Who remembers the peak of the miniseries? (trailer, television, episode)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

I had started another thread about Roots, and that led me to think about other miniseries that were shown on the "Big Three" (ABC, CBS, and NBC) from the 1970s through the 1990s. Anyone recall when it was popular to make miniseries out of historical novels or romance novels? There was Shogun, The Thorn Birds, Hollywood Wives, East of Eden, Rage of Angels, Lonesome Dove, etc. LD was probably the last hurrah of the traditional miniseries, as the competition from cable forced networks to develop cheaper programming. Now, however, it seems the miniseries has seen a rebirth on cable.

Here's a trailer from maybe one of the most over-the-top.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C23XAuqwDac

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...ion_miniseries

[veuvegirl]

The Thornbirds and East of Eden, loved.

[fresnochili]

Oh yes, the Thornbirds. When Richard Chamberland was making women swoon.
Until he came out. Remember that? I was surprised.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by fresnochili

Oh yes, the Thornbirds. When Richard Chamberland was making women swoon.
Until he came out. Remember that? I was surprised.

That's "Chamberlain".

[Coney]

The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. A Woman Called Golda, Rich Man Poor Man, North and South, QB VII, Holocaust, The Last Days of Pompeii.

[Mark S.]

They're still around, they just don't call them the mini-series anymore.

FARGO on FX is a 10-episode mini-series.

AMERICAN HORROR story is a mini-series.

But I don't think we'll ever see them on the big 4 networks again. The big 4 still think it is 1985, and all the cable networks continue to put them to shame.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

They're still around, they just don't call them the mini-series anymore.

FARGO on FX is a 10-episode mini-series.

AMERICAN HORROR story is a mini-series.

But I don't think we'll ever see them on the big 4 networks again. The big 4 still think it is 1985, and all the cable networks continue to put them to shame.

One of the "Big Four" (FOX) wasn't around in 1985.

[SabresFanInSA]

Shogun is the one that always sticks in my mind.

[charlygal]

I was actually thinking about this very topic. The old miniseries were "national events."

[Coney]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

They're still around, they just don't call them the mini-series anymore.

FARGO on FX is a 10-episode mini-series.

AMERICAN HORROR story is a mini-series.

But I don't think we'll ever see them on the big 4 networks again. The big 4 still think it is 1985, and all the cable networks continue to put them to shame.

NBC tried with The Slap, but as you said, they didn't call it a miniseries.