18 January 2008

British Series: Fairy Tale

The idea of Fairy Tale is, at the very least, original. Yep, you read that right.

It's a series that attempts to adapt classic stories to fit this era. Take for instance, it's second offering, Cinderella, which is my favorite fairy tale story.

In this BBC adaptation, Cinderella is a struggling young woman working as a cleaning lady in a university. But she is also into anthropology and deeply academic. The "prince" in this series is a savvy anthropology professor and the "wicked step-sisters" are played by two college students who are competing to become the professor's research assistant.

The magic and meaning of the fairy tale got lost in this adaptation. It felt too contemporary and the comedy is a hit and miss. But I give it kudos for boldly and bravely adaptating a very well-loved and familiar story.

Other adaptations include: Rapunzel, The Emperor's New Clothes and Billy Goats Gruff. I read that these other stories fare better than the Cinderella adaptation. So, we'll see...