[JoeSchmoe007]

I haven't had cable for the last 12 years, so not really up to date. Got it recently and just watched an episode from "Band of Brothers". Liked it.


I am usually not interested in any long-running shows because (IMO) authors creativity runs out soon and they become a bore after several episodes.


Can anyone recommend any past mini-series worth watching? Must be available on DVD or Blu-Ray - I just can't deal with having to chase episodes on cable when they are broadcasted.

 

[Airboss]



Quote:
Originally Posted by joeschmoe007 /forum/post/18224515


I haven't had cable for the last 12 years, so not really up to date. Got it recently and just watched an episode from "Band of Brothers". Liked it.


I am usually not interested in any long-running shows because (IMO) authors creativity runs out soon and they become a bore after several episodes.


Can anyone recommend any past mini-series worth watching? Must be available on DVD or Blu-Ray - I just can't deal with having to chase episodes on cable when they are broadcasted.

BBC has some great mini-series:

"State of Play"

"Edge of Darkness "

"Survivors" (1975 series and a 2008 series) - Not really a mini-series but very good.

"Five Days"

"Traffik"

"Boys from the Blackstuff"

"G.B.H."


Here are some others:

"Heimat - Ein deutsche Chronik"

"Riget"

"Dekalog" - not really a mini-series either but 10 different stories.

"Prime Suspect"

"The Best of Youth" (La meglio gioventù )

"Fanny & Alexander" (Fanny och Alexander) - although a movie it was originally a series on Swedish TV

 

[joeblow]

I vote for one I caught on Blu-ray last year for the first time and wished I supported it when it first came out: Firefly. It's an ensemble sci-fi western that is one of the best TV series I've ever seen. My wife got into it too, enjoying it almost as much as I did. After watching all of the hour long episodes (14 or so), be sure to followup with Serenity, the full feature film that wraps it all up.

 

[Airboss]



Quote:
Originally Posted by joeblow /forum/post/18225464


I vote for one I caught on Blu-ray last year for the first time and wished I supported it when it first came out: Firefly. It's an ensemble sci-fi western that is one of the best TV series I've ever seen. My wife got into it too, enjoying it almost as much as I did. After watching all of the hour long episodes (14 or so), be sure to followup with Serenity, the full feature film that wraps it all up.

+1 on Firefly and Serenity!

 

[daryl zero]

Not sure what you mean by long running shows. There have been some great shows that have ran for a few years without losing steam such as Deadwood, Dexter, Rome, Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Flight of the Conchords, and The Wire. Others I haven't really watched such as Carnivale, Six Feet Under, Big Love, Tudors, Californication etc. HBO has done some events such as Angels in America, Iron Jawed Angels, John Adams, Recount, When the Levees Broke, The Corner, and recently (won't be on DVD for a while) which is really good: Temple Grandin and off of HBO you have Planet Earth. Another current series which is fun is True Blood.

 

[Rakesh.S]

The Lost Room

 

[daryl zero]

As an aside, I still think I Claudius is one of the best miniseries of all time. I tried getting it on DVD once and the quality was so bad I returned it. Is there any good version of it?

 

[DaveFi]

Bleak House

Cranford

John Adams


You left your options wide open. What do you like? Do you like anime and other foreign television (because many anime series are in the "short-form" format, what we would consider a miniseries here).

 

[BOSE501MKIV]

I think "The Shield" was probably the best show on "free" tv during its run. Not counting The Sopranos.

 

[ratpacker]

Lonesome Dove. 'nuff said.

 

[JoeSchmoe007]

Thanks for suggestions y'all.


I find it a bit difficult to specify my tastes as they vary. But I can say that I have no interest in anime, don't care about Sopranos or Dexter, Serenity was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I stand uncorrected on my opinion about long-running shows. After 5-th episode their primary purpose is to drag time and be a source of income for parties involved, no matter how painful they are to watch.

 

[Wytchone]

Dead Set

Taken

Lonesome Dove

 

[ChrisMcCarthy]

Shogun was fantastic.

Noble House was good.

John Adams was fantastic.

Lonesome Dove was fantastic.

Rome was technically a series, but was run like a miniseries and was fantastic.


If you expand to include TV shows which were written by one guy or one groop and were ONE story there are some others to include.

Rome as mentioned above. (2 seasons)

Dead Wood could also be in this group. (3 seasons)

Babylon 5 was 5 years, but was one story and very rarely episodic. (5 seasons)


Chris.

 

[mproper]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Rakesh.S /forum/post/18225521


The Lost Room

That was the first one that popped into my head. Best miniseries I've seen in a LOOOOOOONG time. Even bought the DVD (a rarity for me as my collecting phase was long past). I still want that pencil that produces pennies when tapped. I could be rich! I thought there was talk at one point of making it a series...too bad that never happened.


Others:

The BSG miniseries, even if it was the kickoff to the series

The Stand (still love the opening with Don't Fear The Reaper playing)

Planet Earth

 

[LineWalker]

Anyone here remember Wild Palms? That was a short, but very strange, mini-series from the '90s (based on a cult comic book IIRC), with notables like Jim Belushi, Kim Cattrall, Robert Loggia, and Ben Savage. Rival factions at war with each other, holographic 3D TV, a drug called Mimezine, and mind control involving the recurring image of a church all figured into it. I caught the whole thing and wished it went just a tiny bit longer than it did (which was maybe 5 episodes).

 

[Lee Stewart]

It wasn't a mini series per say - it was a Sci-FI TV show that got cancelled and there are only 12 episodes:

Firefly

 

[DaveFi]

Guys- did you see the "12 years" in the original post? I think shows like Shogun and Lonesome Dove don't qualify.

 

[ratpacker]



Quote:
Guys- did you see the "12 years" in the original post? I think shows like Shogun and Lonesome Dove don't qualify.

I haven't had cable for only a couple of years. That doesn't make Lonesome Dove any less apealling to me to watch.

 

[ratpacker]



Quote:
Anyone here remember Wild Palms? That was a short, but very strange, mini-series from the '90s (based on a cult comic book IIRC), with notables like Jim Belushi, Kim Cattrall, Robert Loggia, and Ben Savage.

With a cast like that, I'm surprised it went on that long. Jim Belushi- God, that guy flat out sucks in everything.

 

[mikieson]

North and South