By Sabrina Barr
Copyright metro
Chernobyl, which only lasted for one season, is widely regarded as one of the best TV shows ever made (Picture: HBO)
We live in a culture of binge-watching, where it feels impossible to stop yourself from devouring yet another episode when you should go to bed.
So what could we do to combat this? How about finding a batch of TV thrillers that only have one season to watch… and then, fini.
One-season drama Chernobyl is widely-regarded as one of the best TV shows ever made, while American Gothic has become a cult classic since it was released three decades ago.
Then there are also shows that were brutally axed before they had a chance to tie up loose ends, such as 1899 and The Midnight Club, both on Netflix.
Metro readers have their say
We asked Metro readers to share their favourite thrillers that only lasted for one season, and they delivered an array of shows that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.
If you fancy a high-octane binge-watch, but don’t want to spend weeks upon weeks making your way through multiple seasons, then look no further.
Top Metro fan Chris Moran revealed that not only did he greatly admire Chernobyl as a TV series, but in his opinion, it was ‘one of the best shows ever made in the history of television’.
After witnessing the sensational reaction that the drama received when it was released in 2019, that description should surely come as no surprise.
The haunting series tells the tale of one of the most horrific disasters in history (Picture: HBO)
Written by The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin, Chernobyl delves into the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, when a reactor at the power plant exploded. It became the worst nuclear disaster in history.
The five-parter currently boasts a 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as 97% score from TV fans. One, called Berni P, called the programme: ‘one of the best, most dramatic, and most considerate shows ever made’.
Tim C added: ‘Must see TV. It is incredibly raw, emotional, and dark yet is so captivating in every single episode. The perfect mini series!’
The show also received a plethora of awards, winning a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Stellan Skarsgård, two Golden Globes and an Emmy for outstanding writing, among many more accolades.
Where to watch: You can pay to watch Chernobyl on Amazon Prime Video, or watch it on Sky and NOW.
American Gothic
For their recommendation, Metro reader CL Edwards decided to take us on a journey through time, back to the 90s, to a horror that is now widely regarded as a cult classic.
American Gothic, which was created by Shaun Cassidy and executive-produced by Sam Raimi, first premiered in September 1995, before coming to an end in July the following year. The final four episodes originally weren’t broadcast.
The show only lasted one season, but is now regarded as a cult classic (Picture: Everett/Shutterstock)
The drama, which CL praised for its cast and intriguing storyline, was set in a town in South Carolina, where a sheriff used demonic powers to exert control over others.
‘It had a good cast with a young Sarah Paulson and Lucas Black. It was a very interesting take on the idea of the devil is among us/wolf in sheep’s clothing/child of Satan trope,’ CL shared.
‘It’s also the first TV series that I can remember really showing PTSD manifest itself (be nice, I was a kid when this show came out). This show really deserved another season.’
Where to watch: You can pay to watch American Gothic on Amazon Prime Video or on Apple TV Plus.
When considering one-season TV shows, there’s a very important distinction that has to be made: those that were made with the intention of only being one season, and others that were brutally cut short.
The captivating sci-fi series 1899, from the creators of Dark, falls into the latter category.
1899 proved a huge hit with fans, and many still urge Netflix to bring it back to this day (Picture: Netflix)
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‘I’ve never seen another show quite like it,’ Metro reader Stephen Davis shared. ‘Dark is similar but not the same.’
Set in the year – you guessed it – 1899, the drama follows an ensemble cast of characters hailing from different countries around the world as they travel on a ship to New York City.
What did Metro think of 1899?
Metro writer Keith Watson gave 1899 four stars in his review.
If you decide to set sail with 1899, a period saga centred on an ocean liner lost at sea, then be prepared to throw away your life jacket and drop anchor in a world of secrets and illusions.
1899 is not so much a drama, but more an enigmatic jigsaw puzzle.
From the makers of Dark, the time-flipping German sci-fi thriller that played no small part in convincing Netflix that subtitled shows can pull in major audiences, 1899 is much more interested in stirring up a mood of menace and bafflement than it is in straightforward storytelling.
