Hear Me Out is a column dedicated to earnest reevaluations of those cast-off bits of pop-cultural ephemera that deserve a second look. Whether they’re films, TV series, albums, comedy specials, videogames or even cocktails, Hear Me Out is ready to go to bat for any underappreciated subject.
From its opening shot of the New York City skyline dominated by the Twin Towers, The 10th Kingdom announces itself as a clear missive from the past. The opening sequence quickly pivots to the concrete jungle transforming into a lush fantasyland populated by fairies and giants. In spite of visual reminders that the NBC miniseries was filmed during a much different time, The 10th Kingdom is still a delightful, inventive cross-genre experience that deserves to be revisited over and over again.
For the uninitiated, The 10th Kingdom follows Virginia (Kimberly Williams-Paisley, best known for Father of the Bride), a waitress from New York City, and her hapless handyman father Tony (John Larroquette) as they’re transported to the Nine Kingdoms, the home of Brothers Grimm fairy tales and plenty of other fantastical stories. At the same time, the Evil Queen (Dianne Wiest at her most diabolical) is attempting to usurp the throne to the Fourth Kingdom by body swapping king-to-be Prince Wendell and a dog. Virginia and Tony find themselves looking after canine Wendell, hoping to both help out the princely pooch and unearth the magic mirror that will bring them back to New York (the titular 10th Kingdom). They’re aided by Wolf (Scott Cohen of Gilmore Girls fame), an escaped convict who’s secretly working for the Queen but is also infatuated with Virginia. Along the way, the gang encounter classic characters like the Tooth Fairy, Cinderella, and Snow White, as well as an eccentric family of trolls and a murderous huntsman. Romance, comedy, fantasy, adventure—there’s a little bit for everyone over these glorious six-and-a-half hours.
Fractured fairy tales have been a fairly popular genre for decades—think Princess Bride, Shrek, Into the Woods, etc.—but few cases have operated on the same ambitious scale as The 10th Kingdom. Every moment packs in some sort of allusion to fairy tales or legends, and Simon Moore, the writer of The 10th Kingdom, is sure to give fairy tale references enough background or narrative importance so that they feel earned, rather than cheap lip service. For example, at one point Virginia, Wolf, Tony, and Wendell in Dog Form are sailing on a boat and discover the “Golden River Gold Fish” that gave King Midas his gift is on board. Before you know it, Tony (always on the hunt for some extra cash) has a magical, gold-producing finger that gets the group in unexpected trouble. Not only is another fairy tale added to the lore of the Nine Kingdoms, but we get a glimpse into Tony’s short-sighted behavior, which has long term consequences.
The 10th Kingdom’s impressive scope is fleshed out thanks to the rich production design and on-location shooting. There’s some CGI in the miniseries, but it’s charmingly dated and sparing enough that it feels like a quaint afterthought rather than a staple feature like in our current days of green screens and acting opposite tennis balls. The cast and crew shot in Austria, France, the UK and beyond, with majestic mountains and waterfalls bringing the series’ fantasy to life. As for the rest of the production, the sets and make-up have a handmade attention to detail that alternates between convincing and endearingly silly. Either way, there’s a tremendous effort put into worldbuilding that comes across in every scene.