In a recent edition of The Atlantic Daily newsletter, staff writers and editors shared their favorite miniseries, highlighting six shows that deliver complete stories in a single season, perfect for viewers seeking satisfying, one-sitting watches. Titled "Six Satisfying TV Shows You Can Watch in One Sitting," the February 2026 dispatch taps into the enduring appeal of concise television amid a landscape dominated by sprawling multi-season dramas. As streaming services proliferate, these recommendations underscore a growing preference for self-contained narratives that avoid the commitment of ongoing sagas.
The newsletter, which guides subscribers through daily stories, new ideas, and cultural highlights, poses a simple question to its contributors: What is your favorite miniseries? The responses span genres from murder mysteries to historical dramas and romantic tales, each praised for its tight storytelling and emotional depth. Saahil Desai, a senior editor at The Atlantic, kicked off the list with The Night Of, available on HBO Max. "Americans can’t seem to get enough of murder mysteries, and Hollywood can’t seem to stop making them," Desai wrote. "But few, if any, can hold their own against The Night Of."
Released in 2016, the miniseries centers on Nasir Khan, a Pakistani American college student from Queens, New York, who finds himself accused of murder after a night out in Manhattan. According to Desai, the plot begins with Nasir sneaking out in his father's taxi, picking up a woman named Andrea, and waking up to discover her stabbed to death with no memory of the events. Forensic evidence places him at the scene, leading to his arrest and a trial fraught with twists. "The Night Of unravels the yarn with lurid details and lots of plot twists," Desai noted. "The characters are well developed and unpredictable—perhaps none more so than John Stone, Nasir’s gruff public-defense attorney." Played by John Turturro, Stone battles both the legal system and his own eczema, adding layers of humanity to the drama.
Desai emphasized the show's innovation in the genre, stating, "The real genius of The Night Of is how it inverts the whodunit: The question of who killed Andrea is secondary to the devastating toll the murder leaves on everyone else." This focus on consequences rather than just resolution has resonated with audiences, contributing to its status as a standout in the crowded field of crime thrillers.
Shifting to themes of escape and self-discovery, staff writer Faith Hill recommended Unorthodox, streaming on Netflix. Premiering in March 2020—coinciding with the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic— the series follows Esty Shapiro, a 19-year-old from a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, as she flees to Berlin. Hill described the opening: "Esty Shapiro... pockets a secret wad of cash, picks up a passport, and hops on a plane to Berlin, all set to the tense soundtrack of a thriller." Flashbacks reveal Esty's stifled life, marked by an arranged marriage and communal surveillance.
Based on a memoir of the same name, Unorthodox explores Esty's reinvention abroad, from applying lipstick in a club to letting her wig drift in the ocean. Hill praised its nuance, saying, "The series doesn’t vilify ultra-Orthodox Judaism; it makes a point to humanize those Esty left behind (especially the two people, including her husband, who try to track her down in Germany)." She added, "Unorthodox is compelling, in fact, because it captures a near-universal tension—between the deep roots of community and the dream of a different life, even if it demands risk and sacrifice and hurting the ones you love." For Hill, the show offered timely inspiration during isolation, as Esty pursues freedom at great personal cost.
For sports enthusiasts and fans of period pieces, assistant editor Grace Buono spotlighted The English Game, also on Netflix. This six-part series, created by Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame, delves into the 19th-century origins of soccer—known as football in its British birthplace. Buono called it "a charming yet provocative look at the origins of soccer... in 19th-century England." The narrative contrasts the sport's upper-class roots with the rise of a working-class team challenging aristocratic dominance in the Football Association finals.
"The show reveals the dramatics of the posh upper-class (back then, football was a sport for the wealthy) and follows how a working-class team makes its way to the Football Association finals, only to come up against an aristocratic club that has long held the champion title," Buono explained. "It’s a story about social hierarchies, tradition, and how one game can reflect the values of a changing era." The series bridges Downton Abbey's elegance with underdog sports drama, appealing to diverse audiences.
