Image via NBC
Published Mar 20, 2026, 8:50 AM EDT
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You wouldn't know it, but there's a surprising number of miniseries out there that only have two episodes. It's not quite so common anymore, since many miniseries are quite a bit longer, but back in the late '90s and 2000s, it was extremely common, especially for smaller networks prior to the age of digital streaming and on-demand viewing. As a result, many of these miniseries aren't super popular, but they're worth watching, all the same.
These miniseries have covered a wide variety of genres, from science fiction to romance, from historical fiction to drama, and yes, even to fantasy. In fact, fantasy is the most common genre to be found in this format. But of course, like any form of media, your mileage may vary in terms of quality. These are the best two-part fantasy miniseries to ever grace the small screen.
'Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic' (2008)
Image via Sky1Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic is a miniseries based on the first two novels in the Discworld series, of course written by the one and only Terry Pratchett. Discworld holds the title of being one of the longest novel series ever, at a whopping 40+ entries. The books, at heart, are actually a satirical take on fantasy tropes. They are all set on the eponymous Discworld, which is a flat, disc-shaped planet that sits on the backs of four gigantic elephants. Those elephants, in turn, sit on the back of a giant sea turtle that is flying through space. Sound ridiculous? It's supposed to.
The Colour of Magic is set during the subseries about wizards, featuring a stellar introduction to the wonderfully weird world of Terry Pratchett. While the adventure and fantasy aspects are more than enjoyable, this series really shines in its outrageous bits of comedy, which blend every bad fantasy trope into one glorious amalgamation of intentional awfulness. It's a must-see for fantasy readers and viewers alike.
'Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story' (2001)
Image via CBSSo pretty much everybody knows the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, right? A boy named Jack acquires some magic beans, which grow a beanstalk so massive that it touches the sky. Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds himself above the clouds, in the kingdom of the giants. It's a classic fairy tale that has been passed down from generation to generation, and which is still known to many children around the world today.
The 2001 miniseries follows much of the same plot, but with a few key differences. Namely, this takes place in present-day, with the main character, played by Matthew Modine, being a distant descendant of the Jack from the fairy tales. After repeated nightmares of giants and beanstalks, Jack finds himself following in the footsteps of his ancestor. Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, saw to the series, and purposely reworked it to show a more philosophical, humanistic angle. It's a refreshing take on a classic story, and comes with a surprisingly star-studded cast.
'Gulliver's Travels' (1996)
Image via NBCAnother miniseries based on a classic tale, Gulliver's Travels is based on the 1726 novel by Jonathan Swift. The novel was originally penned as a satire of human nature and of the common travellers' tales that were circulating at the time, but it quickly became one of the most legendary pieces of literature to ever exist. As such, the miniseries is appropriately satirical, yet adventurous in equal measure.
In this show, Ted Danson stars as the eponymous Gulliver. This time though, the story is told via flashbacks as Gulliver recounts the tale to his loved ones. For this, he is thrown into a mental asylum, which is pretty dark, but admittedly comical. Brian Henson also had a hand in the creation of this series, serving as an executive producer. Like the previous entry, this is a fresh new take on a tale that is centuries old, and is a real treat for classic literature enthusiasts.
'The Mists of Avalon' (2001)
Image via TNTThe Mists of Avalon is based on a 1983 novel of the same name by Marlon Zimmer, which in turn is based on Arthurian legend. Normally, Arthurian legend follows King Arthur himself, but this miniseries opted to take a much different route. Instead, the story is about the women of the mythology, allowing some of the more glossed-over characters to have their moment in the spotlight.
Despite there being two episodes, each episode is divided into four smaller parts, similar to the chapters of the book. Many of the greatest characters of Arthurian myth make an appearance here, it's just that some of the least spoken about get more emphasis. This is a brilliant new take on Arthurian folklore, revitalizing a story that has been told far too often. It has its shortcomings here and there, but it's still worth a watch.
Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz
Which Lord of the Rings
Character Are You?
