The 11 best anthology series you can stream right now

If, somehow, you missed the first two seasons of "The White Lotus," here's a quick primer: Former "Survivor" contestant (and TV writer) Mike White has written, directed, and produced every episode of this darkly comedic series following the guests at various White Lotus resorts. Both seasons (so far) have begun with the death of a guest (or guests), and then the action rewinds a week, so viewers can watch the drama unfold.

Season one took place in Hawaii and starred Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn, Fred Hechinger, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Lacy, Brittany O'Grady, and Molly Shannon as guests, and Murray Bartlett, Natasha Rothwell, Lukas Gage, and Kekoa Scott Kekumano as the White Lotus' harried employees.

Season two brought the action to Sicily, with Coolidge's character Tanya (and her husband) as the only returning characters, along with guests played by Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Meghann Fahy, Will Sharpe, Haley Lu Richardson, F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Adam DiMarco, Tom Hollander, and Leo Woodall. The White Lotus Sicily's employees/local Italians were played by Sabrina Impacciatore, Beatrice Grannò, and Simona Tabasco.

The Emmy Award-winning series will be back for a season three. You can catch up with the first two seasons on HBO Max.

It'd be impossible to list all of the amazing actors that have appeared in "AHS" over the years, but we can shout out a few of creator Ryan Murphy's favorites, like Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Denis O'Hare, Lily Rabe, Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett, Finn Wittrock, Frances Conroy, and more, who have appeared as many different characters across various seasons of this horror show.

Each season tells a self-contained spooky story, with murder, blood, guts, gore, and witchcraft, and each season has a nickname. In order, they go: "Murder House," "Asylum," "Coven," "Freak Show," "Hotel," "Roanoke," "Cult," "Apocalypse" (which was a crossover between "Murder House," "Asylum," and "Hotel"), "1984," "Double Feature," and the most recent season "NYC." Two more have already been confirmed.

"AHS" is streaming on Hulu.

"American Crime Story" was a bona fide cultural moment when it premiered in 2016 under the sub-heading "The People v. O. J. Simpson." As you might have guessed, the first season focused on the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, and the subsequent murder trial of her ex-husband and former football star Simpson.

The trial gripped America in the '90s, and almost 20 years later, this dramatic retelling of the story once again captivated audiences and led to awards for Sarah Paulson (who played prosecutor Marcia Clark), Cuba Gooding Jr. (who played Simpson), and Courtney B. Vance (who played defense attorney Johnnie Cochran).

Season two was called "The Assassination of Gianni Versace," and it focused on the murder of designer Gianni Versace (Édgar Ramirez) by spree killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss, who won an Emmy for his performance).

The most recent season, "Impeachment," starred Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewisnky and Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, as Lewinsky was dragged into the public eye for having an affair with President Bill Clinton (Clive Owen), and the ensuing impeachment scandal.

All three seasons (so far) of "American Crime Story" are on Hulu.

The original "Fargo" is a black-comedy film about a triple homicide. The 2014 FX series, which takes place in the same universe, has a similar tone, as each season deals with an entirely new cast of Midwesterners who can't help but commit crimes ... usually murder.

Across four seasons (with a fifth on the way), the show has attracted A-list talent, including Ewan McGregor, Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Carrie Coon, Jessie Buckley, Chris Rock, Ben Whishaw, Jon Hamm, Juno Temple, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and more.

The first four seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series are streaming on Hulu.

The first season of "True Detective," which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, was truly must-see TV, as these two old friends reunited on screen to play deeply troubled cops trying to solve a murder that haunted the two of them for decades. Its success was a huge part of the "McConaissance."

Season two, starring Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Taylor Kitsch, and Rachel McAdams, wasn't as well-received, but season three, which starred the always-captivating Mahershala Ali as a detective in the Ozarks, was a return to form.

A fourth season, starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in Alaska, is on the way.

"True Detective" is streaming on HBO Max.

"Diabolical" takes place inside the universe of the Prime Video superhero series "The Boys." It allows viewers to further analyze how superpowers and the insidious Vought International have altered daily life and negatively impacted almost everyone living inside this universe.

Each episode has a different cast and a different animation style, making this a beautiful — while extremely disgusting — watch. For anyone who can't handle blood and guts, skip out on this series.

"The Boys Presents: Diabolical" is streaming on Prime Video.

Similar to "Diabolical," "Visions" takes place in a larger universe — specifically the "Star Wars" universe — and each episode features a different animation style, though they are all anime.

Also like "Diabolical," "Visions" similarly gives viewers a peek into what life is like for the rest of the people residing a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, besides those main characters we followed in the Skywalker Saga for the last 40-plus years. While we can't be sure that some of our old favorites won't pop up in season two, any fan of "Star Wars" or anime should check this out.

"Star Wars: Visions" is streaming on Disney+.

Like a modern-day "Twilight Zone" (more on that later), "Black Mirror" pops up on Netflix every couple of years with at least two or three stories that showcase just how close civilization is to relying a little too much on technology. Standouts include "White Bear," "USS Callister," "Nosedive," "Playtest," "San Junipero," and "Be Right Back," which highlight that while technology has made life easier in some aspects, it's also kind of ruined our brains ... or at least, is well on its way.

"Black Mirror" is streaming on Netflix.

The first season, "The Haunting of Hill House," was a profound look at how grief and trauma can warp a family to the point where they can barely stand to be in the same room as each other — of course, with a few dozen ghosts hiding around the titular haunted house and one Bent-Neck Lady to haunt your nightmares.

Season two, "The Haunting of Bly Manor," while not as outwardly scary, was tied together by enduring love just as much as "Hill House" was, and is still worth the watch, especially around Halloween.

Both "Haunting" seasons are on Netflix.

"What If…?" is based on the famous Marvel Comics run of the same name, in which each issue asked a simple question: What if? In the animated version that premiered in 2021, each episode posited a different question about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. What if Ultron had won, instead of losing in "Avengers: Age of Ultron"? What if T'Challa was picked up by aliens instead of Peter Quill, making T'Challa the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy?

At this point in the MCU, it's almost impossible to jump in, but even newbies to the universe can appreciate "What If…?" as good comics storytelling. Catch up now before season two is released this year.

"What If…?" is streaming on Disney+.

"The Twilight Zone" premiered in 1959, and it has been haunting us in some form ever since, between three more revival TV shows and one feature film. It's consistently ranked as one of the best TV shows of all time, the theme song still hits when someone sings it after something creepy happens, and we still make references to various episodes all the time.

If you don't know, "The Twilight Zone" was originally a series that aired in the '50s and '60s, with each episode consisting of a self-contained story, usually with a sci-fi or horror bent, and with a solemn moral at the end of each episode, read out by narrator Rod Serling, who always cautioned viewers about entering "the Twilight Zone."

"The Twilight Zone" and all its subsequent revivals are streaming on Paramount+.