What is a Docuseries? Definition, Meaning, and Formats

Before we deep dive into 'what is a docuseries,' let’s familiarize ourselves with some of the key elements of the documentary genre. The docuseries meaning makes more sense once you know the documentary landscape it came from. Knowing different documentary types and techniques reveals the nuance between formats.

The term “docuseries” is relatively new and emerged during the rise of streaming platforms and the demand for in-depth documentary content. That shift is part of what shaped the docuseries meaning as a distinct format. While sometimes used interchangeably, there is a key difference between docuseries and documentary series. I know it sounds like I said the same thing, but I didn’t.

Docuseries are heavily serialized stories. The storylines carry over multiple episodes, often ending on cliffhangers, leading up to a culminating moment at the end of the season or series. Making a Murderer, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, and O.J.: Made in America are examples of docuseries, often popular on streaming platforms.

A documentary series, however, while also episodic, are often standalone from other episodes. The series has an overarching theme and can often be watched out of order without losing context. Planet Earth, Chef’s Table, and How It’s Made are some examples of documentary series and often featured on traditional television programming.

Let’s look at the key differences between docuseries and feature documentaries. The docuseries definition becomes clearest when placed next to the feature documentary. Off the bat, the major difference between the two is length.

Feature documentaries are single films with running times of 90-120 minutes in a standalone narrative. Watch the below video on how to make a documentary film, which helps define the various styles of feature documentary filmmaking.

Comparing Docuseries versus Documentary Structure • What is a docuseries?

There are multiple approaches a documentary can take when deciding how to tell a story.

There is an access-based approach, often referred to as cinéma vérité, a French term literally meaning “truthful cinema”, where filmmakers embed themselves with subjects for an extended period of time and allow the story to play out in real time.

This process can take months or years. Making a Murderer and The Last Dance are excellent examples of access-based documentary filmmaking. The types of camera shots used in cinéma vérité work are deliberately unpolished — handheld, reactive, present.

Another approach is archive-based, where the story unfolds through historical archival footage and new interviews, often referred to as “talking head” documentaries. The narrative is more reflective than happening in real-time. The Vow and Wild Wild Country are great examples of archival-based documentaries.

Methods for Producing Real Stories • What is a docuseries?

Finally, there is a hybrid approach, a combination of access and archival sources. These films often use archival footage to give more context to the things playing out in real time. The Imposter and Hoop Dreams are examples of veritie and archival-based hybrid documentaries.

Docuseries make room for more access-based or hybrid filmmaking approaches. Due to the episodic structure of docuseries, they call for more interview time, more archival or access-based footage, and present complex narrative arches that have to span in a serialized way. The filmmakers and the subjects themselves don’t know how the story ends when filming begins.

Making a Murderer is a prime example of this approach in action. Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos embedded themselves with Steven Avery and his defense team for 10 years without knowing the verdict or the outcome of the case.

They just knew they had an interesting story and picked up a camera. The end result produced one of the most profound docuseries of the true crime documentary genre.

Here are some famous docuseries that explore the multiple different approaches to documentary filmmaking across multiple sub-genres. These picks range from true crime dramas to sports and cultural docuseries and even some wacky stranger-than-fiction series. Take a look, make your pick, and tune in!

1. Making a Murderer (2015)

Netflix · Laura Ricciardi & Moira Demos · Multi-part, Streaming original

Directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos spent 10 years embedding themselves into the case of Steven Avery and his 16-year-old nephew Brendan Dassey to build a 10-episode docuseries that serves as a family portrait, a legal procedural, and an in-depth look into institutional accountability.

The series single-handedly changed how general audiences think about criminal guilt, confessions, and convictions, and is widely considered one of the most impactful docuseries of all time. Their approach to film lighting and handheld camera work became a template for the genre.

What is a docuseries at its broadest? A format with more range than most people expect. There are many sub-formats within the genre. Here are some of the main sub-genres and some examples of each:

1. True Crime

Investigates a criminal case episode by episode, unfolding it toward an ultimate ending.

Examples: Making a Murderer, Don’t F**k with Cats, The Keepers; all available on Netflix

2. Sports

Gives the audience behind-the-scenes access to athletes and teams, giving a personal experience beyond the court or field.

Examples: The Last Dance (ESPN), Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Netflix), Hard Knocks (HBO)

3. Nature

Often episodic and anthological, it focuses on a habitat or theme.

Examples: Planet Earth, Our Planet, Blue Planet; all available on Netflix

4. Food/Culture

Explore topics ranging from food preparation and cooking techniques to the global food industry and sustainable farming practices.

Examples: Chef’s Table (Netflix), Searching for Soulfood (Hulu), High on the Hog (Netflix)

5. Social issue/investigative

Takes a look at urgent cultural, economic, and political crises and their effects on society.

Examples: The Vow (HBO), TIME: The Kalief Browder Story (Netflix), The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

The rise in popularity and interest in docuseries can mostly be attributed to cultural trends and the economics surrounding streaming as a whole.

From the streaming economics standpoint, one of the toughest challenges for platforms is retention. The market is so saturated with different types of programming across multiple platforms that it becomes a fight over the audience’s attention.

Docuseries solves this problem structurally. Given the in-depth and cliffhanger nature of docuseries, it creates an appointment viewing experience for audiences and keeps them from cancelling their subscription mid-month. Successful platforms that understand this will often have more docuseries available once another has ended.

From a cultural impact standpoint, docuseries like Making a Murderer, The Jinx, and Tiger King didn’t just get watched; they became a part of our everyday conversation. From social commentary to memes, these docuseries create the water-cooler effect where everyone is talking about it, and you feel left out for not knowing.

The most interesting thing about these two is that they often pull in opposite directions. While streaming platforms want content that will drive subscriptions, the docuseries that make the most cultural impact are the ones that prioritize argument over engagement farming. Docuseries that know how to do both are the most successful in the genre.