Cinderella '87

In this contemporary retelling of the Cinderella story, a feisty 18-year-old Italian-American New Yorker named Cindy is sent off to Rome with her irascible stepmother and vain stepsisters. On the way, she meets, and falls in love with, globetrotting bagpacker Mizio, who eventually turns out to be of Italian nobility. There's a fairy stand-in in the form of a spaced-out astrologer, a dance, and she even loses a shoe at one point. Care to venture a guess how it all turns out?

Directed by Roberto Malenotti, Cinderella '87 leans on a strong ensemble — Bonnie Bianco, Pierre Cosso, Sandra Milo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1987.