7 Crime Dramas That Worked Better as Miniseries

What really makes a good crime drama is that satisfying reveal of the truth. After that, everything else is just extra – and sometimes, too much extra can actually detract from the story. Viewers stay engaged when there’s a solid investigation, detectives they can connect with, intense suspense, and a memorable villain finally brought to justice. But not all crime dramas manage to keep things focused.

Thanks to streaming services, it’s now common for viewers to watch entire seasons of crime dramas all at once, making the miniseries format incredibly popular. However, when a miniseries does really well, sometimes the story continues for too long, stretching beyond what originally made it interesting. While these extended series can still be enjoyable, they often would have been stronger if they had ended after the initial limited run. In fact, many excellent crime dramas began as miniseries, and several of them would have been more impactful if they’d stuck to that original format.

The Watcher Is On Its Way to Making a Big Mistake With a Second Season

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan created The Watcher as a gripping horror-mystery miniseries. The show is based on a true, unsettling story about a couple in Westfield, New Jersey, who were stalked after buying their new home. An anonymous person sent them disturbing letters, signing only as “The Watcher,” and their identity remains a mystery, making for a fascinating and frightening crime drama.

The couple who inspired the story never lived in the house, even though they owned it for five years. They sold it in 2019, and the new owners haven’t experienced any issues with the strange presence that troubled the original couple. The story was significantly fictionalized for dramatic effect, leaving plenty of room for future storylines, and a second season was announced in 2022.

Viewers are still waiting for the second season, but the story’s intriguing mystery and connection to real-life happenings work better as a limited series.

Big Little Lies Is a Gripping Crime Drama That Can’t Let Go

Based on the popular novel by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies is a gripping HBO miniseries with a fantastic cast. The show centers around a group of mothers who become friends as their children start school, and it explores the secrets and lies they all keep hidden beneath seemingly perfect lives.

When her child is accused of bullying, a single mother fears the behavior might stem from the trauma of being assaulted and becoming pregnant as a result. She worries her son may have inherited a violent streak from his father.

When the truth about the death of one of the women’s abuser starts to emerge, the women unite to support each other. In the book, the woman responsible for his death eventually confesses, making their attempts to cover it up unnecessary. However, the TV series expands on this, dedicating an entire second season to the women’s struggle to conceal what happened.

If Big Little Lies had finished like the book, it would have been a strong, limited series, instead of the somewhat uneven show it became over two seasons.

USA’s The Sinner Was Originally Intended to Be a Miniseries

Even a well-made crime show can lose its way, and that’s what happened with USA Network’s The Sinner. The series began with an eight-episode mystery starring Jessica Biel as a woman named Cora Tanetti who committed murder, and it was inspired by the novel of the same name. Because the first season was so popular, the creators continued the show as an anthology series for three more seasons, each featuring a new, unusual case for Detective Ambrose to solve.

The Sinner is a captivating show, and Bill Pullman delivers a particularly strong performance as Harry Ambrose. However, later seasons fell into a predictable pattern, which made it hard to stay engaged. Like Big Little Lies, the show would have been much more impactful if it had ended after its initial season, as originally planned.

Luther Took Too Long to Get to a Point That Could Have Been Made in a Miniseries

Idris Elba’s portrayal of DCI John Luther in the BBC series Luther is arguably one of his best performances, but the show’s release schedule has been slow. Since the first four-episode series aired in 2010, fifteen years have passed, and only 20 episodes have been produced across five seasons, leaving fans waiting for more.

The show Luther has a compelling central idea and a brilliantly written and acted lead character. However, the story feels stretched too thin. As it goes on, some plot points get dropped, and the main focus gets muddled. If it had been created as a self-contained limited series from the start, Luther could have been even more impactful, with a tighter, more cohesive narrative.

True Detective’s Formula Works Best as an Anthology

When HBO’s True Detective first aired in 2014, it instantly became a standout crime drama. The combination of its talented stars promised a high-quality show, but it was the compelling storytelling and atmospheric filmmaking that truly captivated audiences. Fans were hooked on the dark and suspenseful mystery, as well as the complex relationship between detectives Rust and Marty. Even after eleven years and three seasons, viewers are still hoping to see the original duo return.

The way True Detective uses a new story each season isn’t a problem, but the first season is clearly exceptional. The show could have ended after that initial run and most viewers would have been satisfied, perhaps wishing for more adventures with those particular detectives. It’s a common issue for TV shows – struggling to recapture the magic of their first season – and it suggests that True Detective might have been best left as a single, standalone story.

Broadchurch Lost the Impact That Made Series 1 a Hit

Olivia Colman, David Tennant, and Arthur Darvill’s performances elevated the already gripping drama Broadchurch, culminating in a shocking twist that remains impactful even today. The show’s success led to two additional eight-episode seasons and inspired two remakes. David Tennant’s portrayal of DI Alec Hardy was so well-received that he reprised the lead role in the American adaptation, Gracepoint.

The small town is devastated by the murder of a young boy named Danny, and detectives Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy are tasked with solving the case. The show’s creator, Chris Chibnall, skillfully kept the killer’s identity a secret – even from the actors – until the very last episode, a strategy that proved incredibly successful for this gripping crime drama.

Although Danny’s murder was resolved in Episode 8, the show continued for two more seasons. While the stories of Miller, Hardy, and the town’s residents remained captivating, particularly after the big reveal in the first season of Broadchurch, the series never quite reached the same heights again.

The Killing Should Have Ended When Rosie Larsen’s Murder Was Solved

When the American crime drama The Killing premiered in 2011, it quickly captivated viewers with its fresh approach to the genre. The series begins with the discovery of a young girl’s body, and soon retiring detective Sarah Linden is pulled back into police work, teaming up with former undercover officer Stephen Holder to solve the case.

Over the first two seasons, Linden and Holder investigated the complicated case of Rosie Larsen’s murder, witnessing how her death devastated her family, friends, and the wider community.

Holder and Linden solved cases quickly, mirroring their shared cigarette habit, but the show sometimes stretched things out unnecessarily. While Rosie’s murder was resolved at the end of Season 2, the story continued by linking a past case of Linden’s to a new investigation Holder takes on with his new partner.

While the second case was engaging, it wasn’t as powerful as the investigation into Rosie Larsen’s death. This suggests the show, The Killing, might have worked better as a limited series focused solely on that first case.

2025-12-01 00:41