The Charmings

Last updated
The Charmings
Genre
Written by
  • Prudence Fraser
  • Mark Fink
  • Ellen Guylas
  • Carrie Honigblum
  • Danny Kallis
  • Robert Sternin
Directed by
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes21 (1 unaired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersPrudence Fraser
Robert Sternin
ProducerDanny Kallis
Running time24–25 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseMarch 20, 1987 (1987-03-20) –
February 11, 1988 (1988-02-11)

The Charmings is an American fantasy sitcom that follows Snow White and Prince Charming, awakened from a thousand-year spell, as they adjust from their familiar life in the enchanted forest to the modern ways of 20th century Los Angeles suburbs. [1] The series originally aired from March 20, 1987, to February 11, 1988, on ABC. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

The opening voice-over sets up the premise:

Once upon a time there was a vain queen who was so jealous of her beautiful stepdaughter, Snow White, that she poisoned her with an apple. But a handsome prince came along and broke the spell. Snow White and Prince Charming threw the wicked stepmother down a bottomless pit and lived happily ever after. But, it turns out the pit wasn't bottomless—just very deep. And now, the queen was very mad. With a spell so powerful even she couldn't control it, she put the Charmings asleep for a thousand years. She also got herself and one dwarf. Eventually they woke up.

The premise of the series' plot was 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 wise cracking Magic Mirror watch from upstairs. After the first season, Caitlin O'Heaney (who portrayed Snow White) was replaced by Carol Huston.

After mild success as part of ABC's Friday night lineup, the series was moved to Thursday nights for its second season, in a head-to-head battle with NBC's A Different World , and later The Cosby Show . Due to low ratings, the series was canceled 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. [3]

Characters

Snow White Charming
Played by Caitlin O'Heaney (1987) and Carol Huston (1987–1988). [4] Her "fairy tale" motif catches the attention of a department store executive, who sponsors a line of interior decorating products and gives her a job overseeing the designs.
Prince Eric Charming
Played by Christopher Rich. Unskilled at anything in the modern world, he largely is a stay-at-home dad who wrote about his time in the Enchanted Kingdom. Later he learns he has a skill for handyman work and carpentry, and soon gets a job in construction.
Thomas and Cory Charming
The two Charming children of Snow White and Prince Eric Charming. Played by Brandon Call and Garette Ratliff Henson. Due to their spending the least time in the fairy tale world, they had been the most assimilated into 20th century society, and they face difficulties accepting they are from fairy tales.
Queen Lillian White
The wicked stepmother of Snow White, whose sorcery often backfires on her, but occasionally proves useful in helping her family. Played by Judy Parfitt.
Luther
One of the Seven Dwarfs. Played by Cork Hubbert.
The Magic Mirror
Played by Paul Winfield. The Mirror frequently reminds Lillian that her daughter and son-in-law will come out on top and make it in this new land because unlike her, they are goodhearted people who respected others. A running gag is that he makes remarks about how Snow White is the fairest and telling Lillian "it ain't you!" whenever she asks who is the fairest. However, it is implied he may have been joking, because at one point when Lillian has lost her powers and he must depart, he confides in her that she has always been the fairest.
Don "King of Carpets" Miller and Sally Miller
The Charmings' neighbors who find their new neighbors' penchant for medieval fairy tale style odd but never figured out they were the real Prince Charming and Snow White. Even when Eric is under a truth spell and confides in Don that they were Prince Charming and Snow White, Don considers it a joke. Played by Paul Eiding and Dori Brenner.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesFirst airedLast aired
1 6March 20, 1987April 17, 1987
2 15 (1 unaired)September 17, 1987February 11, 1988

