Best Anthology Series Worth Watching
TL;DR — For crime, watch Fargo (start with Season 1 or 2) or True Detective Season 1. For satire, The White Lotus. For true crime, American Crime Story's The People v. O.J. Simpson. For short, standalone stories, Black Mirror or Love, Death & Robots. For romance, Modern Love. Every season or episode stands alone, so you can start anywhere.
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Fargo (FX, 2014 onward, 5 seasons). Noah Hawley's series borrows the Coen brothers' tone: polite Midwesterners, absurd violence and a lot of snow. Season 2 (1979, with Kirsten Dunst and Patrick Wilson) is many fans' favourite.
True Detective (HBO, 2014 onward, 4 seasons). Season 1, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson hunting a ritual killer in Louisiana, is one of TV's great seasons. Season 3, with Mahershala Ali, and Season 4, Night Country, with Jodie Foster, are the best of the rest.
The White Lotus (HBO, 2021 onward, 3 seasons). Mike White's satire of the rich on holiday, each season at a different resort: Hawaii, Sicily, Thailand. Season 2, in Sicily, is a fan favourite.
American Crime Story (FX, 2016 onward). The People v. O.J. Simpson (2016) is superb; The Assassination of Gianni Versace (2018) and Impeachment (2021) followed.
Monster (Netflix, 2022 onward). Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's dramatisations of notorious killers. Popular and controversial, with criticism over how it treats victims' families.
A new story every episode
Black Mirror (Channel 4, then Netflix, 2011 onward). Charlie Brooker's stories about technology and people, ranging from horror to romance. Start anywhere.
Love, Death & Robots (Netflix, 2019 onward). Mostly 10 to 20-minute animated shorts from different studios. Uneven, but the best are stunning; try "Zima Blue" or "Jibaro."
Modern Love (Prime Video, 2019-2021, 2 seasons). Gentle half-hours adapted from real essays in the New York Times column, with casts including Anne Hathaway and Dev Patel.
Our verdict
For one perfect season, True Detective Season 1. For a whole series that rarely misses, Fargo. For a single evening, any Black Mirror episode.
Frequently asked questions
Can I watch anthology seasons out of order? Yes. Each season of Fargo, True Detective, The White Lotus and American Crime Story tells its own story. Fargo has some small cross-season connections, but nothing you need.
Which Black Mirror episodes should I start with? Good starting points are "San Junipero," "The Entire History of You," "Nosedive" and "USS Callister": four very different tones.
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