The Blurred Lines of Miniseries In Modern TV

In the mid-2010s, it felt clear what a miniseries was meant to be, but in the years since the term has become far too muddy. Miniseries are meant to be, as their name states, a series contained within a season or a specific amount of run time. Also called a limited series, the key element is that they’re not supposed to be long-term.

While some miniseries are meant to last more than a season and some limited series are meant to be anthologies, rotating their cast, story, or both from season to season, most miniseries and limited series are meant to be event television. Bringing together actors and creatives that may not typically be in TV, they’re meant to tell contained stories in a specific way.

Or, at least, they were. In recent years, the miniseries has evolved entirely, shifting gears so that it’s less of a capsule and more of a launch pad. Miniseries and limited series are now shows that find themselves seeking renewal and building out more story than they originally planned to tell, which makes it clear that the term has lost all of its previous meaning.

Task Is The Latest “Miniseries” To Get Renewed

Its Second Season Was Picked Up By HBO

After an immaculate season, Task is the latest miniseries to get renewed, which may mean that at this point, it should be considered a series. While more Task coming to HBO is great for fans of the show, it’s pushing back against the idea of what a miniseries is overall. Task is just the most recent example, though, as many shows have done this reversal.

In recent years, shows like Netflix’s Untamed, HBO’s Big Little Lies, and FX’s Shogun have all been renewed for another season after being marketed as a miniseries. While the shows returning isn’t a problem per se, the fact that they’re still be marketed as miniseries is an industry issue that needs to be addressed.

How Miniseries Being Renewed Impacts The TV Industry

They’re No Longer Encapsulated Series

Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) on the phone looking upset in Big Little Lies

While the TV industry surely has larger issues than those of categorization, labeling shows that are not miniseries as such is still an issue that causes genuine problems. Though the perception of things may not matter in the end, the fact that the shows are being billed as miniseries puts them in different categories for production, awards, and other industry standards.

Despite the label not necessarily mattering for viewers who are enjoying the shows, it does make a difference when it comes down to the logistics of how shows are being created, consumed, and celebrated.

Should TV Shows Stop Using “Miniseries” When Releasing Shows?

The Idea Of A Miniseries Adds Prestige

Mariko (Anna Sawai) sitting behind Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) in the bath in Shogun episode 4.

Although it may not be necessary to do a full rebrand, it feels like a simple thing to stop calling shows miniseries’ when they aren’t, in fact, a miniseries. The idea of a miniseries often adds an air of prestige or an extra layer of confidence to a project, but when a show surpasses the label, the extra clout isn’t necessary.

Using the term as it’s meant to isn’t an issue, but being picky about when to use it and when to simply call something a series could be well-worth the effort as television continues to transform.