5 standout Netflix shows with episodes under 30 minutes

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time to actually sit down and binge-watch a series can feel like a luxury few of us can afford. Between work deadlines, endless errands, and social commitments, carving out hours for a long-form show often feels impossible. Yet the longing for stories that entertain never goes away.

We still want to laugh and get lost in someone else’s world. That’s why shows with episodes under 30 minutes are such a lifesaver. They still give us all the fun, drama, and memorable moments of a full-length series, but in bite-sized pieces that actually fit into our busy lives. In this article, we've put together a list of five great Netflix shows that prove you don’t need long episodes to be completely hooked.

Note: Some of these Netflix shows are made up of episodes that run a little over 30 minutes, but they’re still much shorter than traditional hour-long shows.

Russian Doll

If you’ve ever wished you could hit “reset” on your life, then Russian Doll is the show you should be watching. Netflix’s darkly comic, mind-bending series follows one woman’s bizarre journey through death, rebirth, and self-discovery all on repeat.

Nadia Vulvokov is at the center of the series. She's a witty, sarcastic, and self-destructive software engineer living in New York City. On her 36th birthday, a freak accident kills her. But instead of staying dead, she wakes up in the exact same moment over and over again.

As Nadia navigates this endless loop, she begins to realize that each death is more than just a strange cosmic glitch. It's a chance to confront her own fears, regrets, and emotional baggage. Along the way, she meets Alan Zaveri, a socially awkward man stuck in the same loop, and together they try to unravel the mystery of why they’re reliving the same night again and again.

Derry Girls

Derry Girls is hands down one of the best teen shows to hit screens in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. It's hilarious, heartfelt, and perfectly captures the ups and downs of adolescence while also giving viewers a glimpse of life in 1990s Northern Ireland during the final years of the Troubles.

Growing up is never easy, but for Erin, Michelle, Orla, Clare, and James, it’s downright chaotic, especially when their biggest problems sometimes involve both homework and bomb scares. Derry Girls centers around this tight-knit group of friends as they navigate everything that comes with the wild ride of teenage life, all while living in Derry, Northern Ireland, during a troubling time.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

When life hands you trauma, what do you do? For Kimmy Schmidt, you move to New York City, start over, and tackle the world with unstoppable optimism. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is perfect to watch when you're in need of a little pick-me-up.

The Netflix comedy follows Kimmy, a woman who, after being rescued from a 15-year stint in a doomsday cult bunker, decides she refuses to let her past define her. Instead, she embraces life in the bustling, unpredictable streets of New York, ready to rebuild her identity from scratch.

Along the way, Kimmy encounters a colorful group of people who help shape her new life and keep the laughs coming. There's her free-spirited roommate, Titus Andromedon, her eccentric landlady Lillian Kaushtupper, and the high‑maintenance socialite Jacqueline Voorhees.

XO, Kitty

XO, Kitty is one of those shows that makes you feel all the feels. The teen series follows Kitty Song-Covey, the spunky, fearless youngest sister we all adored in the To All the Boys films, as she embarks on her own journey of self-discovery and love.

If you watched the To All the Boys movies, you know that Kitty was more of a side character. But in XO, Kitty, she finally takes center stage. The show follows her as she moves across the globe to Seoul, South Korea, to attend the prestigious Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS). While there, she hopes not only to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, Dae, but also to explore her family’s heritage and learn more about the mother she never got to know.

But when you're a teenage girl in a completely new country, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Kitty quickly learns that navigating life at KISS comes with unexpected challenges, including making friends in a new environment and dealing with complicated feelings for multiple people.

Delicious in Dungeon

There are many anime series out there, but every once in a while, one comes along that feels completely different from the rest. Delicious in Dungeon is exactly that kind of show. It's a fantasy adventure that somehow turns dungeon crawling into a full-blown culinary experience.

The series follows the eccentric knight Laios and his ragtag party of adventurers after a disastrous encounter with a red dragon goes horribly wrong. During the battle, Laios’ sister, Falin, is swallowed whole by the dragon. With their resources depleted and no money left for supplies, the group is forced to retreat. But Laios refuses to give up on rescuing her.

Determined to return to the dungeon as quickly as possible, Laios comes up with a wildly unconventional solution. Instead of buying food, they’ll simply cook and eat the monsters they defeat along the way. Teaming up with the dwarf warrior Senshi, who is a master of monster cuisine, along with the cautious elven spellcaster Marcille and the half-foot locksmith Chilchuck, the party ventures back into the dungeon’s shadowy depths.

You can stream all five of these incredible shows on Netflix right now!