In 1936, as television networks CBS, DuMont, and NBC experimented with new ways to provide entertainment, NBC deviated from the traditional method of single experimental programs to broadcast the first multi-part program, Love Nest, over a three-episode arc. It paved the way for what would eventually be known as a miniseries, or programs with two to twelve episodes. Although the term was unknown at the time and would not be officially coined until 1954, several other such miniseries were broadcast, including Jack and the Beanstalk and Women in Wartime.

It was not until the mid-1960s that the concept was developed into a genre that still exists in the 21st century. While the major broadcast networks pioneered the idea, it quickly became a popular form of programming for cable and streaming services. This book contains a detailed history of 878 TV miniseries broadcast from 2000 to 2020, complete with casts, networks, credits, episode count and detailed plot information. This book is an encyclopedic source of information, the first of its kind to present it all in one place.