The Charmings
Fairy tale royals navigate 20th-century suburban life.
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The Charmings is an American fantasy sitcom that originally aired on ABC between March 20, 1987, and February 11, 1988. The story follows Snow White and Prince Charming, who are awakened after an unspecified magical sleep and must adapt to life in a 20th-century Los Angeles suburb, leaving their enchanted forest home behind. The opening voice-over explains that a vain queen, jealous of her stepdaughter Snow White, poisoned her with a poisoned apple. A prince broke the spell, and the couple threw the queen into a bottomless pit.
However, the pit was only very deep, not bottomless. The enraged queen cast a spell so powerful she could not control it, putting the Charmings to sleep for an unknown duration. Eventually, they all woke up.
Each episode depicts the Charmings struggling to navigate modern life in Burbank, California, while the wicked stepmother Lillian (Judy Parfitt) and her Magic Mirror (Paul Winfield) observe from upstairs. After the first season, Caitlin O'Heaney, who played Snow White, was replaced by Carol Huston. The show initially found mild success on ABC’s Friday night lineup, but was moved to Thursdays for its second season, airing at 8:30 PM. Low ratings led to cancellation after twenty episodes.
One episode remains unaired in the US, though it was shown during the show's run in the UK and in 2021 in Canada on CTV. Snow White Charming (Caitlin O’Heaney in 1987, Carol Huston in 1987–1988) catches the attention of a department store executive, who sponsors a line of interior decorating products and hires her to oversee designs. Prince Charming (credited as 'Prince Charming' or 'Eric'; Christopher Rich) is unskilled at modern tasks and becomes a stay-at-home dad who writes about his time in the Enchanted Kingdom.
He later discovers a talent for handyman work and carpentry, eventually finding a job in construction. Queen Lillian (Judy Parfitt) is the wicked stepmother whose sorcery often backfires but occasionally helps her family. Luther (Cork Hubbert) is a dwarf who assists the Charmings but was not put to sleep by the same spell as the royal family. Thomas and Cory Charming (Brandon Call and Garette Ratliff Henson) are the couple’s children, who spent the least time in the fairy tale world and have assimilated most easily into 20th-century society, though they struggle to accept their origins.
Lore & Background
The series' premise is that fairy tale characters Snow White and Prince Charming were magically transported to a 20th-century suburb in Burbank, California. Each episode shows the Charmings trying to adapt to their new life while Lillian, the wicked stepmother, and her Magic Mirror watch from upstairs.
After the first season, Caitlin O'Heaney (who portrayed Snow White) was replaced by Carol Huston. Characters include Snow White Charming, Prince Charming (credited as 'Prince Charming' or 'Eric'), Queen Lillian, the dwarf Luther, the Charming children Thomas and Cory, neighbors Don and Sally Miller, and the Magic Mirror portrayed by Paul Winfield. The series originally aired as part of ABC's Friday night lineup, then moved to Thursday nights for its second season, airing at 8:30 PM.
Reader's Guide
The Charmings represents a late-1980s attempt to blend fairy tale fantasy with contemporary sitcom conventions. Its significance lies in its short-lived but notable run as part of ABC's programming, lasting twenty episodes before cancellation due to low ratings.
The series is remembered for its cast changes—Caitlin O'Heaney was replaced by Carol Huston after the first season—and for having one episode that remained unaired in the US, though it aired in the UK and in 2021 in Canada on CTV. The show's international broadcasts, such as in Italy under the title 'Biancaneve a Beverly Hills' and in Israel as 'Snow White in the 20th Century,' indicate its modest global reach. Its legacy is as a curious footnote in television history, a fantasy sitcom that attempted to update classic characters for a modern audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Charmings?
The Charmings is an American fantasy-comedy sitcom that aired on ABC during the 1987–1988 television season. It takes the familiar Snow White fairy tale and transplants the royal couple into a modern suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles.
What is the basic premise of The Charmings?
Snow White and Prince Charming are roused from a thousand-year slumber and must figure out how to live as ordinary residents in a 20th-century suburb. Their enchanted forest home is gone, so they deal with everyday modern frustrations while still carrying fairy-tale habits and expectations.
How many episodes of The Charmings were produced?
The series ran for one season comprising 19 episodes. It debuted on March 20, 1987, and concluded on February 11, 1988, before ABC chose not to renew it.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: The Charmings (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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