Summary

• Anthology series are trending, offering fresh narratives through diverse stories and genres.
• Roar stands out with feminist fables, engaging and thought-provoking episodes akin to Black Mirror.
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi and Love, Death & Robots are must-watch anthologies with captivating and innovative storytelling.

Anthology series are quickly becoming a major trend, with several great new TV shows coming out in the last few years. Anthology shows tell a variety of different stories, following different characters and locations either in each new season or in smaller chunks of just a single episode or two. Frequently, these shows are tied together with an overall theme, genre, or some other detail to have some degree of commonality between them. In recent years, many new anthology shows have been released, highlighting the popularity of the format.

From single episodic adventures of horror anthologies like American Horror Stories to larger sweeping narratives like those found in each new season of The White Lotus, anthologies are fresh and exciting. These incredible narratives come in many different genres, making them appealing to other audiences, with sci-fi, crime drama, and superheroes all having anthology shows to be explored. With so many options to choose from, it's helpful to have a guide to see some of the best anthology shows to come out in the last few years.

10 American Horror Stories

2021 - Present

American Horror Story creators, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are responsible for popularizing the horror anthology genre. Following on from the release of their original series, AHS, the pair decided to explore some even more granular stories on an episode-by-episode basis in American Horror Stories. These bite-sized horror stories can be equally haunting, with creepy and creative mysteries. However, with the much-reduced format, it doesn't have as much time to build relationships with characters, which is why it's at the bottom of this ranking.

9 Roar

2022 - Present

However, one series that manages to do a lot in each single story is the incredibly creative and dynamic, Roar. This dramedy series follows short stories about women in a series of "feminist fables." Inspired by a book by Cecilia Ahern with the same title, the stories cover a wide variety of unusual events focused on women in unique situations. The series does not take itself too seriously, with some off-the-wall narratives, but it's an incredibly interesting and thought-provoking watch, comparable to Black Mirror, but with comedy and focused on female leads.

8 Cruel Summer

2021 - 2023

After just two seasons, Cruel Summer was canceled, despite having won awards and debuting as Freeform's most-watched new series ever (via Deadline). The show is a teen mystery thriller that follows a brand-new cast in each season. The time, location, and mystery at the center of each season shifts, but they are tied together by the genre, and both season 1 and season 2 managed to be incredibly compelling. It could be possible that the series will be picked up and renewed elsewhere, but for now, at least two seasons of this brilliant show exist.

7 Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

2022 - Present

AHS creator Ryan Murphy teams up with Ian Brennan to tell the horrifying true-crime stories of the world's most infamous serial killers in Monster. At present, only the first season has been released, but the second season is set for release in 2024, with it and subsequent seasons focusing on new stories of monstrous figures in history. The debut series, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, starring Evan Peters, was incredibly popular and helped secure a future for the show, exploring dark true-crime stories with as much insight as can be gathered and captured in a serialized retelling of history.

6 Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities

2022

Legendary filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro also teamed up with Netflix to bring to life anthology stories under the title Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. The limited series consisted of eight episodes, exploring the darkest and most unusual corners of horror, drama, and mystery. The series consists of several stories inspired by other short works of fiction, including two original works by GdT himself. The series experiences highs and lows, but it delivers on its promise to explore the genre in great detail with an incredibly rich and visually dynamic series of episodes.

5 Dr. Death

2021 - 2023

Dr. Death is a dramatized retelling of real doctors who committed major acts of malpractice that endangered the lives of their patients and often resulted in death. The series ran for two seasons, with each telling the story of a different doctor and their criminal and immoral behaviors. For fans of medical dramas and crime thrillers, this series is a perfect blending of both in a way that is eerie, and compelling and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Again, the show received largely positive reviews, but at present, no news about season 3 has been confirmed.

4 What If...?

2021 - Present

What If...? is a Marvel Studios animated series that explores possible alternate realities from the original MCU stories, similar to how different comic book storylines take canon in different directions. The series is easily one of the best TV shows from the MCU, with a series of disted stories that typically resolve each season with a crossover event. While other MCU shows have suffered from criticism and poor ratings, What If...? has managed to excite many audiences with imaginative storylines and fun visuals in this animated series.

3 Love, Death & Robots

2019 - Present

The first season of Love, Death & Robots debuted in 2019, but it is easily one of the very best anthology shows in recent history and deserves a place on this listing. The series consists of episodes where each has a different creative team, with unique stories, and animated styles. However, each episode is focused on at least one of the three themes: love, death, or robots. This simple linking narrative, combined with the incredible global talents on display make this a powerful series that is a must-watch for anyone with an interest in animation, or the three themes.

2 Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi

2022 - Present

Star Wars recently released two separate anthology series, Star Wars: Visions, and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. While Visions explores other peripheral stories set within the Star Wars universe, Tales of the Jedi revisits Jedi who have already appeared in the franchise and their individual stories. This exploration of familiar characters is incredibly satisfying and entertaining for fans of the series, and equally engaging and invigorating for people who are new to the franchise. The series is beautifully animated and full of captivating stories, making it one of the best anthologies of the 2020s.

1 The White Lotus

2021 - Present

The White Lotus explores the lives, interactions, and misadventures of guests and employees in high-end luxury resorts. The story gets increasingly wild and entangled as the series progresses, with dark comedy at its core, but it's easily one of the most clever and well-written shows in recent years. It does feature a recurring cast, with roles repeating, but it sufficiently alters the settings and focuses from episode to episode to qualify as an anthology series. As a measure of what the anthology genre is capable of, The White Lotus is an excellent example of the power of anthology storytelling.