A Tale of Two Cities

"It was the best of oatmeals, it was the worst of oatmeals."

A delivery person presents their copy of A Tale of Two Messengers.

A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens published in 1859. Set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, its opening line has been referenced often in popular culture: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

References

• Fozzie Bear attempts to read the book before going to bed in the March 18, 1984 edition of The Muppets comic strip, but he gives up when he decides that the opening lines indicate that Dickens couldn't make up his mind.

• Flo Bear quotes the book's opening while writing a note in Episode 2714 of Sesame Street: "It was the best of notes, it was the worst of notes..."

• In a season 25 segment (First: Episode 3190), Rosie O'Donnell plays a delivery person who shows Oscar the various literary items she can read, including her copy of the book A Tale of Two Messengers.

• A later season 25 episode has Oscar's mother reading him a story from a magazine. It starts with: "It was the worst of times, it was the rottenest of times..."

• In the book What's in Oscar's Trash Can?, Oscar's bookcase contains a copy of A Tale of Two Grouches.

• A 1981 activity book, Put & Play Yucchy Book, shows Oscar reading his favorite Grouch novel, A Tale of Two Grouches.

• The Muppet Meeting Film "Sales Savvy" begins with the narrator reciting "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

• When the lights go out in The Jim Henson Hour episode "Videotape", Vicki uses the cover of darkness to recite some theatre by paraphrasing the final line from A Tale of Two Cities: "'Tis a far, far better thing than I have ever done be..."

• While promoting The Muppet Christmas Carol on Pebble Mill, Gonzo says he only partially prepared for his role as Dickens by reading "A Tale of One City".

• The Count checks out a copy at the library in Sesame Street Episode 3339.

• Mr. McQueeney gives a lesson on A Tale of Two Cities in the Aliens in the Family episode "A Very Brody Tweeznax."

• In the epilogue of the Farscape novel Dark Side of the Sun, John Crichton paraphrases the closing lines of A Tale of Two Cities: "It was a far, far better thing."

• The Muppets episode "A Tail of Two Piggies" references the title.

• Yolanda Rat reads A Tail of Two Cities in her role as Timmy Monster's housekeeper in "Kermit and the Three Golden Nose Hairs" from Muppets Meet the Classics: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm.

Bert's books

• A 1983 Sesame Street sketch, in which Bert vocally copies Ernie's drumming, features Bert reading A Tale of Two Breakfasts. From the book, he reads the line, "It was the best of oatmeals, it was the worst of oatmeals."

• At the beginning of "Adding, Adding, Adding," Bert reads, "It was the best of pigeons, it was the worst of pigeons."

• Bert identifies his book as "A Tale of Two Pigeons" in a sketch where Rubber Duckie gets the hiccups.

• The same book appears in a sketch about music vs reading where he reads the opening line, "It was the best of time for pigeons, it was the worst of time for pigeons."

• A sketch about Best Friends begins, "It was the best of oatmeal, it was the worst of oatmeal."

Connections

• Jonathan Coy played Jarvis Lorry in a 2011 BBC Radio version
• Charles Dance played Sydney Carton in a 1989 BBC Radio version
• Lothar Grützner played Ernest DeFarge in a German record version (1977)
• Unn Vibeke Hol played Lucie Manette in a 1989 Norwegian radio version
• George Little played Jacques Three in the 1965 TV series and a public prosecutor in the 1980 TV series
• Rolf Mamero played Tom Stryver in a German record version (1977)
• Alison Steadman played Miss Pross in a 2011 BBC Radio version
• Franz-Josef Steffens played Jarvis Lorry in a German record version (1977)
• Alexander Welbat played Dr. Manette in a German record version (1977)
• Orson Welles played Dr. Manette and Sydney Carton in The Mercury Theatre on the Air radio version (1938)
• Billie Whitelaw played Madame DeFarge in the 1980 TV movie
• James Wilby played Sydney Carton in a 1989 TV movie
• John Wood played Sydney Carton in a 1965 TV series