This series is entertaining and even at times endearing i.e if we forget that it is based on Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Men'. When I first started watching this series, being a great Alcott loyalist, I was slightly enraged at the changes they made - killing Jo's husband Fritz Bhaer and instead introducing a non-Alcott character, that of the hunky Nick Reilly. Also the ages of all the kids have been raised by at least 2-4 years than how old they are in the novel. It was after I got accustomed to these changes that I started enjoying this series.
Michelle Rene Thomas is a bit too pretty to fit into tom-boyish Jo's shoes and I think, to date, it is only Katherine Hepburn who has best suited the character of Jo(in spite of being one of the most beautiful women on earth). Yet Thomas as Jo, with Jennifer Wigmore as Meg and Amy Price-Francis as Amy make a nice threesome. Their rapport is best seen in the episode in which the three get lost in the woods after the horse harnessed to their carriage is stolen by an impudent female delinquent. Told in retrospect by Jo, Meg and Amy, who relate the details of their adventure according to their individual personalities, it is one of the funniest episodes of the series! As to the rest of the cast, they all have done a good job with their characters. Robin Dunne's exit was a bit disappointing. He was really cute as Franz! Among the kids I liked Trevor Blumas(Nat), Brittney Irvin(Nan) and Matt Robinson(Tommy) the best!
The inclusion of the character of Nick Reilly is debatable. Did the creators of the show feel that a series about an old German professor married to an attractive fiery woman running a home-school would be too boring for the audience? Did they think they made an unromantic couple? I guess they did. So they introduced Nick Reilly - a character who is an antithesis to Jo's deceased husband. I'm afraid, however much they wanted the attraction between Jo and Nick to seem as something more than just physical, in the end it seemed only that. Spencer Rochfort as Nick however has done his best to do justice to his character. Dan Chameroy as Laurie needed a little getting used to. His character is too grim and mirthless to be The Laurie as created by Alcott.
This series was nice and playful. It certainly lacked the authenticity and depth of characterization of a truly brilliant period series like 'Road to Avonlea'. The costumes and hair-styling didn't seem very 19th century like - especially the latter. But all in all, this series was enjoyable and definitely a good alternative to some other contemporary shows. And I know many people who would otherwise never watch period shows, assuming them to be heavy and boring(an unfortunate misconception), who tuned into 'Little Men' and got hooked to it! The title tune of the series composed my Milan Kymlicka is one of the best I've heard, I used to look forward to hearing it every time!
Michelle Rene Thomas is a bit too pretty to fit into tom-boyish Jo's shoes and I think, to date, it is only Katherine Hepburn who has best suited the character of Jo(in spite of being one of the most beautiful women on earth). Yet Thomas as Jo, with Jennifer Wigmore as Meg and Amy Price-Francis as Amy make a nice threesome. Their rapport is best seen in the episode in which the three get lost in the woods after the horse harnessed to their carriage is stolen by an impudent female delinquent. Told in retrospect by Jo, Meg and Amy, who relate the details of their adventure according to their individual personalities, it is one of the funniest episodes of the series! As to the rest of the cast, they all have done a good job with their characters. Robin Dunne's exit was a bit disappointing. He was really cute as Franz! Among the kids I liked Trevor Blumas(Nat), Brittney Irvin(Nan) and Matt Robinson(Tommy) the best!
The inclusion of the character of Nick Reilly is debatable. Did the creators of the show feel that a series about an old German professor married to an attractive fiery woman running a home-school would be too boring for the audience? Did they think they made an unromantic couple? I guess they did. So they introduced Nick Reilly - a character who is an antithesis to Jo's deceased husband. I'm afraid, however much they wanted the attraction between Jo and Nick to seem as something more than just physical, in the end it seemed only that. Spencer Rochfort as Nick however has done his best to do justice to his character. Dan Chameroy as Laurie needed a little getting used to. His character is too grim and mirthless to be The Laurie as created by Alcott.
This series was nice and playful. It certainly lacked the authenticity and depth of characterization of a truly brilliant period series like 'Road to Avonlea'. The costumes and hair-styling didn't seem very 19th century like - especially the latter. But all in all, this series was enjoyable and definitely a good alternative to some other contemporary shows. And I know many people who would otherwise never watch period shows, assuming them to be heavy and boring(an unfortunate misconception), who tuned into 'Little Men' and got hooked to it! The title tune of the series composed my Milan Kymlicka is one of the best I've heard, I used to look forward to hearing it every time!