One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed
The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide.
💍Frodo
🌿Samwise
👑Aragorn
🔥Gandalf
🏹Legolas
⚒️Gimli
👁️Sauron
🪨Gollum
BEGIN YOUR QUEST →
01
You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders.
AAccept it. Someone has to, and running changes nothing. BStay by the side of whoever carries it. They shouldn't go alone. CStep forward and lead. This is exactly what I was made for. DIt's mine now. I won't let anyone else have it.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis.
AFollow them without hesitation. I'd rather die beside them than live without them. BRally others and forge a plan to help — strength in numbers. COffer wisdom and guidance. My counsel may save them where swords cannot. DLet them go. Only the strong survive, and sentiment is a weakness.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it.
ADestroy it. Nothing good comes from power this absolute. BUse it to protect those I love — just this once. CWield it wisely. I have the will and the knowledge to do good with it. DSeize it. I have waited long enough. It belongs to me.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are.
AA simple, peaceful place — green hills, good food, no adventure required. BWherever the people I love are. Home is a feeling, not a place. CA kingdom I must earn before I can truly claim it as mine. DI lost it long ago. That loss is what drives everything I do.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not.
ASurvive by any means. I'm not a fighter — but I'll do what I must. BFight for the person beside me, not for glory or honour. CLead the charge. Nothing inspires an army like a king at the front. DStrike from range, fast and precise — never let them get close.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask.
AListen, then offer honest encouragement. Sometimes people just need belief. BGive them practical help — words are fine, but action is better. CSpeak carefully. I have seen much, and I know what counsel can cost. DTell them what they want to hear. Trust is a tool like any other.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind.
ASmall and ordinary — but perhaps that's exactly why I was chosen. BDefined entirely by who I serve and love. I am nothing without them. CForged by hardship into something the world has not yet fully seen. DDiminished from what I once was — and consumed by the need to reclaim it.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen.
AI find peace in it — forests, rivers, open skies. Nature restores me. BI prefer the earth underfoot — stone, mines, solid and real things. CI have watched the world change for longer than most can comprehend. DNature offers hiding places, cold water, raw fish. That's enough for me.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character.
AShow mercy. Even the most broken souls deserve a chance at redemption. BPity them — but never trust them. They made their choices. CSee them as a tool. Their knowledge or skills may still serve a purpose. DDestroy them before they can cause more harm. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories.
AThat an ordinary person did an extraordinary thing — and came home. BThat I never abandoned the person who needed me most. CThat I was worthy of the crown — and everything it demanded. DNothing. I don't need songs. I needed it, and now it's gone.
REVEAL MY FATE →
The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earth
The scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people.
💍 Frodo
🌿 Samwise
👑 Aragorn
🔥 Gandalf
🏹 Legolas
⚒️ Gimli
👁️ Sauron
🪨 Gollum
You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is.
You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one.
You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you.
You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late.
Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them.
You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything.
You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct.
You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
'Voyage of the Unicorn' (2001)
Image via Basset Productions Inc.Voyage of the Unicorn is a bit of an odd duck, mainly because it's not quite sure what it is. It was broadcast in two formats: sometimes it can be found as one continuous TV film, other times, it is presented as a two-part miniseries. For the purposes of this list, though, it's safe to classify it as the latter. That's sort of the better way to watch it, anyway, considering it's about three hours long. In any case, the story is based on a novel by James C. Christensen.
The story follows a widowed professor who takes his daughters and travels to a mythical realm filled with magic and monsters, intent on fulfilling a long-standing prophecy to bring peace to the land. They are guided by the spirit of the professor's deceased wife, and encounter many creatures, such as trolls and dragons, along the way. This miniseries might have its clichés, but it is rife with the best fantasy tropes, allowing the imagination to run wild and get absorbed in its immersive world.
