for, especially as the show has no qualms about going into dark and provocative territory with emotions like grief and loss. Layered with witty comedy and a sharp exploration of relationships, the crime drama is easy to get lost in once you make the leap of watching an episode.
26
‘Young Sheldon’ (2017–2024)
Episode Length: 21 minutes
In the long-running, widely popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory, the socially awkward but intelligent physicist Sheldon (Jim Parsons) was a fan-favorite character, whose relationship with Amy (Mayim Bialik) was always a pleasure to watch. As such, it was no surprise that a prequel series following the childhood of young Sheldon, played by Iain Armitage, was developed, where we witness the roots of this child prodigy with an eidetic memory. But with hyper-intelligence and a knack for rubbing people the wrong way, Sheldon is unable to get along with people, with his classmates, teachers, and even family members finding him irritating.
Armitage does a brilliant job at portraying the younger, more naive yet still intellectual version of a character who has been on the screen for 12 seasons. While Young Sheldon only hit 7 seasons, it provides fans with enough context for the character to be excited about, but can even reel in the casual viewer with its engaging central character as well as the chaotic supporting cast. Set in the 80s, there is something appealing about watching The Big Bang Theory‘s wacky comedy being layered with a retro atmosphere, making it a gawky, fun watch for anyone.
Young Sheldon
- Release Date
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2017 – 2024-00-00
- Network
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CBS
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Iain Armitage
Sheldon Cooper
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25
‘Ghosts’ (2021–)
Episode Length: 22 Minutes
Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) move into a stunning country house only for it to be inhabited by ghosts from different eras of American history, from Revolutionary soldiers to Native American spirits. Samantha is able to see and interact with them after her near-death experience, and together, we watch them tackle their lives and eventually pass on to the other side, all while running a successful bed and breakfast.
Ghosts is adapted from the well-known UK sitcom of the same name, but instead of British history, we engage with the past of the US. The show has found its steadily increasing fanbase, with the classic ensemble comedy drawing us in and the comfort of found family and friendship making us stay. Though the series takes a couple of episodes to find its stride, it is a wholesome watch that offers heartfelt laughter and even some unexpectedly darker themes.
Ghosts (US)
- Release Date
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October 7, 2021
- Network
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CBS
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Rose McIver
Samantha Arondekar
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Utkarsh Ambudkar
Jay Arondekar
24
‘Schitt’s Creek’ (2015–2020)
Episode Length: 22 minutes
It’s always a delight to see those with immense privilege get knocked down a peg. That’s exactly what happens in Schitt’s Creek, when the incredibly wealthy Rose family — Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara), and their pampered children, David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) — lose their riches. They’re then forced to move to Schitt’s Creek, a rural town they purchased as a gag gift years prior.
Stuck in a motel and surrounded by quirky townsfolk, the Roses must confront the reality of their situation and learn to adapt to a life far removed from their former extravagance. Despite coming from privilege, it’s hard not to root for the Rose family as they’re more than willing to put in the work to fit in with their new environment. Viewers will surely enjoy Schitt’s Creek’s laugh-out-loud moments and genuinely emotional scenes, while its portrayal of a loving and accepting community has provided a much-needed dose of optimism.
23
‘Broad City’ (2014–2019)
Episode Length: 22 minutes
Watching Broad City is like opening a time capsule of millennial culture. The humor, though often cringeworthy, is a hilarious reminder of a specific era. In the show, Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer), two best friends with wildly different personalities, navigate the urban jungle with a mix of absurdity and genuine heart. From disastrous job interviews to bizarre encounters on the subway, Abbi and Ilana’s escapades are a whirlwind of relatable awkwardness and hilarious moments.
Broad City resonated with viewers and critics alike for its authentic portrayal of female friendship, its offbeat humor, and its ability to capture the millennial experience. Jacobson and Glazer’s on-screen chemistry, drawn from their real-life friendship, brought a level of realism to the often absurd situations, making Abbi and Ilana relatable despite their eccentric behavior and life choices.
Broad City
- Release Date
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2014 – 2019-00-00
- Network
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Comedy Central
22
‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (2019–2024)
Episode Length: 22 minutes
The vampires from What We Do in the Shadows are a far cry from the brooding counts and sparkly heartthrobs found in popular vampire media. The beloved mockumentary TV show follows the vampires Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), a former Ottoman warrior, Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry), an eccentric English nobleman, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo’s equally eccentric, as well as Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), an energy vampire.
Apart from its quirky premise, What We Do in the Shadows has managed to attract viewers due to its sharp wit, impeccable comedic timing, and cast chemistry. It also manages to get out of the shadow of the movie it’s based on by expanding the vampire world established in the film. The series introduces new supernatural creatures, explores different vampire societies, and dives deeper into its lore.
21
‘Love, Death & Robots’ (2019–)
Episode Length: 22 minutes
While anthology series can often be difficult to get into, Love, Death & Robots features such a diverse array of stories that there is something for everyone. Though the series is created by Tom Miller, each episode is produced by a different animation studio, offering a variety of unique styles and genres, including sci-fi, comedy, horror and fantasy. Each is related to one or more of the eponymous ideas, from robots traversing post-apocalyptic landscapes to a ship’s crew member making potential deals with sea monsters.
With each episode being a standalone story, they are easy to quickly finish off, though many of the mature genre concepts and powerful themes make the episodes linger on your mind long after the credits roll. With David Fincher also producing the show and even directing an episode (Season 3, Episode 2), the show quickly garnered an ardent fanbase that also fell in love with the aesthetics of the other episodes. The show becomes a platform for studios to experiment and show off, delivering thought-provoking installments every time.