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

User Rating:

8.1/10   

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

Color:

Color

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:

The map of The Nine Kingdoms is a modified map of Europe.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the scene with the gypsies the Huntsman shoots a tree with his crossbow, to send a note that all poachers will be killed. Later, when Virginia is in the tree, the Huntsman tells her that the arrow from his crossbow will not stop until it hits the heart of a living being. However, the arrow would be able to pierce the tree to its core, also called its "heartwood", when delivering the note.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

Soundtrack:

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Wonderful for all ages

'The 10th Kingdom' is something for all ages. It combines every known fairytale, especially stories from the Grimm Brothers, with other fantasy stories, including Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings'. The story is about a girl named Virginia (Kimberly Williams) who enters a fantasy world through a magic mirror. Together with her father Tony (John Larroquette), Wolf (Scott Cohen), who looks like a man but has a tale and animal instincts, and a prince turned into a dog (Daniel Lapaine) they have to save the kingdom from the evil queen (Dianne Wiest). The entire journey they are followed by Huntsman (Rutger Hauer) who is ordered to kill the heroes.

The story is predictable in a way, but original with some nice touches. We have appearances of Snow White, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood for example. There is even a musical number that involves 'We Will Rock You'. As a complete story it is never boring and that is quite impressive for something over 400 minutes long. Most of the funny moments are with Wolf. He is played by Scott Cohen, an actor who I only knew from 'Gilmore Girls'. He does a very nice job with his character. I could say more about the production but that is not really needed. It is entertaining for kids and adults, that's it. To spot all the references to fantasy stories is a nice extra.