'The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns' (1999)
Image via NBCThe Magical Legend of the Leprechauns is a story that is wholly original, not having any source material to fall back on. Sometimes this can be hit or miss, but in this case, it's definitely a hit. The story follows an American man who spends his vacation in Ireland, only to be swept up in a fantastical world and a back-and-forth romance between a leprechaun and a forest fairy. It's about as whimsical and comical as it sounds.
Hallmark Entertainment handled the production of this one, and brought in an appropriate amount of talent for it. Even big names like Whoopi Goldberg make an appearance in it. Despite not being based on any literature, it does reference Romeo and Juliet quite a lot, which fans of Shakespeare will surely love. Regardless, this is a nice and original story that oozes creativity. It's whimsy and simple, but entertaining all the same.
'Alice' (2009)
Image via ShowcaseRight away, it's pretty obvious from the title that Alice is based on Lewis Carroll's classic novel, which is commonly known as Alice in Wonderland. This Canadian miniseries, like many of the other entries on this list, is a reimagining of a story older than any currently living human. This time, the story is set 150 years after the original book takes place, meaning it's set in the present day. Other than that, the story is pretty much the same.
Certain elements are different, including elements of added sci-fi and romance, but the story remains firmly rooted in the realm of fantasy. For being such an underrated series, some really popular actors make an appearance here, including Tim Curry and Kathy Bates. Of course, it also features plenty of Canadian talent, too, many of whom aren't quite as popular, but still deliver a great performance. This is a really thrilling miniseries that simply demands to be seen. It's so much better than the Tim Burton movies that came out a few years later.
'Arabian Nights' (2000)
Image via ABCAt this point, there have been multiple iterations of Arabian Nights. The story is based on a novel by Sir Richard Francis Burton, and the story throughout the adaptations remains pretty much the same. Yet, it's such a timeless story, that each era sort of has its own distinct version, and it never ages for a second. The 2000 miniseries kind of follows this trend, with the plot focusing on a prince who has reportedly gone mad.
To "cure" his "madness," the royals enlist the help of a professional storyteller, who recounts five distinct tales to the prince in an effort to make him feel better. Most of these stories are actually based on other Middle-Eastern folk tales, so the series serves as sort of hodgepodge of many classic stories. Regardless, the show was met with rave reviews, and is the best adaptation of the novel in recent memory.
'Terry Pratchett's Going Postal' (2010)
Image via Sky1Terry Pratchett's Going Postal is the third miniseries set in the bizarre land of Discworld. This time, it focuses on the Industrial Revolution subseries, meaning things are more advanced and Victorian than the Medieval-esque setting of The Colour of Magic. Within the title is a hilarious pun, letting the viewer know exactly what they're in for. Normally, "going postal" means someone is going on a murderous rampage. But in this show, it literally refers to the postal service at the heart of the plot.
Going Postal is easily the best of the Discworld miniseries, which is fitting, considering it was the last one produced. In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say it's one of the finest fantasy miniseries ever due to just how funny it is. The comedy is absolutely perfect, and the unique Victorian setting helps set it apart from most other fantasy miniseries. Again, this is an outrageous parody of every bad fantasy trope, which makes it a must-see for any lovers of fantasy.
'The Odyssey' (1997)
Image via NBCHomer's epic poem The Odyssey is quite a popular topic at the moment, what with the upcoming Christopher Nolan flick on the way, and all. But 20 years before Nolan's project, there was the 1997 two-part miniseries, starring Armand Assante as the titular hero, Odysseus. The show follows the main beats of the poem pretty well, featuring some of the most iconic characters and monsters from Ancient Greek mythology.
Plot-wise, it's mainly about Odysseus' return to the island of Ithaca following the Trojan War, but things are not so simple as they appear on the surface. This miniseries was met with critical acclaim, and has remained a real diamond in the rough of television in the two decades or so since its release. If you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely do so before the Nolan movie comes out later this year.
The Odyssey
Release Date May 18, 1997
Runtime 176 Minutes
Director Andrei Konchalovsky
Writers Andrei Konchalovsky
English (US) ·