Miniseries
This article details the term miniseries as it is used in the television industry. For discussion of the miniseries as used in the comic book industry, see limited series.A
miniseries (sometimes
mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes.
In television, the format dates back to at least a 1966
ABC broadcast of an
adaptation of
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, produced by David L. Wolper.
The term became well-established in the mid 1970s, particularly with the success of
Rich Man, Poor Man, based on the novel of Irwin Shaw, in 1976.
Alex Haley's
Roots in 1977 can fairly be called the first
blockbuster success of the format. Its success in the
USA was due to its schedule: the twelve hours were split into eight episodes broadcast on consecutive nights, resulting in a finale with a 71 percent share of the audience and 130 million viewers.
TV Guide (
April 11-
April 17 1987) called
Jesus of Nazareth "the best miniseries of all time" and "unparalleled television."
In
British television, the term 'miniseries' is almost never used, except in reference to American imports. The term
serial is preferred for short-run British television drama, which has been a staple of UK schedules since the early 1950s when serials such as
The Quatermass Experiment (1953) established the popularity of the form. The series
The Prisoner was originally pitched by
Patrick McGoohan for 7 episodes, and expanded to 17 due to studio concerns that such a short series would be difficult to sell. 'Miniseries' is however, used as a kind of
exonym for British TV series in the
United States, where the typical length of six episodes is considered short.
Very rarely, a multi-part episode within a longer running TV show may also be called a "mini-series", and with a few shows, a mini-series became the effective pilot episode of a longer production run.
Australian Mini-Series include, The Dismissal + Scales Of Justice ('83), Bodyline ('84), The Cowra Breakout + Anzacs ('85), Bankok Hilton ('89) + Brides Of Christ ('91)
*
Television series*
A USC retrospective on the career of producer
David L. Wolper.
