"A Little Princess" (1986) TV mini-series 1986-

Director:

Carol Wiseman

Writer:

Frances Hodgson Burnett (novel)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

21 February 1987 (USA)

Plot:

Sara Crewe is the pampered darling of her father, an army captain, and the Victorian London girls' school where he places her...

Plot Keywords:

School | Monkey | Girl | Maid | Scullery Maid

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Maureen Lipman	...	Miss Minchin (6 episodes, 1987)
Amelia Shankley	...	Sara Crewe (6 episodes, 1987)
Miriam Margolyes	...	Miss Amelia (6 episodes, 1987)
Annette Badland	...	Cook (6 episodes, 1987)
Natalie Abbott	...	Becky (6 episodes, 1987)
Alison Reynolds	...	Ermengarde (6 episodes, 1987)
Katrina Heath	...	Lavinia (6 episodes, 1987)
Joann Dukes	...	Jessie (6 episodes, 1987)
Johanna Hargreaves	...	Henrietta (5 episodes, 1987)
Jessica Simpson	...	Lottie (5 episodes, 1987)
Nigel Havers	...	Carrisford (4 episodes, 1987)
Meera Syal	...	Anna (3 episodes, 1987)
John Bird	...	Mr. Carmichael (3 episodes, 1987)
Annie Lambert	...	Mrs. Carmichael (3 episodes, 1987)
Tariq Alibai	...	Ram Dass (3 episodes, 1987)
Christopher Haley	...	Donald (3 episodes, 1987)
Zoe Mair	...	Janet (3 episodes, 1987)
Alessia Gwyther	...	Nora (3 episodes, 1987)
Justine Simon	...	Eleanora (3 episodes, 1987)
Samantha Gale	...	Elizabeth (3 episodes, 1987)
David Yelland	...	Captain Crewe (2 episodes, 1987)
John Grillo	...	Barrow (2 episodes, 1987)
Marianne Borgo	...	Mariette (2 episodes, 1987)
Patsy Rowlands	...	Baker's Wife (2 episodes, 1987)
Mia Fothergill	...	Waif (2 episodes, 1987)

Series Directed by
Carol Wiseman		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Frances Hodgson Burnett		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Nick Elliott	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Ellen Freyer	....	coordinating producer (unknown episodes)
Colin Shindler	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Rachel Portman		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
David Taylor		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Clayton Parker		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Lesley Weeks		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Gordon Melhuish		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Linda Mattock		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Wendy Brown	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Mike Fairman	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Nigel Holmes	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Bert Wilkins	....	lighting technician (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• London Weekend Television (LWT)

Distributors

• E1 Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
• WonderWorks

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:163 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

London Weekend Television (LWT)

Quotes:

Miss Minchin:Beg Miss Lavina's pardon.
Sara Crewe:No I won't beg her pardon because it was her fault!
Miss Minchin:Beg her pardon!
[Sara bites her lip]
Miss Minchin:Don't laugh at me you insolent child!
[slaps Sara]
Miss Amelia:Mirah!
Sara Crewe:I wasn't laughing, I was thinking.
Miss Minchin:What?
Sara Crewe:I was thinking it would be a surpise if I turned out to be a princess after all. Wouldn't it?

Movie Connections:

Version of A Little Princess (1995)

She never thought she was a princess, she only tried to behave like one.

I have to admit it: I watched this over and over when I was a little girl. It's not often that a story with such a clear moral message is this entertaining. Anyone out there who has kids, especially girls, should find this series and get it for them, they'll love it. The Shirley Temple version can't hold a candle to this one, if you were wondering. The realism is striking, especially in scenes which depict illness or poverty, and the tenderness in the relationships between the characters (or the harshness in some cases) is a feat not often achieved in family television drama. I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes Harry Potter, Pollyanna, Annie, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, Labyrinth, Gilliam's Adventures of Baron Von Munchausen or pretty much anything by Hayao Miyazaki. The protagonist of "The Little Princess" is a heroine in the tradition of the girls in all of these stories -- imaginative, patient, courageous and self-sacrificing. You'll love her, and your daughters will too.