In a TV landscape dotted with serialized dramas, crime procedurals and reality programming, the poor, forgotten miniseries is deader than the sitcom.
But the genre, which brought us such seminal TV events as "Roots," "The Thorn Birds" and "The Stand," pops its head out of the grave once in a while, usually in far more modest form.
For instance, USA Network is dabbling with the miniseries form with a romantic comedy called "The Starter Wife," starring former "Will & Grace" star Debra Messing as a Hollywood wife thrust into turmoil when her husband leaves her for a Britney Spears-type girlfriend. The six-hour series debuts at 9 tonight.
"The biggest television event of the summer," USA Network has hyped in TV ads. But Marc Berman, a TV analyst for Mediaweek.com, said "big events" are hard to come by when there are hundreds of channels to choose from, compared with the days when it was only ABC, NBC and CBS.
"It's very difficult in this fractionalized marketplace for viewers to commit to watch several hours in one week, which is why you don't see it anymore," Berman said.
In fact, USA is spreading the six hours of "The Starter Wife" over five weeks.
This past season, the major networks mostly ignored the miniseries, even during the so-called sweeps months, which help local advertisers set rates. "Miniseries don't exist anymore" on the big networks, Berman said. "They hardly even do made-for-TV movies anymore."
The heyday of the genre was the late 1970s through the early 1990s, when networks would regularly haul out the big budgets and the big stars (Richard Chamberlain! Robert Duvall!).
"It was a dominant form of television," said Ron Simon, curator for the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. "It brought broadcast networks prestige as the era of three networks came to a close. At the time, cable couldn't afford to do it."
However, as broadcast networks saw their audiences dwindle across the board, the miniseries lost their financial allure, especially if viewers didn't glom on early.
Nowadays for the big networks, "the miniseries is disruptive to audience flow" in relation to regular series, said Brad Adgate, director of research at media planning firm Horizon Media. "Just think about Fox and the problems postseason baseball causes for them in the fall."
Berman said the last time he can recall a broadcast network trying a huge miniseries was NBC in 2003 with the drug-trafficking drama "Kingpin." It ran six hours over three weeks, and, he said, it bombed.
There is some debate over the definition of the term "miniseries." But it's generally acknowledged as a midway point between a film and a regular series, typically running two to eight episodes, frequently on consecutive days or over a relatively short period of time. Many are period pieces, often based on a novel.
"The Starter Wife" is based on a best-selling fictional book by Gigi Levangie Grazer; it's set in modern day, and its aspirations are not exactly the level of a "Shogun" or "Elizabeth I."
"We're looking to give TV viewers the equivalent of an escapist beach read," said Laurette Hayden, senior vice president for long-form programming for USA.
For Messing, taking on this role was a way to go deeper into a character while not having to make a long-term commitment as she did with "Will & Grace."
"I think you would sacrifice a lot if it was a two-hour movie," Messing said in a recent press conference. "As an actress, it was a thrill and luxury to be able to do what you're supposed to do in a six-hour project and not to rush things."
And since a miniseries lacks the potential return on investment of a regular series, even networks with the scheduling flexibility and budget of USA Network will do only maybe one a year.
In the case of USA's sci-fi miniseries "The 4400" in 2004, the drama was such a success, it became a regular show. Its new season will start June 17.
SciFi Network uses miniseries as a way to test the feasibility of a concept for a regular series. The remake of "Battlestar Galactica" started as a miniseries in 2003 and turned into a critically acclaimed series.
The close-ended nature of a miniseries still has appeal, said Simon, the TV museum curator. But in many ways, he noted, viewers have another outlet to see a cast of characters interact over a brief period with a definitive ending to bring closure. It's called reality TV. And it's much, much cheaper.
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Lindsay Lohan was recently spotted in a New York City nightclub watching a Hot Britney Spears impersonator 'Mini Britney' perform.
26-year-old Terra Jole, performs across the U.S. as the pop princess. Britney Spears is such a big fan of Spears that she has had her own costumes made up that are carbon copies of the pop princess' outfits in a smaller size.
"Lindsay approached me and said she wanted to have her photo taken with me," Mini-Brit said. "Britney Spears said I had done a great job."
Mini Hot Britney Spears's MySpace page is here and Allie is Wired has more pics and a video of Mini Britney performing.
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Last night on ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars"….another couple was sent home…John and Edyta. BOO! I loved him. And she was a total hottie. I think dancing is the key to great abs. Did you see her's? WOW! I still think Ian Ziering…Steve from "Beverly Hills 90210" will take the trophy. He's got skill!
SUPER-SUPER model Giselle Bundchen will no longer be a fixture in "Victoria's Secret" catalogues. The model and the bra company parted ways because….Giselle wanted to up her million dollar contract. She was making $5 million a year modeling in bras and bikinis…and she wanted a raise….$10 million. WOW! That's a lot of money for posing in your skivvies.
Britney Spears performed for the first time in 3 years last night. Britney performed at the House of Blues in San Diego. She went on stage at 10:15pm and sang for 15 minutes…actually…there was NO singing. She lip-synched. To every song. But I hear her body looked killer and her dance moves were on point. Love her when she dances. She is a great performer…I wonder when she'll be performing in Vegas a la Celine D. Hmmm….
