Editing Miniseries (section)

== Definitions==
A miniseries is distinguished from an ongoing television series; the latter does not usually have a predetermined number of episodes and may continue for several years. Before the term was coined in the United States in the early 1970s, the ongoing episodic form was always called a "serial", just as a novel appearing in episodes in successive editions of magazines or newspapers is called a serial. In Britain, miniseries are often still referred to as serials or series.

Several commentators have offered more precise definitions of the term. In ''Halliwell's Television Companion'' (1987), [[Leslie Halliwell]] and [[Philip Purser]] suggest that miniseries tend to "appear in four to six episodes of various lengths",<ref name=MBC>{{cite web |url=http://www.museum.tv/eotv/miniseries.htm |publisher=Museum of Broadcast Communication |title=Miniseries| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707221948/http://www.museum.tv/eotv/miniseries.htm| archive-date=7 July 2015 |access-date=9 March 2015}}</ref><ref>Halliwell, Leslie, and Peter Purser, ''Halliwell's Television Companion'', London: Paladin, 1987</ref> while Stuart Cunningham in ''Textual Innovation in the Australian Historical Mini-series'' (1989) defined a miniseries as "a limited run program of more than two and less than the 13-part season or half season block associated with serial or series programming".<ref name=MBC /><ref>Cunningham, Stuart. "Textual Innovation in the Australian Historical Mini-series", chapter in ''Australian Television: Programs, Pleasures and Politics'', Sidney: Allen and Unwin, 1989</ref> With the proliferation of the format in the 1980s and 90s, television films broadcast over even two or three nights were commonly referred to as miniseries in the United States.<ref name="NYT Sins">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/31/arts/joan-collins-in-sins-a-mini-series.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=John|last=Corry|title=Joan Collins In ''Sins'', A Mini-Series|date=31 January 1986 |access-date=7 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Variety Jewels">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1992/tv/reviews/nbc-movie-of-the-week-danielle-steel-s-jewels-1200430797/ |title=Review: NBC Movie of the Week Danielle Steel's ''Jewels'' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |first=Tony |last=Scott |date=16 October 1992 |access-date=8 March 2015}}</ref>

In ''Television: A History'' (1985), [[Francis Wheen]] points out a difference in character development between the two: "Both soap operas and primetime series cannot afford to allow their leading characters to develop, since the shows are made with the intention of running indefinitely. In a miniseries on the other hand, there is a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end (as in a conventional play or novel), enabling characters to change, mature, or die as the serial proceeds".<ref name=MBC /><ref name=Wheen>Wheen, Francis; ''Television: A History'', London: Century Publishing, 1985</ref>

In 2015, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences changed its guidelines on how [[Emmy]] nominees are classified, with shows with a limited run all referred to as "limited series" instead of "miniseries". This was a reversion to 1974, when the category was named "outstanding limited series". It had been changed to "outstanding miniseries" in 1986. Miniseries were put in the same category as made-for-television films from 2011 to 2014 before being given separate categories again.<ref>{{cite web | last=Albiniak | first=Paige | title=Rule Changes Open Gates To More Hopefuls | website=Broadcasting Cable | date=25 May 2015 | url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/rule-changes-open-gates-more-hopefuls-141149 | access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref>

===21st-century definitions===
The ''[[Collins English Dictionary]]'' (online, as of 2021, UK) defines a miniseries as "a television programme in several parts that is shown on consecutive days or weeks for a short period; while ''[[Webster's New World College Dictionary]]'''s (4th ed., 2010, US) definition is "a TV drama or docudrama broadcast serially in a limited number of episodes".<ref name=ced>{{cite web | title=Miniseries definition and meaning | website=Collins English Dictionary | url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/miniseries | access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref>

In popular usage, by around 2020, the boundaries between miniseries and limited series have become somewhat blurred; the format has been described as a series with "a self-contained narrative – whether three or 12 episodes long".<ref name="Davies 2020">{{cite web | last=Davies | first=Hannah J. | title=Less! Less! Less!: How the miniseries took over TV | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=2 June 2020 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jun/02/less-less-less-how-the-miniseries-took-over-tv | access-date=25 October 2021}}</ref>