As elusive as a dream you can’t remember 20 minutes after you’ve woken up, it’s like a murder mystery weekend dreamt up by Salvador Dali.
To read more, click here.
But it’s not just your typical riveting period drama – this historical piece is also a sci-fi epic, with all sorts of twists and turns. Including a cliffhanger at the end of season one that will sadly never give fans closure, unless the show is renewed.
A petition to save 1899, which was launched in 2023, currently has over 100,000 signatures. It might be useless, but we’re holding onto the small shred of hope that it could come back one day.
Where to watch: You can stream 1899 on Netflix.
Black Rabbit
One of Netflix’s most recent thriller releases, Black Rabbit proved a massive hit on the streaming platform, with Jude Law and Jason Bateman playing brothers Jake and Vince Friedken.
Reader Joanna Vines commended the actors for ‘playing their parts brilliantly’, and the sentiment was also felt by Metro’s Senior TV Reporter Rebecca Cook.
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‘Jude Law and Jason Bateman playing brothers could easily be met with outcries of “but they look so little, if even remotely at all, alike!” ‘That might be the case, but in Netflix’s new vice-laden thriller Black Rabbit, the eight episodes so quickly run off with your attention that you soon forget,’ Rebecca wrote in her four-star review.
She continued: ‘It’s the sibling dysfunction between Vince and Jake that gives this unlikely Netflix original a springboard to put it above your generic Uncut Gems-y crime thriller.’
It’s unlikely that Black Rabbit will come back for a second season, considering it was described from the start as a limited series.
However, stranger things have happened, so who knows what the future holds?
Where to watch: You can stream Black Rabbit on Netflix.
The Midnight Club
A one-season thriller that TV fans can binge all 10 episodes of is The Midnight Club, recommended by Metro reader Brown Everlyn, who ‘really enjoyed’ its limited run.
The horror mystery series was originally meant to last for two seasons. However, following the release of the first batch of episodes on Netflix in October 2022, it was subsequently cancelled a couple of months later.
The Midnight Club was supposed to have a second season (Picture: Netflix/Everett/Rex Features/Shutterstock)
The show is set in a hospice for terminally ill teenagers, who are all members of ‘The Midnight Club’. In addition to telling each other scary stories when they meet up at night, they also make a pact that the first of them to die ‘must send a sign from beyond the grave’.
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Following the cancellation of the drama, showrunner Mike Flanagan shared a post on Tumblr, in which he said: ‘I’m very disappointed that Netflix has decided not to pursue a second season of The Midnight Club.
‘My biggest disappointment is that we left so many story threads open, holding them back for the hypothetical second season, which is always a gamble.
‘So I’m writing this blog as our official second season, so you can know what might have been, learn the fates of your favorite characters, and know the answers to those dangling story threads from the first season.’ You can read more here (spoilers ahead).
Where to watch: You can stream The Midnight Club on Netflix.
Rabbit Hole
Kiefer Sutherland might be best-known for his heroic turn as Jack Bauer in 24, but two years ago, he put his action-packed skills on display yet again in Rabbit Hole.
‘Kiefer Sutherland was brilliant,’ Metro reader Amanda Redfern wrote about his performance in the Paramount Plus thriller, which follows the actor as a spy called John Weir, who’s framed for murder.
Kiefer Sutherland had expressed a desire for a second season of Rabbit Hole (Picture: Paramount Plus/CBS Studios/Marni Grossman)
Despite the positive reception from critics and viewers alike, the drama was cancelled just five months after the premiere of season one.
A spokesperson said at the time: ‘Fatal Attraction and Rabbit Hole will not be returning for second seasons on Paramount Plus. We want to thank both series’ entire creative teams, crews and the fantastic casts for their dedication to bringing these series to life.’
Following Rabbit Hole’s axe, fans expressed their disappointment on social media, outlining how the first season ended with a twist that wouldn’t be resolved, and comparing the show to Mr Robot.
Kiefer had previously expressed a desire to return, telling TV Insider in May that year: ‘It was an extraordinary group of people, and we had an awful lot of fun working, and yeah, I hope we get to do it again.’
Where to watch: You can stream Rabbit Hole for free in the UK on ITVX.
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