# Best Miniseries?



## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

I'm looking for some good miniseries to help me through nights of total insomnia. Movies are too short, but long series with several seasons are too long. What can you recommend?


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## Jstkiddn (Oct 15, 2003)

Lee 2.0 said:


> I'm looking for some good miniseries to help me through nights of total insomnia. Movies are too short, but long series with several seasons are too long. What can you recommend?


Did you ever see Pillars of the Earth? It was really good.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Actually watched it this weekend. I love the books. Have not watched World Without End yet, but it's in the queue. :up:


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## SleepyBob (Sep 28, 2000)

BBC's Pride & Predudice - 6 hours


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

The Wire


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## tiassa (Jul 2, 2008)

Torchwood: Children of Earth


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## billypritchard (May 7, 2001)

SleepyBob said:


> BBC's Pride & Predudice - 6 hours


The BBC Vanity Fair is good too.


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## Allanon (Nov 2, 2005)

Band of Brothers and The Pacific are great miniseries. The other night I couldn't sleep and ended up watching all eight episodes of Hunted.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Lee 2.0 said:


> Actually watched it this weekend. I love the books. Have not watched World Without End yet, but it's in the queue. :up:


Pillars was decent. WWE will drive you nuts if you love the books. I couldn't watch it all.


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## jsmeeker (Apr 2, 2001)

Band of Brothers

From The Earth To The Moon


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## Thom (Jun 5, 2000)

The Lost Room.


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## 2004raptor (Dec 31, 2005)

I've recently become a fan of American Horror Story. There have been 2 seasons but they do not tie into each other at all. In fact, I watched Season two before season one. There are some actors/actresses that are in both seasons.

Season one is about a haunted house whereas season two is about an asylum.


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## Archangel00 (Aug 25, 2006)

Hatfields & McCoys
Mildred Pierce
John Adams
Titanic: Blood & Steel


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## Marco (Sep 19, 2000)

Dune
The Shining


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## fmowry (Apr 30, 2002)

efilippi said:


> The Wire


While you must be joking about it being a miniseries I would go with "The Corner" by the same dudes. Sort of a miniseries about a family that would be prominent in "The Wire".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corner


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## LifeIsABeach (Feb 28, 2001)

Per Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/BEST-TV-MINI-MiniSeries-LIST/lm/2MPR9UF1C9LLG


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## fmowry (Apr 30, 2002)

LifeIsABeach said:


> Per Amazon:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/BEST-TV-MINI-MiniSeries-LIST/lm/2MPR9UF1C9LLG


Per some dude who made a list on Amazon (updated last in 2005).


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

Shogun
Brideshead Revisited (the one with Jeremy Irons)
Band of Brothers
House of Cards (both the original and the Netflix remake)
Roots
Lonesome Dove (my personal favorite)
The Stand
The Forsyte Saga
I, Claudius


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## KenDC (Jun 18, 2001)

North and South


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

fmowry said:


> While you must be joking about it being a miniseries I would go with "The Corner" by the same dudes. Sort of a miniseries about a family that would be prominent in "The Wire".
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Corner


They just re-ran "The Corner" over the weekend and I watched a few episodes. Great series and I was surprised to recognize three main actors who also were in "The Wire" in very different roles. :up:


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## TIVO_GUY_HERE (Jul 10, 2000)

ohh, I loved North and South, the 1st go round not the next generation.


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## Mikeyis4dcats (Oct 2, 2003)

I forget the name, but the BBC miniseries about the currency heist


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

well it's not a mini-series but i have the same issue and watched the late 70s UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS when I couldn't sleep (through Netflix).

while good and interesting it somehow or other had me out in 20 minutes. i just finished 68 episodes.

it all depends on whether or not you like british period stuff


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## Maui (Apr 22, 2000)

Band of Brothers <-- My all time favorite
Pride and Prejudice
Gettysburg - Technically a movie but the director's cut clocks in at 4 1/2 hours.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Gettysburg is awesome. That's on the list.


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## Thom (Jun 5, 2000)

Also try Firefly, viewed in the intended order, not the actual broadcast order. It's about 13 to 14 hours total.


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## Malcontent (Sep 5, 2004)

'Jekyll'

http://www.amazon.com/Jekyll-James-...ie=UTF8&qid=1361920024&sr=8-2&keywords=Jekyll



> One of the most novel interpretations of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," this BBC TV mini-series offers a terrific performance from James Nesbitt as Tom Jackman, a modern-day descendant of Stevenson's scientist hero who discovers that he shares his ancestor's penchant for transforming into a more animalistic alter ego.





