Kit Harington became an international star after playing Jon Snow in HBO’s hit fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. Since then, Harington has starred in films like Baby Ruby and The Beast Within, and even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dane Whitman in Eternals. Now, his latest miniseries based on an all-time classic is a streaming hit.
Per FlixPatrol, A Tale of Two Cities is currently the No. 1 most-watched show on MGM in the United States. The miniseries also holds the top spot in Italy and is among the Top 10 shows in Germany and Spain. A Tale of Two Cities, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name, debuted on September 6, 2026.
A Tale of Two Cities Is One of the Best-Selling Novels of All Time
Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is an all-time classic. The historical novel was first published in 1859 and is set before and during the French Revolution in the late 1700s. It also has one of the most well-known and most quoted openings of any novel: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times(…).”
A Tale of Two Cities follows French Dr. Alexandre Manette and his 18 years as a prisoner in the Bastille. Dr. Manette is then released from prison and goes to live with his daughter, Lucie. The story also follows Charles Darnay, a Frenchman of the noble Evrémonde family, and Sydney Carton, a highly intelligent but depressed English barrister.
Charles Dickens’ historical novel is one of the best-selling novels of all time. The story follows the characters during the lead-up to the French Revolution and the period known as the Reign of Terror. A Tale of Two Cities might not be Dickens’ novel with the most adaptations, but it remains among the most influential novels of all time.
The latest miniseries stars Guillaume Gallienne as Alexandre Manette, Mirren Mack as Lucie Manette, François Civil as Charles Darnay, and Kit Harington as Sydney Carton. A Tale of Two Cities also stars Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Hester Lorry, Fehinti Balogun as C.J. Stryver, Theo Costa-Marini as Ernest Defarge, Roxane Duran as Madame Defarge, Ian Pirie as John Barsad, and more.
A Tale of Two Cities Received Positive Reviews from Critics
A Tale of Two Cities still has episodes left to air. The miniseries will consist of four episodes, with Episode 2 debuting on September 13. And so far, the miniseries has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, A Tale of Two Cities has an 80% Tomatometer score based on critics’ reviews. On IMDb, the latest adaptation holds a 6.2 rating with almost 200 reviews.
Robert Lloyd from the Los Angeles Times praised the casting, highlighting Roxane Duran’s performance and saying, “As Madame Defarge, who will become the symbol of the revolution’s bloodthirsty overreach, Duran is splendid; she’s a monster, finally, but layered and human. She has her reasons.”
A Tale of Two Cities airs new episodes every Sunday, with Episode 3 set to premiere on September 20, and Episode 4, the show’s final episode, on September 27. Possibly, A Tale of Two Cities might become one of the best adaptations of a Charles Dickens novel. For now, audiences can watch A Tale of Two Cities on MGM+.