Season 1 (1987)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"The Charmings" Will Mackenzie Prudence Fraser,
Robert Sternin		March 20, 1987 (1987-03-20)
Prince Charming, Snow White and their family find themselves in the 20th century and have problems trying to adapt to the modern world.
22"The Mirror Cracked"Mark CullinghamRich ReinhartMarch 27, 1987 (1987-03-27)
Eric and Snow throw a party in an attempt to make new friends. Annoyed by their reluctance to invite her, Lillian uses her magic to spoil the festivities, but it results in her own beloved Magic Mirror getting broken.
33"Modern Romance" Gerren Keith Doug Bernstein,
Denis Markel		April 3, 1987 (1987-04-03)
Luther and Lillian make a bet that they can get a better date. While Luther finds an attractive girl, Lillian chooses to drag a bum off the street and makes a potion to turn him into a hunk. Cameo Appearance by Rip Taylor
44"The Charmings Buy a Car" Bill Foster Ellen GuylasApril 10, 1987 (1987-04-10)
For their 1,010th anniversary, Eric buys Snow a lemon of a car from a sleazy used car dealer. Meanwhile, the Mirror tries to coax Lillian into taking a trip to Las Vegas. Eric beats the salesman through a 20th-century twist on his fairy tale values of honor.
55"The Incredible Shrinking Prince" Jack Shea Bob Myer,
Bob Young 		April 17, 1987 (1987-04-17)
Attempting to find a way to earn money, Lillian concocts a diet potion, but it turns out that it is actually a "reducing" formula; Eric inadvertently drinks it and shrinks to 12 inches high.
66"An '80s Kind of Prince"Gerren KeithChristopher Ames,
Carolyn Shelby		April 17, 1987 (1987-04-17)
Lillian tries to break up Snow and Eric by putting a spell on a neighbor to fall in love with Eric.

