If you’ve been intrigued by “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” and have either seen it or won’t be able to see it, you might be interested in the 2016 production of “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” that was filmed as a TV movie. The movie is available with a free seven-day trial of Broadway HD available through Amazon Prime Video and you can explore other related options.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Under the direction of Dewi Humphreys with much of the original cast and a few tweaks as a nod to both BBC and the work of narrator David Suchet, this film hits all of the highlights of the Mischief Theatre Company’s original comedy play (by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields).

The premise is that the not particularly talented group of thespians, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, is staging a production of the 1904 JM Barrie play “Peter and Wendy” with original music. There are technical problems (handled by Trevor Watson) as well as some personal friction or even some sexual frisson between the ensemble.

The director, Chris Bean (Henry Shields), plays Mr. Darling and Captain Hook while his assistant director, Robert Grove (Henry Lewis) portrays the dog nanny, Nana, Peter Pan’s Shadow and the pirate Gentleman Starkey. There’s nothing child-like about the children with the lustful Sandra Wilkinson (Charlie Russell) playing Wendy Darling, Max Bennett (Matthew Cavendish)  who got them into the BBC production plays Michael Darling and the Crocodile and Dennis Tyde (Jonathan Sayer) , the man who can’t remember his lines, playing John Darling and Smee.

Annie Twilloil (Nancy Zamit) plays the maid Liza, Mrs. Darling, Tinker Bell and Curley. Jonathan Harris (Greg Tannahill) stars as Peter Pan.

While the movie sometimes telegraphs the action with too many closeups, it also adds some scenes out of the TV sound stage for interest as well as some well known British TV characters. This is still enjoyable, but doesn’t have the chaos of the live theater production where the actors are out in the audience before the show.

“Peter Pan Goes Wrong” is available for free (seven-day trial) with Broadway HD on Amazon Prime Video. You can also see the 2012 “The Play Goes Wrong” as well as the series “The Goes Wrong Show.”

Peter Pan (Cathy Rigby)⭐️⭐️⭐️

The 1990 Broadway revival of “Peter Pan” was nominated for a 1991 Tony Award for Best Revival and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Cathy Rigby).

The 1960 TV movie version, starring Mary Martin, is available on Pluto.TV. Mary Martin portrayed Peter Pan on Broadway in the 1954 original Broadway production and in the 1955, 1956 and 1960 TV broadcast. The original Broadway production won 1955 Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Mary Martin, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Cyril Ritchard (Captain Hook/Mr. Darling) and Best Stage Technician (for Richard Rodda). The Best Stage Technician category began in 1948 and was last presented in 1963.

By far, Mary Martin (mother of Larry Hagman) has the best voice and you can hear that in the original Broadway cast soundtrack. Martin also originated the role of Maria von Trapp in the 1959 “The Sound of Music.” Rigby does have a good voice. The Long Beach, California-born Cathy Rigby, a former Olympic gymnast (1968 Summer Olympics), makes for a more athletic Peter Pan with exceptional flying sequences. Rigby was the US national champion in 1970 and 1972.

The portrayal of Tiger Lily by Sondra Lee is the most naive and innocent in the Mary Martin version. Lee is very blonde and her clothing only suggests Native American. It’s more like something a British kid would use as a costume, giving it a sense of innocence.

In the Cathy Rigby 2000 version, Tiger Lily as portrayed by Dana Solimando with long black hair is more sexualized. Whereas Lee wore pants, Solimando wears a short fringed mini skirt (with a slit all the way to the waist) and a midriff-baring fringed bra top. Think sexy Native American Halloween costume. There is an African American actor in her tribe as well as in the Lost Boys. The costuming of the pirates also attempt to show diversity. The pirates include a Black actor in a bolero jacket and hat whom I guess is supposed to be Spanish, a pirate with a long Fu Manchu mustache and Chinese silk skullcap who seems White but is supposed to be East Asian, and another has something like a turban who is supposed to be North African or Middle Eastern? That isn’t quite the kind of diversity that counts.

While Rigby brings the thrilling athleticism that was especially clear to a live audience, the Mary Martin version is more innocent and less troubling to me in its representation of the denizens of Neverland.

“Peter Pan” (2000) is available on Amazon Prime Video.

The Goes Wrong Show ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you enjoyed “The Goes Wrong Play” or “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” this TV series is for you.

“The Goes Wrong Show” was created by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields and produced by the Mischief Screen and Big Talk Productions in association with Liongate UK for the BBC.  The cast are all members of the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society who are staging live televised stage plays, but, as you can expect, many mistakes and questionable direction and writing or re-writing.

Henry Shields is the director, Chris Bean. Henry Lewis is Robert Grove, the actor who wants to take over the company. Jonathan Sayer is the actor Dennis Type, who can’t remember lines, and is usually relegated to small roles. Dave Hearn is the actor who is there purely because his aunt has connections with the BBC. Charlie Russell is the over-acting actress Sandra Wilkinson. Bryony Corrigan is the accident prone actress Vanessa Wilcock-Wynn-Carroway.  Nancy Zamit is the supporting actress Annie Twill. Chris Leask is the company’s stage manager, Trevor Watson,  who is often seen when he shouldn’t be. Greg Tannahill is the struggling actor Jonathan Harris. Ellie Morris plays the actress with stage fright, Lucy Grove, whose uncle, Robert, has lots of advice that tends not to be helpful.

With the success of the televised adaptation of “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” the BBC invited the Mischief Theatre company back to produce a Christmas special, “A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong.” With the success of the two specials, the company was invited back for a series. There are two series and a Christmas special. Series/Season 1 has six episodes. Series/Season 2 has five.

Series 1 includes a Christmas play (“The Spirit of Christmas”), a World War II drama (“The Pilot (Not The Pilot),” a courtroom drama (“A Trial to Watch”), a 1960s horror piece (“The Lodge”), a romance between the classes with a stable hand in love with the daughter of the manor (“Harper’s Locket”) and a Southern family waiting for the patriarch’s death (“90 Degrees”).

The 2020 Christmas Special was a Nativity play (“The Nativity”) which includes a piano, songs, a fire and a set that is almost like an over-sized popup book. Chris takes back the directorship in the Simon Shakespeare play about twin brothers and a royal murder (“The Most Lamentable…”). An American prison drama (“There Is No Escape”) follows the prison break attempt.

Series 2 begins with a Downton Abbey style family drama (“Summer Once Again”) with the return of the son from war, but Robert has replaced Chris as director and his perfectionist tendencies create havoc. The last two episodes are “The Cornley Drama Festival Part 1” and “The Cornley Drama Festival Part 2” which features each cast member putting on their own performances.

From all of those, you understand that this is a tight and extremely talented ensemble who work seamlessly together. Martin Dennis directs all this madness and this is a master class in ensemble comedy. I would show up to see any of these episodes performed on stage. “The Goes Wrong Show”  is available for free (seven-day trial) with Broadway HD on Amazon Prime Video.