Mini documentaries are so satisfying. They are even better when they are written and released in episodes, instead of a long film. Documentaries can touch on so many topics including entertainment, drama, history, medicine, true crime, and more.
Documentaries have a rather long history. Although sometimes debated, the first documentary, or closest thing to a documentary, was “Nanook of the North.” This documentary was directed by Robert Flaherty in 1922 and paved the way for other documentaries.
So, how long are documentary miniseries? Is there a specific number? Not exactly. Documentary miniseries are broad. Not only can they touch on different topics and themes, but also vary in length. Miniseries are TV shows with a limited number of episodes. These episodes tell the full story, so you shouldn’t expect multiple seasons or renewals.
Although miniseries aren’t new, they are growing in popularity. Most, if not all, of the most-watched documentary miniseries were released in the 2010s and 2020s. Documentary miniseries lovers usually enjoy documentaries in general. Documentaries aren’t always series, sometimes stories are told in a movie format. (After this article, check out our article on the 20 best documentary films of all time.)
Some examples of excellent document miniseries include “The Jinx,” “Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan,” “A Friend of the Family,” and “Daughters of the Cult.” Do you think these documentaries made our list? Follow along to find out.
To determine the most watched documentary miniseries of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience review activity from IMDb. Documentary miniseries were ranked based on IMDb total user reviews as of March 2024. The main cast information is also from IMDb.
50. Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 4,757
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Kathy Preston, Bob Ruth, Sheila Porter, Frank W. Putnam
49. Night on Earth (2020)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 4,885
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: Alessandra Mastronardi, Samira Wiley, Beren Saat
48. Hitler’s Circle of Evil (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 5,009
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- Episode count: 10
- Main cast: Guy Walters, Alisdair Simpson, Jay Osborne, Michael Lynch
47. Dynasties (2018)
Source: Courtesy of BBC Worldwide
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 5,090
- IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: David Attenborough, John Brown, Mark MacEwen, Sophie Darlington
46. Five Came Back (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
- IMDb user votes: 5,246
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro
45. Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Discovery Channel
- IMDb user votes: 5,531
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Hawking, Melissa Ricci, Christopher Goh
44. Seven Worlds One Planet (2019)
Source: Courtesy of BBC America
- IMDb user votes: 6,001
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: David Attenborough, Peter Drost, Goetz Bielefeldt, Bertie Gregory
43. All or Nothing: Arsenal (2022)
Source: topseller / Shutterstock
- IMDb user votes: 6,047
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- Episode count: 8
- Main cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Mikel Arteta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Folarin Balogun
42. Killer Sally (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 6,157
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Sally McNeil, John Lowden, Shantina Lowden, Shannon Brown
41. All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur (2020)
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Prime Video
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 6,678
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- Episode count: 9
- Main cast: Tom Hardy, José Mourinho, Daniel Levy, Dele Alli
40. Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023)
Source: Mario Tama / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- IMDb user votes: 7,161
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Melony Feliciano, Joseph Scotto, Cris Colicchio, Donna Pastorello
39. Depp V Heard (2023)
Source: Junko Kimura / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
TOKYO. JAPAN - JULY 10: Johnny Depp attends the Tokyo Premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest on July 10, 2006 in Tokyo, Japan. The film will open on July 22 in Japan. (Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)
- IMDb user votes: 7,209
- IMDb user rating: 5.1/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Nick Viall, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp, Melissa Melottey
38. Murder Among the Mormons (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 7,268
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Dorie Hofmann Olds, Shannon Flynn, Brent Metcalfe, Richard Turley
37. All or Nothing: Manchester City (2018)
Source: Courtesy of Amazon Studios
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 7,614
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- Episode count: 8
- Main cast: Ben Kingsley, Pep Guardiola, Brahim Díaz, Yaya Touré
36. Cosmos: Possible Worlds (2020)
Source: Courtesy of National Geographic Channel
- IMDb user votes: 7,715
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
- Episode count: 13
- Main cast: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Seth MacFarlane, Sasha Sagan, Trang Vo
35. Allen v. Farrow (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user votes: 7,824
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Mia Farrow, Fletcher Previn, Dylan O’Sullivan Farrow, Casey Pascal
34. The Most Hated Man on the Internet (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 7,917
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Charlotte Laws, Charles Parselle, Kayla Laws, Kirra Hughes
33. The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 8,148
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Stephen Corrall, Charlie Ives, Sophie Clifton, Jake Clifton
32. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 8,172
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Sarma Melngailis, Allen Salkin, Ilze Melngailis, Bonnie Crocker
31. One Strange Rock (2018)
Source: Courtesy of National Geographic Channel
- IMDb user votes: 8,256
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- Episode count: 10
- Main cast: Will Smith, Chris Hadfield, Jerry Linenger, Mae C. Jemison
30. Fear City: New York vs the Mafia (2020)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 8,399