> Part conspiracy thriller, part comic horror, Steven Moffat's extraordinary retelling of this Robert Louis Stevenson classic takes the ultimate tale of inner conflict to unforgettable new heights. It is 2007 and there's a new Dr. Jekyll with an old problem - Mr. Hyde. But the pair have a deal - a body share - and an impossible life is somehow lived. With all the resources of modern technology, and the best surveillance hardware, Jekyll is determined to keep his dangerous alter ego in check by doing a deal with his own devil. What neither of them know is that an ancient organization with limitless wealth and power is monitoring their every move, and a plan over a century in the making is coming to fruition. The return of Dr Jekyll is no accident...


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

If you don't mind some non-fiction, there are the Michael Palin travel series...

Pole to Pole
Around the World in 80 Days

And a few others. Very well done, and entertaining.


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## Bob Coxner (Dec 1, 2004)

jradosh said:


> If you don't mind some non-fiction, there are the Michael Palin travel series...
> 
> Pole to Pole
> Around the World in 80 Days
> ...


I'll add the Ewan McGregor travel docs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403778/ Long Way Round - around the world on a motorcycle. Rated 9.0 on IMDB and I can highly recommend it. McGregor proves to be just as or more adventuresome than Palin.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959858/ Long Way Down - from the northern tip of Scotland to South Africa on motorcycles. 8.4 on IMDB.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Great ideas. Anyone who liked those might like Last Chance to See


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Allanon said:


> The other night I couldn't sleep and ended up watching all eight episodes of Hunted.


How was it? I have all of them saved too.


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## Fixer (Mar 29, 2005)

If you have Starz/Encore, check this out -> http://www.starz.com/promotions/bigminiseriesshowcase

___


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## Hcour (Dec 24, 2007)

Mikeyis4dcats said:


> I forget the name, but the BBC miniseries about the currency heist


"Inside Men". It was excellent!


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## Marco (Sep 19, 2000)

Roots
The Civil War


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

The Battlestar Galactica miniseries that launched the series reboot.

Garth Marenghi's Dark Place

The Fades


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Fixer said:


> If you have Starz/Encore, check this out -> http://www.starz.com/promotions/bigminiseriesshowcase
> 
> ___


Is my reading comprehension going, or is something wrong? The text says 'your all time favorites from the past, like 'The Thorn Birds' and 'North and South', but the sidebar on the right lists none of those?!?!?!


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## Fixer (Mar 29, 2005)

mattack said:


> Is my reading comprehension going, or is something wrong? The text says 'your all time favorites from the past, like 'The Thorn Birds' and 'North and South', but the sidebar on the right lists none of those&#8230;?!?!?!


They showed "North and South" Books 1 & 2 (maybe Book 3 also) a few weeks ago. I believe they played "The Thorn Birds" sometime in January.

___


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## Allanon (Nov 2, 2005)

astrohip said:


> How was it? I have all of them saved too.


Not a lot of depth and a few cliché characters but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. I would watch another series if they make more.


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

According to CanIstreamit, Winds of War/War and Remembrance are not easily seen these days but I recently reread the books, well, Audibled them, and was captivated.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

efilippi said:


> According to CanIstreamit, Winds of War/War and Remembrance are not easily seen these days but I recently reread the books, well, Audibled them, and was captivated.


"The Winds of War" is available on netflix streaming.


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## efilippi (Jul 24, 2001)

Edmund said:


> "The Winds of War" is available on netflix streaming.


Really? Then I guess that means that CanIstreamit is not very reliable as it says it is not available. I'm not a Netflix guy so can't check.


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

I have it in my Queue for awhile now, haven't gotten around to watching it.


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## Fixer (Mar 29, 2005)

"Hatfields & McCoys" is worth a watch. It's a little too late to mention, but History Channel had another showing today.

___


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## grey ghost (Feb 2, 2010)

Downton Abbey
Band of Brothers, but NOT the Pacific
Shogun
Lonesome Dove
House of Cards if you have Netflix


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## bengalfreak (Oct 20, 2002)

In order of how good they were.
Roots (even though it was based on a lie it was great television)
From the Earth to the Moon
Band of Brothers

I almost forgot, the mini-series that started them all.

Rich Man, Poor Man


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## Edmund (Nov 8, 2002)

Some very hard to find Miniseries which I liked alot are:

Chiefs
NobleHouse
Celebrity


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## Cainebj (Nov 11, 2006)

Allanon said:


> The other night I couldn't sleep and ended up watching all eight episodes of Hunted.


Thanks for the heads up on The Hunted. 
I started it this morning and I'm already addicted.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

From The Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers are two of my all-time favorites.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

How about a "micro series"? 2003's Clone Wars!


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## harrinpj (Oct 29, 2004)

some from the UK that I love are Zen, Luther, and Sherlock.

