As the saying goes, good things don’t come easy (and often). While there has been an increase in the production of television series in recent years, only a handful are so spectacular that they will leave you with a long-lasting impression of them. Sometimes, audiences find hidden gems that become their favorite shows, but they don't last as long as they should. Some widely-beloved television series in this category include Sherlock, True Detective, and PEN15.

These short TV shows don't need more than five seasons to impress and captivate audiences and critics alike. For fans looking for these binge-worthy four-season series, there's no shortage of incredible shows that never make it past a few seasons. While some of them manage to wrap up their well-written storylines and give satisfying endings, others clearly deserve more episodes and are likely still on fans' minds.

15 'Russian Doll' (2019 - 2022)

No. of Seasons: 2

Created by and starring Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll is a mind-bending comedy-drama series that revolves around a game developer who finds herself stuck in a time loop. Nadia Vulvokov (Lyonne) soon discovers that she's not the only one there, and soon partners up with Alan Zaveri (Charlie Barnett) to figure out exactly what's happening to them.

The critically acclaimed series has two seasons (15 episodes) worth of wild antics from Nadia and Alan, who each react to and approach their time loop situation differently. Comedic moments soon give way to surprising emotional depth, which is further explored in the second season. While the second season's big swings lead to some misses, both storylines are still worth watching, soaring thanks to Lyonne's unique character worth rooting for.

Watch on Netflix

14 'PEN15' (2019 - 2021)

No. of Seasons: 2

Hulu’s PEN15 is a cringe comedy television series about two middle schoolers, Maya Ishii-Peters (Maya Erskine) and Anna Kone (Anna Konkle) who try to navigate middle school as best as they can. Maya is a shy but funny Japanese-American girl, while her best friend, Anna, finds solace in music while trying to cope with her parents’ divorce.

At the time of filming, Erskine and Konkle were 31 years old but played 13-year-old social outcasts, with the show being set in 2000, and the duo being surrounded by actual 13-year-olds. This scenario results in some awkward yet laugh-out-loud moments in PEN15 for fans who are into that kind of humor. The series' first season received critical acclaim and was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Writers Guilds of America Awards, and more.

Watch on Hulu

13 'Flowers' (2016 - 2018)

No. of Seasons: 2

Flowers is a British black comedy-drama that stars and is written and directed by Will Sharpe. The series focuses on the Flowers family, a dysfunctional family consisting of a depressed father Maurice (Julian Barratt), the overthinking wife Deborah (Olivia Colman), competitive son Donald (Daniel Rigby), and musician daughter Amy (Sophia Di Martino). When Shun (Will Sharpe) writes a heartwarming letter to Maurice, a children’s author, he gets invited to the UK to work as an illustrator for Maurice. Cultural differences aside (Shun is Japanese), the Flowers welcome him and embrace him as family.

Sharpe wanted to incorporate Japanese humor into a British show while at the same time trying to portray a more in-depth Asian character rather than just the presumed stereotypical Asian seen in a lot of movies and television series. Although funny, the underlying tone and theme of the series surround the topic of mental health and suicide. Through Flowers, Sharpe shows a rare depiction of people who struggle with mental health and the darkness that persists in these people's lives.

Watch on BritBox

12 'Killing Eve' (2018 - 2022)

No. of Seasons: 4

Killing Eve is a British spy thriller series that follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence investigator whose mission is to capture a psychopathic assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer). However, Polastri and Villanelle deter from their original goals and instead form a mutual obsession with each other.

Despite dipping ratings towards the end of the series, the overall show was included in many “Best TV Shows of 2018” lists by countless publications and critics. Oh and Comer's mesmerizing on-screen chemistry propels the show forward, with their bizarre dynamic keeping fans coming back for more. The series was particularly praised for its brilliant writing and performances, and for exploring relationships and sexuality within the LGBTQ community.

Watch on AMC+

11 'Sense8' (2015 - 2018)

No. of Seasons: 2

Sense8, which ran for two seasons (24 episodes), is a science-fiction drama that follows eight strangers who come from different parts of the world, and later discover that they are “Sensates”; humans who are mentally and emotionally linked to each other. The series was praised for its depiction and representation of the LGBTQ community and the rarely discussed areas and issues such as identity, sexuality, gender, and politics. Empathy and diversity are, however, the most prominent and celebrated themes of the series.