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: John Alite, Michael Franzese, Jim Kossler, John Joyce
29. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (2020)
Source: Courtesy of HBO
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 8,772
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: Patton Oswalt, Paul Haynes, Amy Ryan, Lauren Orlando
28. The Beatles Anthology (1995)
Source: Courtesy of American Broadcasting Company
- IMDb user votes: 9,400
- IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
- Episode count: 9
- Main cast: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, George Martin
27. The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 10,161
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Paul Giamatti, Phil Amicone, Charlie Ott, Michael Zuckerman
26. Aranybulla (Golden Bull) (2022)
Source: http://mek.oszk.hu/01900/01954/html/index846, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- IMDb user votes: 10,240
- IMDb user rating: 1.1/10
- Episode count: 6
- Main cast: Ákos Köszegi, Zoltán Géczi, Bence Vaszkó
25. Greatest Events of WWII in Colour (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Planète +
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 10,482
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- Episode count: 10
- Main cast: Derek Jacobi, Geoffrey Wawro, James Holland, Saul David
24. Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 10,970
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Ye, Naeem Ghefari, Kid Cudi, Justin Bieber
23. Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 11,017
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- Episode count: 6
- Main cast: James LaPorta, Michel Paradis
22. House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 12,704
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Manoj Kumar, Naresh Bhatia, Vishal Anand, Mukesh Sengar
21. Apocalypse: The Second World War (2009)
Source: Courtesy of France Télévision Distribution
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 14,154
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
- Episode count: 6
- Main cast: Mathieu Kassovitz, Martin Sheen, Rudolf Hess
20. The Devil Next Door (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 14,994
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10
- Episode count: 5
- Main cast: Yoram Sheftel, Eli Rosenbaum, Michael Shaked, Eli Gabay
19. Long Way Round (2004)
Source: Courtesy of Goldhil Entertainment
- IMDb user votes: 15,184
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
- Episode count: 10
- Main cast: Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, David Alexanian, Russ Malkin
18. The Defiant Ones (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Home Box Office
- IMDb user votes: 15,647
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Stevie Nicks, Bono, Dr. Dre, Tom Petty
17. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 15,849
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Mike Watkiss, Elissa Wall, Rebecca Musser, Ruby Jessop
16. Africa (2013)
Source: Stanley Dullea / Shutterstock.com
- IMDb user votes: 17,059
- IMDb user rating: 8.9/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: David Attenborough, Simon Blakeney, Bill Rudolph, Justine Evans
15. The Civil War (1990)
Source: Courtesy of Direct Cinema Limited
- IMDb user votes: 18,314
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
- Episode count: 9
- Main cast: David McCullough, Sam Waterston, Julie Harris, Jason Robards
14. Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez (2020)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 18,853
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Kevin Armstrong, Dan Wetzel, Stephen Ziogas, Patrick Haggan
13. Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 19,850
- IMDb user rating: 6.0/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Tim Marcia, Amy Price, Greg Kading, Josh Dean
12. Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 (2022)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 21,255
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Ananda Lewis, Heather Eason Liposky, Colin Speir, John Scher
11. Arnold (2023)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 21,299
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- Episode count: 3
- Main cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, Sylvester Stallone, Ken Waller
10. The Keepers (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
- IMDb user votes: 24,866
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: Gemma Hoskins, Abbie Schaub, Virginia Anzengruber, Jean Hargadon Wehner
9. Human Planet (2011)
Source: Courtesy of BBC One
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 27,696
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
- Episode count: 8
- Main cast: John Hurt, Roger Munns
8. The Vietnam War (2017)
Source: Courtesy of PBS
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 27,714
- IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
- Episode count: 10
- Main cast: Peter Coyote, Huy Duc, James Willbanks, Duong Van Mai Elliott
7. Frozen Planet (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Discovery Channel
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 32,818
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
- Episode count: 10
- Main cast: David Attenborough, Alec Baldwin, Chadden Hunter, Michael Kelem
6. Beckham (2023)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 34,330
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Fisher Stevens, John Carlin
5. The Blue Planet (2001)
Source: Courtesy of BBC Worldwide Americas
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 42,480
- IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
- Episode count: 8
- Main cast: David Attenborough, Pierce Brosnan, Peter Scoones
4. Cosmos (1980)
Source: Courtesy of Public Broadcasting Service
- IMDb user votes: 43,618
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- Episode count: 13
- Main cast: Carl Sagan, Jonathan Fahn, Jean Charney
3. Blue Planet II (2017)
Source: Courtesy of BBC America
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 45,893
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- Episode count: 7
- Main cast: David Attenborough, Peter Drost, Roger Munns, Roger Horrocks
2. Queen Cleopatra (2023)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 83,744
- IMDb user rating: 1.2/10
- Episode count: 4
- Main cast: Jada Pinkett Smith, Adele James, Craig Russell, John Partridge
1. Planet Earth II (2016)
Source: Courtesy of BBC America
N/A
- IMDb user votes: 156,635
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- Episode count: 6
- Main cast: David Attenborough, Gordon Buchanan, Michael J. Sanderson, Sandesh Kadur