A list of mini series i never get tired of...
by longbar-934-470648 | created - 26 Dec 2010 | updated - 27 Dec 2010 | PublicI can watch and rewatch these endlessly. Enjoy! And please let me know of any gems out there I have missed!
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1. First Among Equals (1986)
60 min | Drama
Political drama about the parallel careers of four MPs who all join Parliament in the mid-1960s.
Stars: Tom Wilkinson, James Faulkner, David Robb, Jeremy Child
Votes: 102
Fun and engaging with great performances and a typically ingenious Archer plot
2. Vanity Fair (1998)
Not Rated | 50 min | Drama, Romance
An adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's classic story of parvenue Becky Sharp's rise from obscure and humble origins to her subsequent ignominious fall from Society; set against the ... See full summary »
Stars: Natasha Little, Frances Grey, Philip Glenister, David Ross
Votes: 1,730
Best Becky Sharp ever.
3. North and South, Book I (1985)
TV-PG | 94 min | Drama, History, Romance
Two friends, one northern and one southern, struggle to maintain their friendship as events build towards the American Civil War.
Stars: Kirstie Alley, Georg Stanford Brown, David Carradine, Philip Casnoff
Votes: 11,892
A nostalgic choice, I'll admit, but still everything a mini series should be - engaging, outrageous and sumptuous, with heroes to love and villains to shake your fist at...
4. A Dance to the Music of Time (1997– )
Not Rated | 416 min | Drama
Anthony Powell's twelve volume novel sequence "A Dance to the Music of Time" has been dramatized for television.
Stars: Gillian Barge, Nicholas Jones, Simon Russell Beale, Robin Bailey
Votes: 518
Intricate and beautiful, melancholic and absorbing.
5. Perfect Strangers (2001– )
238 min | Comedy, Drama
Attending a distant family reunion reveals more than was expected.
Stars: Michael Gambon, Lindsay Duncan, Matthew Macfadyen, Claire Skinner
Votes: 1,482
One of the most delicate and moving mini series I've ever seen, with an intriguing personal mystery at its heart
6. Kane & Abel (1985)
240 min | Drama
Born on the same day near the turn of the century on opposite sides of the world, both men are brought together by fate and the quest of a dream. Kane and Abel battle for the success and triumph that only one man can have.
Stars: Kelly K. Learman, Peter Strauss, Sam Neill, Ron Silver
Votes: 960
Another romp - everything an 80s mini series should be.
7. Roots (1977)
TV-14 | 74 min | Biography, Drama, History
A dramatization of author Alex Haley's family line from ancestor Kunta Kinte's enslavement to his descendants' liberation.
Stars: LeVar Burton, Robert Reed, John Amos, Louis Gossett Jr.
Votes: 18,859
Fantastic. I remember seeing it as a teenager and never get tired of watching it. A little dated, but still a powerhouse.
8. Shogun (1980)
TV-MA | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, History
An English navigator becomes both a player and pawn in the complex political games in feudal Japan.
Stars: Richard Chamberlain, Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Shimada, Furankî Sakai
Votes: 15,462
Great adaptation of a fantastic book. While I'm not normally a Richard Chamberlain fan, he is great in this, and the whole thing is visually spectacular.
9. Brides of Christ (1991)
Drama
Diane, a young woman growing up in Australia in the mid 1960s, walks away from her fiancé to join a convent after being sure she has a calling to the faith. The Catholic Church and its ... See full summary »
Stars: Brenda Fricker, Sandy Gore, Josephine Byrnes, Lisa Hensley
Votes: 701
You'll be hard pressed to find an Australian who hasn't seen this - it swept the nation by storm and is one of the few Aussie mini series that deserves the accolades showered upon it. utterly engrossing and one of Naomi Watts' first big roles. Also, Russell Crowe in a small role (before he bacame a Terribly Serious and Important Actor Who Is Not To Be Trifled With).
10. Anne of Green Gables (1985)
TV-G | 100 min | Drama, Family
An orphan girl, sent to an elderly brother and sister by mistake, charms her new home and community with her fiery spirit and imagination.
Stars: Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth, Patricia Hamilton
Votes: 22,639
Spectacular. Introduce your 13-14 yo daughter/niece/grand-daughter to this one and not only will she be able to quote it verbatim in a week, but she'll devour every book in the series...lots of fun. Also, a terrific mother-daughter watch.
11. The Virgin Queen (2005–2006)
59 min | Biography, Drama, History
From teenage princess to accomplished queen, torn between duty and personal longing, the reign of Elizabeth I is exposed in this lavish drama filmed against a backdrop of some of Great Britain's most beautiful houses and landscapes.
Stars: Anne-Marie Duff, Sienna Guillory, Ian Hart, Tom Hardy
Votes: 3,277
With so many retellings, you think we'd all be tired of Elizabeth I. I love Cate in the films, but there's something about this mini series that just draws you in. You'll want to start again as soon as it's ended.
12. Smiley's People (1982)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Mystery
The murder of a Soviet defector forces his old handler, British spymaster George Smiley, out of retirement. His investigation leads to an old nemesis, the Soviet spymaster known only as "Karla". This will be their final dance.
Stars: Alec Guinness, Eileen Atkins, Bill Paterson, Vladek Sheybal
Votes: 4,760
Nearly as good as Tinker Tailor and just as ominous and enthralling.
13. The Devil's Mistress (2008)
189 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Drama charts the progress of the English Civil War through the story of a young woman, the fictional Angelica Fanshawe, and her three husbands.
Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Dominic West, Tom Goodman-Hill, John Simm
Votes: 2,728
Fantastic! And with the wonderful Maxine Peake....
