Big Little Lies

2017 • TMDB 7.9 • 2 seasons • 14 episodes • Drama • HBO

Overview

In the postcard-perfect coastal town of Monterey, California, the lives of three mothers collide on the first day of school — and nothing is ever simple again. Madeline Mackenzie is the town’s sharp-tongued force of nature, Celeste Wright seems to have the perfect marriage and twin boys, and Jane Chapman arrives as a guarded single mother with a painful past. What begins as a playground spat between their children spirals into gossip, feuds and buried secrets, all building toward a death at a school fundraiser that the show reveals in its very first scene. Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel, Big Little Lies is a deliciously twisty drama about marriage, motherhood, friendship and the lies people tell to protect the lives they have built. Beneath the ocean views and beautiful houses, it takes domestic abuse, trauma and guilt seriously, and its all-star cast — including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern — makes every revelation land.

Creator and Main Cast

Created by David E. Kelley.

• Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright (14 episodes)
• Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Mackenzie (14 episodes)
• Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman (14 episodes)
• Laura Dern as Renata Klein (14 episodes)
• Alexander Skarsgård as Perry Wright (14 episodes)
• Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie (14 episodes)
• James Tupper as Nathan Carlson (14 episodes)
• Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson (14 episodes)
• Iain Armitage as Ziggy Chapman (14 episodes)

Seasons Snapshot

Big Little Lies ran for 2 seasons and 14 episodes. Season 1 premiered on February 19, 2017 (7 episodes), building to a death at a school fundraiser. Season 2 premiered in 2019 (7 episodes) and follows the “Monterey Five” — Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata and Bonnie — as they deal with the aftermath, with Meryl Streep joining as Perry’s mother, Mary Louise Wright. The finale, “I Want to Know” (2×7), aired on July 21, 2019.

Why Watch Big Little Lies?

• A murder mystery told backwards, with the victim revealed last.
• An extraordinary ensemble led by Kidman, Witherspoon and Dern.
• Monterey’s coastline is practically a character itself.
• Sharp, funny writing about marriage, money and motherhood.
• Meryl Streep’s scene-stealing arrival in Season 2.
• Just 14 episodes — a complete, bingeable prestige drama.

Trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube (HBO).

Where to Watch

As checked on JustWatch US on October 30, 2026, Big Little Lies streams in the United States on HBO Max (2 seasons) and the HBO Max Amazon Channel (2 seasons). It is also available to buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (2 seasons each).