CBS’s series, Tell Me a Story, is a dark edgy attempt to turn fairy tales into a psychological thriller. Set in New York, each of the more common fairy tales is set on it’s head. Three robbers wear pig masks, and end up creating their own big bad wolf. Little Red Riding Hood is a troubled teenager with Kim Cattrall as a grandmother.
Tell Me a Story makes the major mistake of trying to be edgy for edgy’s sake. Within the first episode, we have an under age girl having sex with what turns out to be her school counselor. We have two gay men who dance in a club while doing lines of cocaine and wearing bondage gear. We visit a club where almost everyone is dressed up in the same gear. People swear in ways that seem incredibly unnecessary or interesting. To be fair, the tagline of this show is “There is No Fairytale.”
I think I was expecting more in the lines of NBC’s Grimm, or if we’re going super innocent, Disney’s Once Upon a Time. Instead, I was watching a show trying to make mostly wealthy white people look like the wealthy park of New York City was tough and grungy. It is very difficult as a viewer to connect to any of the characters. One stand out, however, is Kim Cattrall. The Sex in the City alum stands out as one of the better actors in the show. Once I got over my shock that she was playing a grandmother, her character rapidly became the only one that made sense. She is watchful, smart, and is always one step ahead of her granddaughter and son.
There is a ton of accidental sexism in this show. One character’s repeated barrage of trying to get his long term girlfriend to have a baby was cringe worthy. An underage girl seducing an older man at a club was painful and dangerous. We can do better. It shouldn’t just be the grandmothers that have agency.
In short, Tell Me a Story isn’t for everyone. For those who want something sweeter, stick with Disney. For those who want faux edginess in their fairy tales or really like Zenoscope comics, this may be way more your scene.
Tell Me a Story Season One is now available on DVD.