14. Francesca e Nunziata (2001 TV Movie)
125 min | Drama
In turn-of-the-century Italy, wealthy Francesca (Loren) adopts a poor little girl named Nunziata. As the years pass, Nunziata falls in love with Francesca's son Federico (Bova), her adoptive brother.
Director: Lina Wertmüller | Stars: Sophia Loren, Giancarlo Giannini, Claudia Gerini, Raoul Bova
Votes: 235
Mini series melodrama as only the Italians can do it! Sophia Loren is tremendous, Giancarlo Giannini superb and the plot will have you gesticulating wildly with mediterranean passion at the injustice and intrigue...
15. Merlin (1998)
Not Rated | 61 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Legendary wizard Merlin tells his story of his war against Queen Mab of the Sidhe and his creation of Camelot.
Stars: Sam Neill, Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Rutger Hauer
Votes: 22,524
really, really, really fun! my favourite Merlin.
16. Never Never (2000– )
185 min | Drama
John Parlour and Jo Weller form a credit union but John's predatory lending scheme threatens both the poor residents of a London council estate and their own business.
Stars: John Simm, Sophie Okonedo, Adam Kotz, Neil Maskell
Votes: 97
John Simm is amazing in this series and does his usual trick of making what could have been merely a solid mini series golden.
17. The Lost Prince (2003 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 180 min | Biography, Drama
Based on the story of a British royal Prince locked away because of epilepsy.
Director: Stephen Poliakoff | Stars: Daniel Williams, Matthew James Thomas, Brock Everitt-Elwick, Rollo Weeks
Votes: 2,098
Another poignant masterpiece from Stephen Poliakoff. Exquisite.
18. Shooting the Past (1999– )
182 min | Drama, History
A US property developer realises that he has a battle on his hands when he tries to renovate a London building containing a vast photographic collection and discovers that the library employees will resort to anything to thwart him.
Stars: Lindsay Duncan, Timothy Spall, Liam Cunningham, Billie Whitelaw
Votes: 1,307
And Poliakoff does it again. Perfect script, perfect performances, perfect direction.
19.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)
Episode:
Tinker Tailor
(1979)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Smiley goes to meet Jim Prideaux who is now back in Britain having survived his experience in Czechoslovakia. His testimony and that of others sheds new light on the "Testify" fiasco and source "Merlin".
Director: John Irvin | Stars: Alec Guinness, Michael Jayston, Anthony Bate, George Sewell
Votes: 321
My absolute favourite. I could watch it every day and still find something new in the performances. Alec Guiness, Ian Richardson, Patrick Stewart and Beryl Reid....what more could you ask for? See it before the remake comes out. (I have high hopes for the new one - it's got a great cast - I just hope it has the same slow burn suspense and gravitas of this one...)
20. House of Cards (1990)
TV-14 | 57 min | Drama
The schemes of a ruthlessly ambitious British politician who will stop at nothing to get to the top.
Stars: Ian Richardson, Susannah Harker, Miles Anderson, Alphonsia Emmanuel
Votes: 15,067
This will blow you away. Ian Richardson is wickedly good as the Macchiavellian Francis Urquart. A disturbingly delicious portrayal of power and manipulation in the hands of a master. Unforgettable.
21. To Play the King (1993)
55 min | Drama
Francis Urquhart, the unscrupulous but cunning Conservative Prime Minister, has his survival threatened by a liberal monarch and an upcoming General Election.
Stars: Ian Richardson, Michael Kitchen, Kitty Aldridge, Colin Jeavons
Votes: 4,450
Second in the 3 part House of Cards trilogy, our friend, FU, takes on a warm and fuzzy (and suspiciously familar..) monarch. As good as the first installation, with a great performance from Michael Kitchen. Richardson delights with his ruthless portrayal.
22. The Final Cut (1995)
TV-14 | 52 min | Drama
Francis Urquhart, a seasoned politician, tries to establish his legacy before retirement by negotiating an end to the Cyprus , but the island hides secrets from his past that could destroy him.
Stars: Ian Richardson, Diane Fletcher, Paul Freeman, Isla Blair
Votes: 3,806
The final in the trilogy, Richardson's Francis goes to unimaginable lengths to hold onto power, spurred on by Diane Fletcher in a breathtakingly venal perfomance as Elizabeth, his wife. Astoundingly good.
23. The Lakes (1997–1999)
374 min | Drama
A young Liverpudlian escapes unemployment by taking a job at a Lake District hotel. When things seem to be looking up, a tragic incident changes everything
Stars: Kaye Wragg, John Simm, Charles Dale, Robert Pugh
Votes: 1,058
This is a beautiful moving series with the eminently watchable John Simm. Moving and heartbreaking with brilliant performances from young (at the time) actors.
24. Karaoke (1996)
63 min | Drama
Daniel Feeld is a screenwriter with pains in his gut and a new screenplay called "Karaoke", about a girl named Sandra who works in a seedy Karaoke bar and is murdered by a lowlife named ... See full summary »
Stars: Albert Finney, Roy Hudd, Richard E. Grant, Keeley Hawes
Votes: 620
Weird and wonderful; Dennis Potter never disappoints. Albert Finney is magnificent. Watch this one, and, if you enjoy it as much as I did, you can follow with "Cold Lazarus", which is just as good.
25. The Singing Detective (1986)
70 min | Drama, Musical, Mystery
Tormented and bedridden by a debilitating disease, a mystery writer relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations.
Stars: Michael Gambon, Patrick Malahide, Joanne Whalley, David Ryall
Votes: 4,806
Dennis Potter at his best (which is very, very good). Much better than the film with Robert Downey Jr (although I really liked him and the film version, the series is soooooooooooooo much better).
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