The Two Princes is a scripted fantasy action adventure podcast from Gimlet Media. It was created and written by Kevin Christopher Snipes and directed by Mimi O'Donnell. The story focuses on two princes from warring kingdoms who become unwitting allies when they journey into a mysterious forest in order to try and save their realms. Along the way, the two heroes fall in love with each other.[2]
| The Two Princes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Starring | Noah Galvin Ari'el Stachel |
| Genre | |
| Production | |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 21 |
| Publication | |
| Original release | June 4, 2019 – October 20, 2020 |
| Provider | Gimlet Media |
| Related | |
| Website | gimletmedia |
Cast
editThe official cast was revealed on May 23, 2019.[3][4]
- Noah Galvin as Prince Rupert of the West
- Ari'el Stachel as Prince Amir of the East
- Christine Baranski as Queen Lavinia of the West
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Queen Atossa of the East
- Samira Wiley as Joan
- Alfredo Narciso as Barabbas and The Lord Hieronymus Chamberlain
- Mandi Masden as Lady Cecily and Crazy Tooth
- Richard Kind as Cedric Strangelove
- Matthew Rhys as Sir Percy
- Omar Metwally as The King of the East
- Sean Pertwee as The King of the West
- Laura Benanti as Flora
- Daphne Rubin-Vega as Arachne
- C. J. Wilson as Brutus
- Cynthia Erivo as Queen Malkia of the Midlands
- Tonya Pinkins as Upendo
- Gideon Glick as Percy Junior
- Ali Stroker as Lorelei
- Michael Braun as The Hydra
- Kathryn Kates as The Barkeep
- Jonah Fields as Wenceslaus
- Wesley Taylor as Prince Darling of the North
Episodes
editAll episodes of season one were released on June 4, 2019, and all episodes of season two were released in December 11, 2019. The third season was released on October 20, 2020.[5]
| Episode | Title | Original Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Teaser | Introducing: The Two Princes | May 20, 2019 |
| 1 | Once Upon a Time | June 4, 2019 |
| 2 | Prince and Thief | |
| 3 | Cracking Up and Crashing Down | |
| 4 | Life Upon the Wicked Stage | |
| 5 | That Sinking Feeling | |
| 6 | The Battle of the Phoenix | |
| 7 | The Hollow of the Kings | |
| 8 | How to Ruin a Royal Wedding | December 11, 2019 |
| 9 | The Woman of the Wolves | |
| 10 | The Play's The Thing | |
| 11 | The Song of the Sirens | |
| 12 | The Seventh Riddle | |
| 13 | Holding Out for a Hero | |
| 14 | Lost and Found | |
| 15 | Happily Ever After | October 20, 2020 |
| 16 | Something's Coming | |
| 17 | Adventures in Babysitting | |
| 18 | The Enemy Within | |
| 19 | Love is a Battlefield | |
| 20 | The Three Princes | |
| 21 | The Song of the Heartland |
Reception
editThe Guardian named The Two Princes as the Week's Best Home Entertainment for June 2019.[6] It later named the show one of the Six Best Serialized Podcasts of 2019.[7]
Podcast reviewer Wil Williams wrote positively about The Two Princes, stating that while it "isn't perfect, it is fun, sweet and incredibly enjoyable", citing the "high genre, borderline camp setup" and "fantastical plot" alongside a "contemporary sense of humor" as reasons why she believes the podcast works so well. Williams praised the "star-studded" cast, explain that she found herself "laughing out loud throughout the entire first season" and adding that there is "a feeling of joy that comes through in each performance" and that "every actor not only commits, no matter how silly the role, but commits so gleefully, it's infectious and is one of the key reasons The Two Princes is so genuinely charming". The romance between the two leads was also praised with the reviewer noting that "the tropes here don't make the romance feel cheesy or contrived, especially in the familiar trappings of the fairytale. Instead, they feel familiar enough to sink into, a sort of predictability that feels comforting versus boring. The Two Princes isn't trying to reinvent the wheel. It's trying to let a marginalized group actually take that wheel for once". Although critical of the sound design which felt "inorganic and impersonal", Williams concluded that the podcast is "sweet and fun in a way LGBTQ+ audiences don't often get to hear" and admitted that she "powered through the first season in a day and immediately wanted more".[8]
The Nerd Daily provided 7 reasons to listen to The Two Princes: "A truly epic LGBTQ+ romance that ends happily, a dragon named Porridge, strong female characters, complex parent/child relationship that's handled exceptionally well, the sound effects really stand out, the narrative never gets overwhelming, and all the members of the star-studded cast deliver delightful performances!"[9]
Adaptation
editIn February 2020, Deadline reported that Spotify was in talks with HBO Max to adapt The Two Princes into an hour-long animated TV special, though several other parties were also interested in developing the special. Original writer Kevin Snipes is set to work on the adaptation but it has not yet been announced whether the voice cast will reprise their roles. Warner Bros. Animation will animate the special, which will be produced by Chris Giliberti and Justin McGoldrick from Gimlet Media.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Listen to Noah Galvin and Ari'el Stachel's Duet for 'The Two Princes'". Entertainment Tonight. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
- ^ "Introducing: The Two Princes | The Two Princes". Gimlet. Retrieved Feb 16, 2020.
- ^ "Noah Galvin, Ari'el Stachel Lend Voices to Gimlet Scripted Podcast 'The Two Princes'". The Hollywood Reporter. 23 May 2019. Retrieved Feb 16, 2020.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (Jun 3, 2019). "EXCLUSIVE LISTEN: Christine Baranski and Shohreh Aghdashloo Are Queens in New Queer-Themed Podcast The Two Princes". Playbill. Retrieved Feb 16, 2020.
- ^ "The Two Princes". Spotify. Retrieved Feb 16, 2020.
- ^ Guide, The (June 7, 2019). "This week's best home entertainment: from Killing Eve to Wild Bill". the Guardian.
- ^ "Bored of true crime and George Ezra? Why fiction is saving podcasts". the Guardian. October 19, 2019.
- ^ ""The Two Princes" Emerges as a Sweet, Lovely Entry to PRIDE Month Podcasting". Jun 7, 2019. Retrieved Feb 16, 2020.
- ^ "7 Reasons To Check Out 'The Two Princes' Podcast". Apr 6, 2020. Retrieved Feb 16, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 12, 2020). "Spotify & HBO Max In Final Talks To Adapt Family Podcast Series 'The Two Princes' Into Animated Special".