The Prince (TV series)

The Prince
Genre
Created byGary Janetti
Voices of
ComposerRupert Gregson-Williams
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producerGary Janetti
ProducerEli Dolleman
Running time12–14 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO Max
ReleaseJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)

The Prince is an American animated sitcom created by Gary Janetti for HBO Max.[1] Originally slated for a late spring 2021 date, HBO Max announced on May 9, 2021, that the series would be delayed due to Prince Philip's death in April 2021.[2] The series premiered on July 29, 2021. In February 2022, HBO Max cancelled the series after one season.[3]

Plot

The Prince focuses on an eight-year-old Prince George who makes life hard for his family and the British monarchy.[4]

Cast

Queen Camilla is present but has no dialogue except for a single line played as a joke ("Whoo...it's hot!") in Episode 11.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code
1"Unfollow"Paul ScarlataGary JanettiJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE02

Prince George turns to his butler Owen for advice upon discovering that Kelly Ripa does not follow him on social media, pressuring his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth to arrange a ceremony in Ripa's honour.

Elizabeth II loves flummery tarts.
2"Tea"Marius AlecseGary JanettiJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE03
The Buckingham palace staff scramble to please Queen Elizabeth when she tires of eating "flummery tarts", resulting in the massacre of the pastry's inbred subhuman bakers with only one escaping the slaughter. Prince George gossips about his uncle Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who are struggling to make it on their own in Los Angeles.
3"Playdate"Steve RobertsonAlain Bala & Tom McDonaldJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE04
Prince George's exclusive palace playdate finds him desperate to impress his friends and keeping Charlotte out of sight. In America, Harry pursues his dream job as a masseur while Meghan joins the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
4"Beverly Hills"Neil GrafGary JanettiJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE05
Meghan takes the Real Housewives cast on a trip to Buckingham Palace with Prince George making attempts of weaseling his way into a cameo.
5"Charity"Paul ScarlataAlain Bala & Tom McDonaldJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE06
As the royals prepare to host a fundraiser for an elusive cause, Prince George seeks Brad Goreski's fashion advice while Kate grows resentful of her monotonous existence. Meanwhile, the surviving creature interviews for a new position at Buckingham Palace under the name of Kevin.
6"Vacation"Marius Alecse & Max MartinezGary JanettiJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE07
On the royals' Caribbean vacation, Prince George enlists Owen for help taking the perfect Instagram picture.
7"Date Night"Steve RobertsonAlain Bala & Tom McDonaldJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE08
Prince George has Owen work on his science fair competition. As Meghan and Harry face career blows, Kate secretly looks into building a house while Kevin returns to his ancestral home.
8"Owen"Neil GrafGary JanettiJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE09
Owen's attempts to enjoy simple things during his day off are interrupted by a codependent Prince George. Meanwhile, Kate reaches her breaking point as she secretly plans a divorce.
9"School Musical" (Parts 1, 2 and 3) Paul ScarlataAlain Bala & Tom McDonaldJuly 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE10
10Max MartinezGary Janetti1DGE11
11Orlando GumatayGary Janetti1DGE12
Prince George devolves into a bigger diva than usual when earning the lead role in his school's performance of Oliver Twist, though he begins to doubt if he is talented. While Queen Elizabeth considered stepping down for Prince Charles, Meghan and Harry are forced to move back into Buckingham while Owen's action to prevent Kate from divorcing William instead has them consider committing regicide. George ends up firing Owen after getting him to be honest with him, replacing him with a more coherent Kevin who intends to use his new position to destroy the House of Windsor.
12"The Flummery Tart"Neil GrafStory by : Gary Janetti
Teleplay by : Alain Bala & Tom McDonald		July 29, 2021 (2021-07-29)1DGE13
As George has second thoughts over firing Owen, Kevin sees an opportunity to implement his revenge for his family when the queen suddenly requests a flummery tart and the staff panics. Kevin bakes the pastries and laces them with rat poison, killing off one of the staff members who had realized his true identity.

Production

As of April 4, 2021, Janetti has released five shorts for the series on his Instagram that are not part of the actual series itself, which comment on current events and holidays, such as the pandemic, Halloween, Valentines Day, and Easter.[7][5][8][9][10] On July 28, 2021, HBO Max announced the series would be released the next day, with 12 episodes.[11]

On February 16, 2022, HBO Max cancelled the series after one season.[3]

Reception

The Prince received an overwhelmingly negative reception from critics, with some critics and producers calling the show unfair and inappropriate. Before the series came out, Kayleigh Donaldson of Pajiba criticized Janetti, saying that the series "lacks intent and appropriate targets."[12]

Joel Keller of Decider urged readers to skip the series, describing it as "essentially a royal version of Family Guy, and not nearly as biting and funny".[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Avalos, Regina (January 22, 2020). "The Prince: HBO Max Orders Animated Comedy Based on Royal Family". tvseriesfinale.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Gardner, Chris (May 9, 2021). "HBO Max Delays a Series Because of Prince Philip's Death". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (February 16, 2022). "'The Prince' Cancelled: Animated British Royal Family Parody Won't Return For Season 2 On HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "HBO Max Greenlights Animated Comedy "The Prince" from Creator Gary Janetti and 20th Century Fox Television". WarnerMedia (Press release). January 21, 2020. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (October 31, 2020). "Sophie Turner Joins Cast Of HBO Max Royal Family Animated Series 'The Prince' As Princess Charlotte". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 13, 2020). "Dan Stevens To Voice Prince Charles & Prince Philip In HBO Max Royal Family Animated Series 'The Prince'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  7. ^ "HBO Max releases hilarious new quarantine trailer for 'The Prince'". 20 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  8. ^ Haring, Bruce (December 27, 2020). "Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Speech Gets Another Parody From 'Family Guy' Producer – This Time, With Prince George". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  9. ^ Janetti, Gary [@garyjanetti] (February 14, 2021). "Meet George's butler Owen @alancummingsnaps The Prince coming to @hbomax @hbomaxpop". Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Instagram.
  10. ^ Janetti, Gary [@garyjanetti] (April 4, 2021). "The Prince coming soon to @hbomax @hbomaxpop". Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via Instagram.
  11. ^ "Max Original Series THE PRINCE To Debut At Midnight (PT) With All 12 Episodes". WarnerMedia (Press release). July 28, 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Donaldson, Kayleigh (June 30, 2020). "Gary Janetti, Meghan Markle, and the Weakness of the Satire Defense". Pajiba. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  13. ^ Keller, Joel (July 29, 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Prince' On HBO Max, An Animated Series That Parodies Prince George And The Rest Of The Royal Family". Decider. Retrieved August 1, 2021.