In recognition of Sense8’s depiction of the LGBTQ community, the series received nominations from the Dorian Awards, the Saturn Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and more. But despite being a well-received show with a passionate audience, Sense8 was canceled because it did not have a large enough following to support the high production costs it needed to keep it going.

Watch on Netflix

10 'Money Heist' (2017 - 2021)

No. of Seasons: 5

With three action-packed seasons made up of 41 episodes, Netflix's Money Heist managed to become a global phenomenon that would amass mask-wearing fans everywhere. It's centered on a group of robbers who infiltrate the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain, while delivering a powerful message about authority and the power individuals can hold.

What really became the highlight of the series are the characterizations of its endearing thieves, all led by the brilliant mastermind, the Professor (Álvaro Morte). Fans would soon fall in love with each of the characters in Money Heist, whose dramatic arcs became more important than the robberies themselves. It's impossible not to feel invested in their personal (often emotional) stories, making the heists fade into the background as the main characters' struggles unravel.

Watch on Netflix

9 'Broadchurch' (2013 - 2017)

No. of Seasons: 3

Broadchurch is a British crime drama series that ran for three seasons. The series follows an investigation led by Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (masterfully played by Olivia Colman) about the murder of an 11-year-old boy, Danny Latimer (Oskar McNamara), whose body was found at the town’s local beach. The series not only showed the investigative side of the murder case, but it also showed the pain and grief that the Latimers endured, while dealing with the media at the same time.

Despite being an extremely well-received series with a high viewership in the UK, Broadchurch didn’t do as well in the US. It was, however, nominated for several BAFTA Awards, of which the first series won Best Actress for Olivia Colman, Best Supporting Actor for David Bradley, and Best Drama Series.

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8 'Pushing Daisies' (2007 - 2009)

No. of Seasons: 2

Pushing Daisies was created by Bryan Fuller, whose notable works include Hannibal, American Gods, and Dead Like Me. The series focuses on Ned (Lee Pace), a pie-maker with the ability to revive the dead by touching them. However, if Ned touches a resurrected person or objects a second time, they will die with no chance of being revived again. Together with his deceased childhood crush Chuck (Anna Friel), colleague Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth), and private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), Ned uses his gifts to solve murder cases.

The series was not only highly successful in incorporating its quirky concept into a seamless and heartwarming storyline, but it was also visually pleasing. Many have compared the style of the series to that of Tim Burton due to its prominent use of colors and shapes, and symmetry. Michael Weaver, the cinematographer of Pushing Daisies, told Variety that as a team, they decided the visuals should “feel somewhere between Amélie and a Tim Burton film - something big, bright, and bigger than life.” Although it only ran for two seasons, the series was nominated for 57 awards and won 18, of which seven were from the Primetime Emmy Awards.

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7 'Big Little Lies' (2017 - 2019)

No. of Seasons: 2

Based on the eponymous 2014 novel by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies is an award-winning series composed of just two seasons (14 episodes). Set in California, the show follows five women (played by Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz) as they become involved in a murder investigation that turns their peaceful town into a dangerous circus.

More than a series about friendship, some of its storylines delve into some serious and heavy themes like abuse and depression. Big Little Lies is the perfect blend of mystery, drama, and crime, all made perfect by an impeccably cast ensemble. Fans are undoubtedly hoping to see its powerhouse cast reunite, but it's unlikely considering how the show was originally intended to be a one-season miniseries that won't be making a comeback.

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6 'Mr. Robot' (2015 - 2019)

No. of Seasons: 4

Mr. Robot is a drama thriller series that follows Elliot (Rami Malek), a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night while also having to deal with social anxiety disorder, dissociative identity disorder, drug abuse, and clinical depression. While juggling all these, he gets recruited by a mysterious anarchist known as Mr. Robot to join his team of “hacktivists,” and together they attempt to encrypt the financial data of the largest conglomerate, E Corp.

Despite only running for four seasons (45 episodes) from 2015 to 2019, Mr. Robot was well-received and consistently garnered a high approval rating across all four seasons. Variety’s Sonia Saraiya praised Malek’s performance by writing, “It's Malek's soulful eyes and silent pathos that give Mr. Robot its unexpected warmth, as the viewer is lured into Elliot's chaos and confusion.”