And finally - make sure you watch "American Idol" on FOX tonight. 2 contestants are going home. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is NOT our boy Chris from Chesapeake. He's to sexy to go home…I need some eye candy. If anyone needs to go home it's Paula Abdul's wardrobe stylist. ICK!
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Yay! Such good news right? Who would want to hear Hot Singer Britney Spears singing the blues anyway. From the looks of things, Britney and Sean Preston seem to being doing just fine right now, so why shouldn't her new album's material match her mood.
Spears' upcoming release will be about "feeling good" and "celebrating womanhood" Nate "Danja" Hills, who worked on the album, says.
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It's fun, it's basic and there's nothing wrong with that. It's about feeling good, celebrating womanhood," Hills said. "And if you don't dance to it, I really don't know what you're listening to.
"There was no, 'I need to let it all out'. She said she deals with that in another way. She didn't let none of her personal life into what she was doing... She wanted to stay away from being personal.
"As far as her work ethic, I haven't seen anybody come in like that. Boom, boom, boom, and get it done. So as an artist? She's ready to go."
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Britney Spears is set to sing a duet with the late Marilyn Monroe. The troubled star plans to boost her ailing career by performing with the movie icon - who died more than four decades ago - on a previously unreleased Marilyn song called 'Down Boy'. Lance Bass, 28, a former member of Britney's ex-lover Justin Timberlake's band *NSYNC, has reportedly secured the rights to the song and thinks it would be perfect for Britney.
A source told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "Lance wants Britney Spears Pic to sing with Marilyn on the track, like Natalie Cole did on 'Unforgettable' with her dad Nat King Cole." Plans are already in place for the 'Toxic' singer to don a platinum Marilyn-esque wig and dress like the glamour icon, when they shoot the video. Screen and music goddess Marilyn died of an overdose aged 36 in 1962. Despite being one of the most successful women of her generation, the star Britney spears No Pantie was believed to have battled numerous personal demons. Mother-of-two Paris Hilton and Britney Spears Pic, 25, recently spent a month in rehab following a bout of excessive partying and worrying behaviour, which included shaving off her hair. The singer Britney Spears is currently working on a new album planned for release in October and has been furiously exercising to regain her famously toned figure.
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Hot Britney Spears, 25, brought her sons Sean Preston, 19 months, and Jayden James, 7 months, to her dance studio rehearsal this afternoon. Jayden was in his infant seat, covered by a yellow sweatshirt, but Sean Preston was on Britney's hip - his hair is really thickening up.
Sean Preston is so cute! Look at his outfit with the little vest/shirt combo...TOO CUTE...he looks so much like his dad! I understand people wanting to see Jayden but honestly, some of the accusations around it--it seems in these pictures, it was rather bright--they seem to be keeping him out of the sun and shading him with the blanket...seems pretty normal to me...very cute pic if SP...such a cutie he is! And I am sure Jayden is just as adorable!
No qualms about showing Sean? Well since he really hasn't been seen in over 3 months I'll say she's not thrilled to show him either. People say she should learn from her mistakes and maybe she did. Britney spears had Sean out a lot when he was a baby and it only lead to drama and more drama. Maybe she is trying to protect Jayden from that. there is really no point or no way to hide a toddler that has been seen hundreds of times from the media. if she covered sean up people would call her crazy like micheal jackon.
The only thing I will comment on is the infant carrier. I have three kids and know the warning labels. Once a child hits 26 inches OR 20 lbs. they cannot be in an infant carrier anymore. At 7 1/2 months old, I would assume that Jayden would have outgrown that carrier. You can always tell which parents do not bother reading the warning labels when you see them carting around a 10-12 month old in one!
I read the labels and directions on all of my kids things and all three of my children were in their infant carrier until they were one years old. My kids are very average sized but they were neither 20 pounds or 26 inches before they were one.
I have had a home daycare for the past 10 years and more of the infants I have cared for and in their infant seats at one than ones that are out before age one.britney spears picture
Sean is not a big child so I am sure that Jayden should still be in his carrier.
I think that Britney is hiding something from the public about Jayden. It could be something like a birthmark, a deformity or maybe even something like down syndrome. There really must be some reason that she has never let anyone take photos for her fans or anyone else for that matter to see. I know just after Jayden was born Brit and Kevin were having so much trouble and something was said that Brit didn't want photos taken because she would have to give Kevin half of the money. Well the divorce is final now so it shouldn’t be a big deal at all to have photos taken. Haha come on now! You can't say he is too big for the car seat just to have reason to complain when you can't see him at all. Also just because she's "never" seen holding him doesn't mean she NEVER holds Jayden. We haven't even seen him out in public that much and when he is he's always in his car seat. Those things are very heavy and Britney is a small woman. Better to have the body guards carry it then risk falling down with it. I also doubt there is anything wrong with the kid. Kevin said she was keeping him private because she wanted "something that was only hers" and that she didn't have to share with the world. We saw a grainy shot on him once before and he looked normal. I also can't believe I defended her twice. But come on now, give the girl a break already.
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