While Luther and Sherlock are not really considered mini-series, they are relatively short with only 6 or 8 episodes a season for Luther and 3 episodes a season for Sherlock.


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## sharkster (Jul 3, 2004)

I don't know yet how good it is, although it is getting high marks, but there is a new 7-episode miniseries coming right up (within Tivo guide data currently) on Sundance. It stars Elizabeth Moss (Peggy from Mad Men) and Holly Hunter. How bad could that be? 

'Top of the Lake'

ETA - first two eps March 18


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## MonsterJoe (Feb 19, 2003)

Rome (HBO) is probably my favorite of all time. I think it's technically a series, but it has a miniseries feel to me.


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## keirgrey (Nov 20, 2001)

Dirk Gently was good. 
Sea of Souls was also good.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

They made a miniseries of Dirk Gently?


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## keirgrey (Nov 20, 2001)

Yes. It was on BBC. 4 episodes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Gently_(TV_series)


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Super. Thank you Keirgrey!


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## 7thton (Mar 3, 2005)

Bob Coxner said:


> I'll add the Ewan McGregor travel docs.
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403778/ Long Way Round - around the world on a motorcycle. Rated 9.0 on IMDB and I can highly recommend it. McGregor proves to be just as or more adventuresome than Palin.
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959858/ Long Way Down - from the northern tip of Scotland to South Africa on motorcycles. 8.4 on IMDB.


I agree that these were really good.


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## benie27 (Mar 20, 2013)

The Shining


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## Langree (Apr 29, 2004)

V:The Mini series
V:The final Battle

don't judge.. I enjoy it!

Lonesome Dove
We Shall Remain available on Netflix, the whole American Experience series has some good stuff.


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## DLiquid (Sep 17, 2001)

Taken (Steven Spielberg presents)


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## bengalfreak (Oct 20, 2002)

harrinpj said:


> some from the UK that I love are Zen, Luther, and Sherlock.
> 
> While Luther and Sherlock are not really considered mini-series, they are relatively short with only 6 or 8 episodes a season for Luther and 3 episodes a season for Sherlock.


Luther is coming back for series 3.


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## Lars_J (Feb 1, 2005)

It has been mentioned already, but I *really* enjoyed SciFi's *The Lost Room*. It was really good... SciFi's (before they were SyFy) last good mini-series.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Lars_J said:


> It has been mentioned already, but I *really* enjoyed SciFi's The Lost Room. It was really good... SciFi's (before they were SyFy) last good mini-series.


Yes, I really liked it too. It was meant as a backdoor pilot, if I recall, but nothing was ever made of it (except arguably Warehouse 13, maybe?).


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## JohnB1000 (Dec 6, 2004)

May have missed if this has already been mentioned but Netflix has Sleeper Cell which is a great double mini series about a terrorist plot.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

Throwing Top of the Lake in here so I remember to look for it after it's all aired.


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## kimsan (Jan 23, 2002)

Lee 2.0 said:


> Great ideas. Anyone who liked those might like Last Chance to See


Dang! Loved the book and never knew of the show. I'll be looking for that one


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

You're officially the first person I ever met who already knew the book. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Lee 2.0 said:


> You're officially the first person I ever met who already knew the book. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.


The Douglas Adams book? I have a signed copy.


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## Lee 2.0 (Jul 10, 2012)

kaszeta said:


> The Douglas Adams book? I have a signed copy.


Shut up.

I'm not jealous. Not jealous at all.


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## kimsan (Jan 23, 2002)

Lee 2.0 said:


> You're officially the first person I ever met who already knew the book. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.


No such thing exists beyond my occasional FB posts. I still recall the Mauritius trip and (paraphrased) "Oh THERE'S x amoount of them...THESE are the last 2...and they don't like each other".

Something like that.


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## kimsan (Jan 23, 2002)

kaszeta said:


> The Douglas Adams book? I have a signed copy.


I think i hate you and everyone you know


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

kimsan said:


> I think i hate you and everyone you know


He didn't say who signed it. I'll sign yours, if you want.


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## danterner (Mar 4, 2005)

Lee 2.0 said:


> They made a miniseries of Dirk Gently?





keirgrey said:


> Yes. It was on BBC. 4 episodes.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Gently_(TV_series)


I had thought there were only three episodes:



Spoiler



1. The one about horoscopes and the Pentagon
2. Max the rogue AI
3. The stalker/cleaner/prior clients dying



Looking into it further, it looks like I missed the pilot episode, which is numbered 00. Have to go back, I guess. I enjoyed the series. Is it done or will there be a series 2?

Also: note that this series was done by Howard Overman, the guy behind Misfits.


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