"The 10th Kingdom" (2000) TV mini-series

Directors:

David Carson
Herbert Wise

Writer (WGA):

Simon Moore (written by)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

The Most Magical Event of the Millennium!

Plot:

A father and daughter are caught in a parallel universe where the great queens Snow White, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood have had their kingdoms fragmented by warring trolls, giants and goblins.

Plot Keywords:

Kingdom | Snow White | Fairy Tale | Magic | Fairy

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Kimberly Williams-Paisley	...	Virginia Lewis (9 episodes, 2000)
Scott Cohen	...	Wolf (9 episodes, 2000)
John Larroquette	...	Tony Lewis (9 episodes, 2000)
Dianne Wiest	...	Evil Queen (9 episodes, 2000)
Daniel Lapaine	...	Prince Wendell (9 episodes, 2000)
Ed O'Neill	...	Relish the Troll King (7 episodes, 2000)
Rutger Hauer	...	Huntsman (6 episodes, 2000)
Dawnn Lewis	...	Blabberwort the Troll (6 episodes, 2000)
Hugh O'Gorman	...	Burly the Troll (6 episodes, 2000)
Jeremiah Birkett	...	Blue Bell the Troll (6 episodes, 2000)
Robert Hardy	...	Chancellor Griswold (6 episodes, 2000)
William Osborne	...	Lord Rupert (6 episodes, 2000)
Edward Jewesbury	...	Old Retainer (6 episodes, 2000)
Warwick Davis	...	Acorn (4 episodes, 2000)

Also Known As:

Das 10te Königreich (Germany) (DVD title)
Das zehnte Königreich (Germany)
The Tenth Kingdom (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

417 min | 45 min (9 episodes) | 85 min (5 episodes) (original version)

Country:

UK | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Surround)

Certification:

Spain:T | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alice Holt Forest, Hampshire, England, UK

Company:

Babelsberg Film und Fernsehen

Trivia:

Joining Tony on the prison duty to clean out the dungeon were: Pine Nut The Dwarf, Arthur Wulffe, Lopsided Larry, Woody Waxface, Snowdrop The Troll, Gaskin The Goblin, Almond The Elf, Bad Fairy Mary, Daisy The Troll, No Eyes Eddie, Gropy The Goblin, Arnold Peachy, Murray The Mute and Dicey The Dwarf.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Virginia is singing her shepherdess song, she is swaying her arms. She sways them to the right, but in the next shot (a back view) her arms are swayed the opposite way.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Virginia: [voice over] My name is Virginia... And I live on the edge of the forest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strongbad_email.exe: Disc Five (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Wishing on a Star

"Oh, huff-puff!"

I was telling my brother the other day that this mini-series is for everyone who ever loved fairy tales when they were kids, and I'm telling the same thing to my fellow IMDb users now. The opening title sequence is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see on TV. The performances are all top-notch, especially Scott Cohen as Wolf, Ed O'Neill as Relish the Troll King and Rutger Hauer as the Huntsman. The guest stars get to hog the limelight as well. John Shrapnel is truly menacing as the Governor of Snow White Memorial Prison, a guy you would love to hate. Two of my favourite dwarfs, Warwick Davis and Mike Edmonds get in on the fun as well. Ann-Margret doesn't really do much with her appearance as Queen Cinderella, though. The really great thing is the story. It reminds us how not all fairy tales are fluffy and sentimental (The Grimm fairy tales weren't just named after their authors, you know), and great new worlds are presented before us (Kissing Town is a highlight.). The romance between Virginia and Wolf is truly touching as well. Humour is also provided by the bungling Trolls Burly, Blabberwort and Bluebell and by Daniel Lapaine as the Dog in the Prince's body ('Prince Wendell loves biscuits!'). There are a couple of hairy moments (the trial in Little Lamb Village) but overall, you will love this. I recommend that you also read the novelisation of this series as it clears up a few plot points.