Collider's list highlights ten miniseries praised for breaking new ground in storytelling, characterisation or filmmaking technique, spanning from the 1970s to more recent streaming-era productions. The format, which condenses a story into a single limited-run season, has grown more popular thanks to streaming platforms and is often used to adapt literary works or dramatise historical events.

Featured entries include the BBC's 1995 Pride and Prejudice, praised for its faithful, character-driven adaptation of Jane Austen's novel on a budget of under $10 million, and Roots, the 1970s miniseries that told the story of slavery from the perspective of enslaved people for the first time on mainstream American television. Roots drew record audiences over eight consecutive nights, including a finale watched by around 100 million viewers, and won nine Emmy Awards from 37 nominations in 1977. Other titles mentioned include Lonesome Dove (1989) and Band of Brothers, described as comparable in scale and acclaim to a blockbuster film.

– Collider ranks ten miniseries for their originality and craft
– 1995's Pride and Prejudice praised for fidelity to Austen's novel
– Roots (1970s) broke ground depicting slavery from enslaved people's viewpoint, drawing huge ratings