When you only have so much time to immerse yourself in a fictional universe, movies become your go-to entertainment. But there are actually some TV shows that have a running time that allows them to be watched in one sitting. They are usually called miniseries or limited series.
Basically, any project that tells a story in one season can be called a miniseries. You can find many recommendations of such shows with perfect endings like Mare of Easttown, Sharp Objects and Chernobyl all over social media.
But there is another type of show: those that could have had a multi-season order, but were canceled instead, and still managed to pull off a great ending for their characters. Here are five prime examples, as mentioned by fans on Reddit.
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000, 18 episodes)
IMDb: 8.8/10
Where to stream: Prime Video, Hulu, ITVX
It's often said that the story of siblings attending a rural high school in the 1980s was canceled too soon. And we can certainly see where that comes from.
The teen dramedy was canceled by NBC after just one season for a variety of behind-the-scenes reasons, a move that both original and new fans later criticized. The creators, however, managed to give the show a great ending that eventually grew on fans. And today, many feel that Freaks and Geeks may never have needed a sequel.
Jean-Claude Van Johnson (2016-2017, 6 episodes)
IMDb: 7.5/10
Where to stream: Prime Video
Created by Dave Callaham, this dramedy stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as himself, aka a slightly moody retired martial arts and action movie star, but with a twist. His on-screen counterpart is actually a former secret agent who misses his spying days.
While the show was canceled in 2018, its first and only season ended so perfectly that viewers were kind of glad it was the show's finale.
Terriers (2010, 13 episodes)
IMDb: 8.4/10
Where to stream: Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu
The story of a private detective agency founded by a recovering alcoholic ex-cop and his ex-criminal buddy turned out to be a sleeper hit that was discovered by a wider audience years after it was dropped by FX.
As a result, you can still hear the occasional call for the show to be revived. But as much as fans would have liked another season or two, the way Terriers ended has in fact kept it on many top lists for years.
Watchmen (2019, 9 episodes)
IMDb: 8.2/10
Where to stream: Max, Prime Video
Originally, HBO positioned Watchmen, which is set in the popular comic book universe, as an ongoing drama series, but after Season 1, Damon Lindelof left his role as showrunner, saying that his original plan was fully executed and the intended story was complete, and fans couldn't help but agree.
Season 1 is perfectly self-contained and tells a great story from start to finish. There is no need for Season 2 unless it is some kind of anthology.
Quarry (2016, 8 episodes)
IMDb: 8.0/10
Where to stream: Prime Video, Hulu
Quarry is a neo-noir drama about a 1970s Marine who returns home after fighting in Vietnam and finds himself demonized by everyone, including those closest to him. This leads him to become involved in the city's criminal life.
Like other shows on this list, Quarry was canceled after its first season, much to the dismay of its fans. However, after some time, many have come to believe that the story actually ended where it was always heading, and there is a sense of finality to the conclusion.
Source: Reddit.