Season 2 (1987–88)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
71"Lillian Loses the Kids"Jack SheaEllen GuylasSeptember 17, 1987 (1987-09-17)
To keep them quiet, Lillian turns the children into mannequins, but she's unable to change them back.
82"The Charmings Go Plastic"Jack SheaMark FinkSeptember 24, 1987 (1987-09-24)
When Snow gets a credit card the family goes on a shopping spree, and when the bill comes they are shocked. Snow and Eric have a big fight. Lillian magically gets her own credit card but, because of the information she placed on it, she is audited by the IRS.
93"The Witch of Van Oaks"Jack Shea Danny Kallis October 1, 1987 (1987-10-01)
Snow and Eric set up Lillian with a new neighbor, but they quickly come to realize that he's actually the devil. Meanwhile, Luther gets an ego boost regarding his short stature from the children. Guest Starring John Astin as Jack/The Devil
104"The Fish Story"Jack Shea Jeff Greenstein,
Jeff Strauss		October 8, 1987 (1987-10-08)
After Lilian uses magic to restore a broken lamp, the children decide to use her spell-book to revive their recently deceased pet fish. Meanwhile, Eric faces Snow's wrath when he misses her wildlife preservation meeting.
115"Cindy's Back in Town"Jack SheaCarrie Honigblum,
Renee Phillips		October 15, 1987 (1987-10-15)
Lillian's attempt to zap herself back into the Enchanted Forest goes awry, landing Cinderella in the Charming home. Cinderella's arrival doesn't bode well with Snow — particularly when "Cindy" makes a play for Eric. Cinderella played by Kim Johnston Ulrich
126"A Charming Halloween"Jack Shea Dan O'Shannon October 29, 1987 (1987-10-29)
Embarrassed by his family's antics, Thomas neglects to tell Eric about a father/son car wash. But the family causes even more humiliation for the lad when Eric insists on hosting the neighborhood Halloween party. Sara played by Jenny Lewis
137"Trading Places"Jack SheaMark FinkNovember 12, 1987 (1987-11-12)
Luther expresses his envy of Eric's looks, so Lillian casts a spell to make the dwarf as handsome as a prince. The catch is that Luther and Eric switch bodies and can only return to normal if Luther wishes — and sincerely means it.
148"Lillian Loses Her Powers"Jack SheaJay FolbNovember 19, 1987 (1987-11-19)
As a result of Cory passing the flu to the family, Eric becomes a hypochondriac and Lillian loses her magic powers (and as a non-witch, she has to say goodbye to her Magic Mirror).
159"The Charmings and the Beanstalk"Jack SheaDanny KallisNovember 26, 1987 (1987-11-26)
Lillian throws out some beans and they sprout into a beanstalk and a giant comes down. When they chop the beanstalk down the giant finds himself stuck. At the same time Snow and Eric are having problems. And the giant takes a liking to Lillian. Eventually the giant's wife follows him but he refuses to go back with her. Starring Walter Olkewicz as Henry Giant
1610"Yes, Lillian, There Is a Santa Claus"Jack SheaCarrie Honigblum,
Renee Phillips		December 17, 1987 (1987-12-17)
Lillian tries to ruin Christmas by telling the children that there is no Santa Claus, but gets a shock when Santa does arrive at the Charming house only to find no "believers" left there. Since Santa only delivers gifts to true believer, Lillian must use her powers to try to correct the damage she has done.
1711"The Charmings Get Robbed"Jack SheaCarrie Honigblum,
Renee Phillips		January 7, 1988 (1988-01-07)
After two teen crooks rob the Charmings', Eric over-zealously protects their home, such as making a moat with alligator. Meanwhile, Lillian tries to track down the family's stolen possessions, but finds it difficult, having lost her spell-book and beloved Magic Mirror in the robbery. The Mirror attempts to set the robbers right by posing as their consciences. Starring Billy Jayne as Al
1812"Birth of a Salesman" Howard Murray Mark FinkJanuary 14, 1988 (1988-01-14)
In order to pay for rising expenses, Eric gets a job working as a salesman for Don. Eric proves a lousy salesman when he says competitors have better deals and extends credit to a struggling couple, causing Don to warn Eric he needs to shape up. Snow wishes Eric was a little less considerate as well, causing Lillian to remark she will do that with a spell. Lillian's new spell makes Eric a ruthless salesman and obnoxious sleaze. Snow must convince Lillian to reverse the spell when a relative of the earlier couple is a hotelier who wished to meet Eric, and this could cost Don a lucrative contract.
1913"The Man Who Came to Dinner"Phil SquyresCarrie Honigblum,
Renee Phillips		January 21, 1988 (1988-01-21)
Lillian puts a spell on Eric to make him tell the absolute truth, at the same time he invited Don to cool off with him after a heated argument with Sally. Lillian transcribes all of her spells into her computer, causing the Mirror to comment she turned into a computer nerd. Lillian also causes a spell that results in Don having total amnesia.
2014"The Woman of His Dreams"Howard MurrayLan O'KunFebruary 11, 1988 (1988-02-11)
Eric says that Snow is the only woman for him, so Lillian makes one of the women from Don's girlie magazines come to life and appear at random times to have fun with Eric. Starring Jackie Swanson as Candy
2115"Lillian's Protege"Jack SheaPrudence Fraser,
Robert Sternin		unaired
Amused by a devious shoplifter, Lillian takes her in — but has a change of heart when the girl sets up Thomas to get caught stealing. Meanwhile, Snow and Eric question their parenting skills in the modern world. Starring Viveka Davis as Amy

Awards and nominations

YearAwardResultCategoryRecipient
1987 Emmy Awards NominatedOutstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Control for a SeriesWarren Cress, Ross Harmon, Charles T. Henry, Bud Holland, Stephen A. Jones, Art LaCombe, Bill Scott, and Dave Smith (For episode "The Incredible Shrinking Prince")
Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a SeriesBetsey Potter (For episode "Modern Romance")
1988Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Control for a SeriesWarren Cress, Ross Harmon, Charles T. Henry, Joe Talosi, Harriet Uhl, Dave Smith, and Dale Walsh (For episode "Trading Places")
WonOutstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy SeriesMark Buxbaum (For episode "The Witch Is of Van Oaks")
1988 Young Artist Awards NominatedExceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Comedy SeriesBrandon Call

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References

  1. ↑ O'Connor, John J. (1987-03-26). "TV REVIEWS; CBS AND ABC INTRODUCE PRIME-TIME SITCOMS". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  2. ↑ "BBC - Comedy Guide - the Charmings". Archived from the original on 2004-11-29.
  3. ↑ "The Charmings". CTV . January 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ Archives, L. A. Times (1987-07-17). "CAROL HUSTON SIGNS FOR 'THE CHARMINGS'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
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