Watch on Amazon Prime

5 'Mindhunter' (2017 - 2019)

No. of Seasons: 2

Netflix’s Mindhunter is a psychological crime thriller that follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany). The two FBI agents initiated a research project that consisted of visiting and interviewing imprisoned serial killers to study their psychology they believe will solve ongoing cases. Throughout two seasons, Agents Ford and Tench interviewed notorious serial killers such as Edmund Kemper, Montie Rissell, Dennis Rader (the BTK killer), David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), Charles Manson, and more.

Often cited among the highest-rated Netflix original series ever, Mindhunter is undoubtedly among the best television shows of 2017. The show was also nominated for many awards including one nomination for the Primetime Emmy Awards, and a win for Jonathan Groff in the category of Best Actor in a Drama / Genre Series for Satellite Awards.

Watch on Netflix

4 'Succession' (2018 - 2023)

No. of Seasons: 4

A massively popular black comedy-drama show created by Jesse Armstrong, Succession revolves around the Roy family, who own a global media conglomerate, Waystar RoyCo. It focuses on the in-fighting, politics, and manipulation that take place following uncertainty about the patriarch's health, Logan Roy (Brian Cox). His children soon find themselves going against each other and playing the game to see who emerges the winner, all of whom – Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Siobhan "Shiv" (Sarah Snook) – have become iconic in their own right.

With twisty storylines and gripping drama, Succession is a show about bad people that transports viewers into the world of the wealthy and the cutthroat. Its fourth and final season will depict the fate of the characters fans have grown to love (and despise) over the years. No matter who ends up on top, the series has already solidified its spot among the greatest in its genre.

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3 'True Detective' (2014 - )

No. of Seasons: 4

True Detective is a must-see anthology crime drama series that has four seasons (30 episodes), with each season focusing on different characters and narratives altogether. The first season, which was deemed the most successful and highly rated, starred Matthew McConaughey as Detective Rustin “Rust” Cohle and Woody Harrelson as his partner, Detective Martin “Marty” Hart. The second season focused on two other detectives, played by Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams, and criminal/entrepreneur Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn), while the third season starred Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff.

Despite a mixed reception for the second season of the series, the first, third, and fourth seasons received positive reviews. The first season was praised for McConaughey and Harrelson’s performances exceeded the enormously high expectations for the genre on the small screen. The recent premiere of the fourth season of True Detective, featuring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis playing the roles of the leading detectives, has shown a return to form for the anthology series.

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2 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005 - 2008)

No. of Seasons: 3

A beloved animated series that likely still has a special place in fans' hearts, Avatar: The Last Airbender depicts a fantastical world where some individuals have the power to manipulate (or "bend") one of four elements (water, earth, fire, or air). There's only one person who can bend all four, known as the "Avatar," who is also responsible for maintaining peace and harmony between the four nations. The original series follows the 12-year-old Avatar, Aang, the last survivor of the Air Nomads, as he tries to end the Fire Nation's attacks on the rest of the world.

Aang has become an iconic animated character, alongside his likable friends, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. The group's storylines are often humorous and entertaining, but the most memorable ones from the three-season series are unbelievably emotional. The show has inspired numerous spin-offs, including a recent live-action adaptation of Avatar for Netflix, which has received mixed reviews.

Watch on Netflix

1 'Sherlock' (2010 - 2017)

No. of Seasons: 4

Based on the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s "Sherlock Holmes" detective stories, the Sherlock television series ran for four series (13 episodes). With the help of his flatmate, Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), a consulting detective with exceptional intellect, Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) solves mysterious crimes in modern-day London.

With the series’ intricate writing and the actors’ performances, Sherlock became a critically acclaimed show and received positive reviews from film critics and the general audience. It quickly became the definitive portrayal of Sherlock on the small screen, and is likely the first many think of when considering adaptations of the story. Averaging around 11.82 million viewers, the third series of Sherlock became the most-watched drama series in the UK since 2001. The series was also nominated for 42 awards and won 24 awards from the BAFTAs, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Critics’ Choice Television Award, and more.

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