Staff writer Elaine Godfrey turned to romance with Normal People, a 12-episode adaptation of Sally Rooney's 2018 novel, available on Hulu. Set in small-town Ireland and later Dublin, it tracks the on-again, off-again relationship between bookish Marianne and popular Connell. "Plenty of people enjoy Normal People... for the will-they-won’t-they of it all," Godfrey observed. "She doesn’t know how to behave around him, and he’s a little embarrassed to be seen with her. When they both end up at university in Dublin, their roles reverse: Marianne runs with the cool, intellectual crowd, while Connell struggles to fit in."
Godfrey highlighted the show's emotional core: "But I love the show because it makes me feel a little sad. As with every project associated with Sally Rooney... Normal People is a moody tapestry of yearning and feelings left maddeningly unsaid." She recalled a pivotal episode in Italy, where a garden dinner spirals into conflict: "The scene is idyllic, but the characters are suffering—from jealousy and longing and an overall failure to communicate... Beautiful, devastating, delicious." This melancholy resonance has made it a favorite for introspective viewers.
Adding a soapy twist, staff writer Ashley Parker endorsed The Perfect Couple on Netflix, based on Elin Hilderbrand's novel. The series unfolds on Nantucket, where Amelia's wedding to the wealthy Winbury family is disrupted by the maid of honor's body washing ashore. "Like all good soapy murders, a body... soon (literally) washes up, plunging the entire wedding party into delightful whodunit mayhem," Parker wrote. Featuring Nicole Kidman alongside Dakota Fanning and Liev Schreiber, it delivers "drugs, sex, gilded voyeurism into the world of one-percenters, characters named Tag Winbury and Shooter Dival."
"But here is the series’ true secret: It is a little campy, a little rollicking, utterly bingeable, and utterly ephemeral. Or, to put it another way, The Perfect Couple is a bit like cotton candy—delicious and then gone," Parker said. "What has stayed with me, however, is the flash-mob dance scene during the opening credits, in which the entire cast... struts and shakes on the sand in their Nantucket cocktail finest to Meghan Trainor’s ‘Criminals.’"
Parker noted its lighthearted escape, even as details like the killer fade quickly, emphasizing its role as pure entertainment.
Finally, staff writer Gal Beckerman recommended the recent Netflix miniseries Death By Lightning, a four-episode drama about the 1881 assassination of President James A. Garfield. Starring Michael Shannon as Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as assassin Charles Guiteau, it portrays historical figures as archetypal Americans. "The sumptuous beards alone are worth the watch," Beckerman quipped. "This is ultimately a story about America and the kinds of dreamers the country produces: Garfield was an idealist, and Shannon portrays him with earnestness and purpose—a man devoted to his family but also to moral causes, including keeping Reconstruction from falling apart."
Guiteau, a scheming con man, embodies delusional ambition, leading to Garfield's death at the hands of a "chronic loser who nevertheless believes in his own value." Beckerman appreciated the pacing: "History doesn’t always lend itself well to television... But the show is smartly paced and structured as a collision course between two protagonists and what they represent: a serious man who wants to fight corruption and speak to our better angels, and a chronic loser who... sure that he will—up until a noose is placed around his neck." Though Garfield lacks the fame of Lincoln, the series revives this lesser-known chapter of U.S. history.
These recommendations arrive as miniseries gain traction in the streaming era, offering closure without cliffhangers. The Atlantic Daily edition also included Sunday reads, such as a profile on figure skater Ilia Malinin, who in December landed seven quadruple jumps in a Milan competition ahead of the Olympics—outpacing rivals who managed at most four. This blend of culture and current events reflects the newsletter's mission.
Contributors like Desai, Hill, Buono, Godfrey, Parker, and Beckerman provide diverse perspectives, from legal intrigue to personal liberation, without conflicting views on the shows' merits. As viewers navigate endless content options, these picks suggest a craving for stories that end as strongly as they begin, potentially influencing future productions. With streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu dominating, expect more such compact tales to emerge, catering to time-strapped audiences seeking impact in brevity.