Amazon Banishing Kit Harington's 'A Tale of Two Cities' to MGM+

In the Western Canon of Great Books, there are two stories by Charles Dickens that everyone has heard of, even if they've never even seen a copy in their lives. The first, A Christmas Carol, has gotten new adaptations almost every year since the turn of the century, has been watched in some variation for generations, and most people can tell you the story, plot beat by plot beat. However, when it comes to Dickens' other great novel, A Tale of Two Cities, the opposite is true. While nearly everyone can recite the opening line, most people could not tell you the plot if their life depended on it. As for adaptations, the last time the story was adapted for any screen, big or small, was 1989, starring James Wilby and Serena Gordon, which aired in the U.S. on Masterpiece.

The BBC has finally decided to rectify this startling oversight with a brand new version from the team behind Federation Stories, the same company behind the recent Masterpiece version of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days with David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma, and Leonie Benesch. Federation is currently trying to make a go of it by reviving literary classics; in the press release, Managing Director Polly Williams said, “In an era of worldwide turbulence, confusion and uncertainty, A Tale of Two Cities is a very timely story."

With this being the first time the novel has been adapted for TV in almost 40 years, the BBC clearly expects it to be a success, simply out of audience curiosity. However, U.S. viewers are once again being screwed over, as Amazon has picked up the rights and promptly banished it to MGM+, the streaming service no one knows exists, let alone subscribes to. One can only hope Amazon stops trying to pretend MGM+ is a viable concern before the series arrives in 2026. At the very least, it should move it to Prime Video, where it can sit underwatched alongside other somewhat popular shows like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.