I’m patiently waiting for The Pacific to start on HBO. I’ve been bombarded with ads for months. I remember watching Band of Brothers years ago and so I know that The Pacific will likely live up to that standard of excellence if not surpass it. As I wait though, I wondered what other miniseries have I seen that have really stood out in my young life.
I came up with only three that I think everyone has to see at least once. I realize now what a bad list this is but I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of experience watching miniseries. It’s hard for TV sometimes to compare to movies. Hell two of the examples I’ve included have the backing of HBO and the lack of censorship too. Only one was on actual network TV.
My parents and everyone from a prior generation will attest to the power of the miniseries. They all remember I, Claudius , Roots , The Thornbirds , and Shogun, but I wasn’t born during some and the others I was only an infant. So I submit to you my miniseries recommendations.
LONESOME DOVE (1989)
Lonesome Dove is based on the Larry McMurtry novel of the same name. It follows Gus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call. Two former Texas Rangers who make a cattle drive from south Texas to Montana. I was nine years old when I first watched this series. Growing up in Texas, and in my household, Westerns were everything. It was the only genre. So of course my parents made it clear we would be watching Lonesome Dove.
I remember being enthralled in the action. It was the first time I had ever seen Tommy Lee Jones or Robert Duvall. Although I was watching it on a small TV, those two characters and actors were 1000 feet tall to me. I have never seen a pair of actors with more chemistry than those two. To this day this series continues to make me cry. I know because I watched it for the first time in probably ten years last summer with my girlfriend. It was her first time seeing it. We had a marathon. Watched the entire 8 hours in one sitting. She cried for the last four.
Lonesome Dove is a series that you should share with your kids. There’s a nobility to Gus and Woodrow that’s missing from characters today.
BAND OF BROTHERS (2001)
HBO re-aired Band of Brothers over the last three months. So with little else to do on a Sunday night I started the miniseries all over, it was my second time. I watched it in 2002 and was blown away. Band of Brothers follows Easy Company of 101st Airborne from training through to the end of the war. (If you watch Band of Brothers you’ll notice Donnie Wahlberg, everyone’s favorite New Kid on the Block. But you’ll also realize how underappreciated he is as an actor. He’s a million times better than Marky Mark.)
I just finished the last episode today. There is a scene half way through with a lot of imagery similar to Quentin Tarantino‘s opening sequence in Inglourious Basterds . So I hope he gives the show credit.
ANGELS IN AMERICA (2003)
Mike Nichols is brilliant. I don’t think anyone will argue that. In brief he has brought us: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?, The Graduate, Catch-22, The Birdcage and Angels in America.
Angels in America is Tony Kushner‘s adaptation of his stage play about AIDS in the 80s. I’m not going to lie to you but the first time I watched it I was a little confused. Everything was cleared up on the second viewing. One of the most important things about this film series is that it marks the last great performance from Al Pacino. Hopefully his next HBO miniseries, You Don’t Know Jack, about Jack Kevorkian will bring Pacino back to the world of great acting.
That’s my list. Now tell what you think I missed. And if you’ll excuse me I’m going to watch The Pacific.
