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Once Upon A Mattress
MOVIE: ABC, Sunday 12/18 at 7:00p (120 minutes)

4.7 based on 15 reviews read critic reviews how did we calculate this? based on 19 votes read user comments rate this tv show

• Official Show Site

Starring Carol Burnett, Tracey Ullman, Denis O’Hare, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Boatman, Edward Hibbert, Matthew Morrison, and Tom Smothers

Tony-winner Kathleen Marshall makes her TV directorial debut with this musical based on the fairy tale, "The Princess and the Pea," which has been both a Broadway production in the late 1950s as well as a TV movie (twice previously).

GENRE(S):	Family, Musical
FIRST AIR DATE:	December 18, 2005

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Newsday Verne Gay

This version is a triumph.

90

Baltimore Sun J. Wynn Rousuck

Surely one of the most delightful examples of televised family entertainment this holiday season.

80

The New York Times Alessandra Stanley

The remake has everything that those earlier versions had and something more: Tracey Ullman and Carol Burnett together and at each other's throats.

75

Chicago Sun-Times Doug Elfman

That cast and the sweet but not disgustingly sugary direction uplift "Mattress" from what could have been a merely not-horrible event.

75

New York Daily News David Hinckley

Like watching "The Carol Burnett Show: The Next Generation."

60

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Christopher Rawson

A pretty family entertainment, lit by Ullman's energy and just small flashes of the Burnett we love.

60

Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd

While the performances are first-rate, and the film is never less than enjoyable, it doesn't quite take off.

50

New York Post Adam Buckman

Not that it's not a nice show, but it is precisely the kind of production for which the word "corny" was probably coined.

50

Entertainment Weekly Melissa Rose Bernardo

Why was the tired Tracey Ullman tapped to star in this candy-colored adaptation of the fairy-tale stage show? [16 Dec 2005, p.77]

50

USA Today Robert Bianco

Nothing works very well in this elaborate but leaden production, which seems more interested in Bob Mackie's costumes than in the characters they clothe.

40

Hollywood Reporter Marilyn Moss

Even the combined deadpan cynicism -- at its very best -- of Carol Burnett and Tracey Ullman can't overcome the extreme sweetness of this "Once Upon a Mattress."

30

Variety Brian Lowry

This overly broad storybook project feels painfully dated.

30

Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert

The production doesn't engage the ears, the eyes, or the laugh muscles. It engages only the snooze button.

30

Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm

It's worth the effort, at least for a little while, to watch Burnett, at 72, fume and foam in her fantastic Bob Mackie costumes. But Ullman has almost no panache in the princess role, and Smothers, silenced by a curse for 99 percent of the program, doesn't rise above a cute cartoon.

20

San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum

While it's always good to see Burnett, something has gone seriously awry with this new version.

The average user rating for this tv show is 4.7 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ken S gave it a0:
It isn't the Wonderful World of Disney that I grew up on. I quickly turned it off when I realized the lady was singing about her bastard child. It isn't the thing I want to discuss with my young daughter. As a Disney stockholder it was an embarassment.

Elyce H gave it a7:
How glorious to see the immensely talented Tracey Ullman play a delightful part that befits her singing and dancing talent. And Burnett and Smothers were wonderful to watch. It felt like a family reunion! The show itself, well, is, as some critics in the press have said, "corny." But for Disney it was delightful. And I defy parents to tell me their young children actually GOT any of the ribald humor. Please.

Joseph M gave it a9:
Charming and lovely adaptation.

Mary S gave it a10:
FANTASTIC! It was great to see it redone, especially with Carol Burnett as the Queen. The entire production was a joy.

Chris O gave it a9:
A delightful version of an engaging musical. The cast shined.

Rachael D gave it a0:
I was absolutely horrified and appauled at Disney for marketing this to Children!!!!! Who do they think they are?! The whole scene where the prince sings about the wedding night asking his fater what it is about outraged me. It wasn't just an innocent question, it pushed the boundaries entirely too far. It disgusted me to a degree than I cannot fully explain. Disney should be ashamed of themselves. It is not Disney's responsibility to teach about sex. It is not their place! And to do it so underhandedly and market it to children and parents with NO warning whatsoever from anyone.....not the media......not critics.......no one. I feel like I was "led into a trap". Does anyone else feel like this? I cannot even type anymore. I have no respect for disney anymore. Period.

richard g gave it a1:
I would give it a 4 or 5 had it been marketed to adults, but as a Sunday prime time offering for the whole family? We turned it on because I had heard Carol Burnett on NPR's "Fresh Air." I have admired her as a person for many years, but she really let me down here. Ms Burnett: did you know how Disney was going to market this thing? Do you think this is wholesome family fare? If so, I am disappointed. We are not prudes here, but we gave up on this thing after a half hour or so. Embarrassing. And Tracy Ullman as the princess? A little old and dumpy, no? Bad casting. Bad Disney. Anything for a buck.

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