Epic Television Miniseries: A Critical History

By John De Vito

To paraphrase silent movie queen Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's classic 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, "The epic miniseries are big It's television that got small " This is especially true when one compares such iconic epic miniseries as Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), Roots (1977), Holocaust (1978), Shogun (1980), The Winds of War (1983), War and Remembrance (1988-89) and Angels in America (2003) to today's ordinary television programming. This work traces the historical trajectory of the epic miniseries and delves into the character archetypes and themes that recur in the genre, giving close critical attention to more than 40 miniseries. A filmography is included.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786441496
• ISBN13: 9780786441495
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 219 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher