“The Prince & the Pauper” (1996)

The Prince & the Pauper

Brief Description:

In this adaptation of Mark Twain's classic tale, a street urchin and a prince in Tudor England swap places to learn how the other half lives.

Date: 1996

Genre: British television period drama serial adaptation

Running time: 2 hours 51 minutes

Cast: 

Philip Sarson: Tom Canty/Prince Edward

John Bowe: The Duke of Somerset

Peter Jeffrey: The Duke of Norfolk

Elizabeth Ann O'Brien: Lady Elizabeth

Richenda Carey: Lady Milford

Rupert Frazer: Sir Thomas Seymour

Douglas Reith: Chamberlain

James Purefoy: Miles Hendon

John Judd: John Canty

Virginia Beare: Lady Mary

Max Johnson: Humphrey Marlow

Jenny McCracken: Mother Canty

Sophia Myles: Lady Jane Grey

Lucy Speed: Nan Canty

Paul Chapman: Father Thomas

Freddy White: Hugo

Janet Henfrey: Goody Watson

Keith Michell: King Henry VIII

Miranda Forbes: Widow White

Nick Smallman: Sir Hugh Hendon

Victoria Gay: Lady Edith de Bohun

Director: Andrew Morgan

Production company: BBC

Based on: The Prince & the Pauper by Mark Twain

IMDb page

Watched on Tubi

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

Excellent! I felt completely transported to Tudor England, specifically in the costumes department. I thought the language was rather simplistic and not at all medieval—certainly not like Twain wrote it—but it didn't bother me. 

Characters: 4/5

Miles was perfect, so perfect. 💙 I think Tom & Edward were both fairly accurate, though neither fully as the book presented them (specially Tom). Elizabeth & Mary were well done; I liked the dukes and duchesses—except for the Seymour brothers, who were quite different from the book and much more intense, specifically Hartford. The Canty family was well done, and Father Thomas was awesome. Hugh was terrible, of course, and Edith pretty perfect :)  

Plot: 4/5

The plot only followed the book's plot about 50%, which left me wondering what would happen a lot more than I expected to. I didn't necessarily mind it, it just wasn't what I expected. I enjoyed the added political drama, which Twain really didn't go into at all.  

Romance: 5/5

Except for the Seymour brothers trying to force Elizabeth to marry the youngest brother, there was no romance besides Miles & Edith, who shared 1 kiss. 

Theme/Message/Topics: 4/5

There wasn't a huge theme, but like in the book, Edward learned to apply mercy in justice. 

Content: 4/5 (low)

Maybe a handful of exclamations of "l*rd"? I can't recall, honestly. All I remember for content is a few shots of people drinking and a scene where Miles's shirt is half off when he wakes up. 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

Still violent, like the book, but not over the top. Not really family-friendly though, especially a scene where two baptist women are burned at the stake (non-detailed). 

Overall: 4.5/5

Overall I really enjoyed watching this show and I'm sad Tubi took it off because I'd love to rewatch it. Makes me want to write a P&tP retelling 😉