Hello all,
In the golden age of television that we seem to be in, the 30 minute TV show seems to be a dated concept except for sitcoms, most of which are comedy.
On top of this, 40 minute shows have now often given way to full 60 minute shows.
I'm all for these long shows, but... with an hour commute both ways to work and a side-job, I find myself without the time (or in some cases, the mental energy) to commit to a series of hour long episodes.
A 20 minute show before bed is easy to fit in and a good way to wind down.
However, I have had a very hard time finding a show that fits the bill for various reasons.
I'm looking for recommendations personally, but this could also be a discussion place for shorter shows in general. I know there is a thread for "Rate the Last TV Show," but I felt the need for something more specific.
What I'm looking for:
Primarily shows that are serious or semi-serious. Though if you have a great comedy suggestion, those are always fun, but...
I am looking for a show with enough sophistication / depth / plot (and hopefully enough episodes) to keep me going and interested for a stretch. I have seen a lot of the good 30 minute comedy shows also. IT Crowd probably being my favourite.
Something which would be available on a wider range of streaming services / cable is preferred, since I am in Canada and we get a fraction of what is licensed in the states.
The genre of show and medium are not really important as long as the quality is there. Anime is fine too. (Cowboy Bebop is something I have been looking into, but finding ways to watch it is a bit of a pain)
Preferably something that is a little more than a procedural, but I won't rule those out because there are actually some really good ones.
Examples of shows that I have really enjoyed and get at what I'm hoping to find (most of which are likely longer than 30 minutes, but just to give an example of what I might be looking for):
The Wire
Dark (Netflix)
Silicon Valley
Dear White People (Netflix)
Fargo
The Knick
Mindhunter (Netflix)
Atlanta
I hope someone has a show they are dying to spread.
Thanks!
I see that some of the shows you listed are comedies, so you might like Bojack Horseman (a Netflix exclusive show) since it has a good hybrid of surrealist comedy and actual interpersonal drama themed around depression and such.
Comedy/Drama hybrids often struggle to find a good balance, but Bojack Horseman does so in a genuinely good way, especially with the dramatic moments that can really leave a gut punch when you weren't expecting it.
I highly recommend barry, it just got done running it's first season and it's a very great dramedy that's like a light version of breaking bad, it's about the same runtime you are looking for.
I honestly can't even remember the last time I've seen a non-comedy with less than 40m long episodes.
I can highly recommend Veep though, it's very much a comedy but it's highly story-based so there's plenty of plot to go around. I kept ignoring it for the longest time because I really wasn't interested in a show about US politics, but once I finally checked it out, it kind of blew me away. It's really not so much about actual policy, but rather about the whole culture around it and taking the piss out of everyone involved.
If you like Silicon Valley you'll probably enjoy it. The concept is very similar - it's about a group of people trying to accomplish something big, but constantly getting obstacles thrown in their way and fucking up in hilarious ways. Just a different setting really. I actually ended up enjoying it even more than SV, the writing and cast are top notch.
You're going to be very hard pressed to find a serious show that runs for less than 40m, at least.
I can recommend a couple of good British dramas you probably haven't seen:
Broadchurch (ITV) (Police drama, one long running plot over two seasons and then a third season with a different case. Very good.)
Utopia (Channel 4) **From your list, I think you'd really like this**
Inside Number 9 30m Episodes (anthology series, each episode is different and is set in a place that is numbered 9, ie. Flat 9, very dark, each episode often ends with a twist)
Not drama:
Father Ted and Black Books (created by the showrunner of the IT Crowd, similar humour, especially Father Ted)
The League of Gentlemen (you'll be hard pressed to find a darker comedy, s3 in particular is very plot driven and dark)
Psychoville (two of the League of Gentlemen created this, very dark and very weird)
Non British things I think you might like:
The Crown (Netflix)
Arrested Development (Netflix)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Love (Netflix)
Lovesick (Netflix)
Scrubs?
Kinda old a bit, but I recently did a marathon with all its 8 seasons and it's still a great show.
It's semi-serious and called a "dramedy", a mix between comedy and drama. It knows when to be funny and when to be serious.
Great and funny characters, good writing for the most part, the first season is kinda weak but the series found its style with the second season onwards.
Additionally, episodes are only 20 minutes long each. Absolutely great to watch a few ones before going to sleep.
Thanks for the first round of suggestions everyone. Some interesting sounding shows to add to my list.
Suggestions that I've seen and enjoyed:
Bojack Horseman
VEEP (Excellent show)
Scrubs
Arrested Dev.
Brooklyn 99
The Crown
Black Books
Suggestions I think I'll take a look at:
Inside Number 9 (Sounds really intriguing)
League of Gentlemen (not sure where I'll find ways to watch this British stuff though)
I think I'll wait a little yet before accepting any answer though. See if anything really hits the nail on the head.
I really enjoy 'The Blacklist'. Very overlooked show from NBC imo. It's ~40 minutes but its a pretty great crime drama with a lot of mystery to it with great performances from its entire cast. It just finished its 5th season and heading into its 6th. 22 episodes per season gives you a lot of content to binge if you happen to enjoy it.
Just watched the first bit of Barry. It's great so far. Thanks.
Only downside is that it only has 1 short season.
It's already been renewed for a second season so more is on the way. Have fun with the first viewing !
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