Limited run programs. In the USA, the unofficial beginning of the concept was the “QB VII” in 1974. OK, but. . .
I seem to recall that when “QB VII” originally aired that at the time (as “miniseries” might not have been part of the lexicon yet), that it was touted as “the longest ever [to date] made for television movie,” shown in two parts on consecutive nights.
If that’s accurate, it might have been redefined as a miniseries, as the format became more popular.
So. . .
When did the term start commonly appearing? My Merriam-Webster attests it from 1973, but doesn’t give a source.
Just a guess, but I’d go with “Rich Man, Poor Man”, which is usually listed as ground-breaking in this area.
One could argue for Masterpiece Theater (premiered in 1971) but that was generally called an “anthology” series.
I tend to agree with jsc1953 although the term really didn’t catch on until it was applied to Roots in 1977.
From the OED
By 1971, the term was quite commonly used in newspaper articles.
Examples:
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“Four -in-One,” which also begins reruns next week, will be shown in a different manner this time. The four miniseries will rote(sic) with a different show each week, as in the manner of “The Bold Ones.”
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The only new program in that illustrious company was “Colombo,” the miniseries starring Peter Falk which is a part of NBC’s “Mystery Movie.”