10 years ago, I watched the pilot episode of Wonderfalls on TV for the first time. About 20 minutes in, the main character, Jaye Tyler, starts chasing after a quarter following a little wax lion's instructions to do so. As she runs down stairs to try and catch the bouncing coin she asks herself, "oh my god, what am I doing?!" At this point, I was completely sold on this show.
Seemingly banal and pointless instructions from (normally) inanimate animal objects like "lick the light switch" or "take a picture" have huge ripple effects that ultimately improve Jaye's life and the lives of those she encounters. This show has often been compared to "Joan of Arcadia", which on the surface is apt. However, Wonderfalls is so much more fun and charming. Watching underachiever Jaye go from thinking she's completely lost her marbles to begrudgingly doing what the talking muses tell her to do is nearly always hilarious. Not just because of the absurdity of her tasks, but also due to the show's characters' wit and snark.
While the show is actually pretty grounded (aside from the bossy animal figures) and deals a lot with the characters' relationships, it has at often times reminded me of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amélie." Not surprising since one of the show's creators, Bryan Fuller, loves the movie. While Wonderfalls isn't nearly as influenced by the movie as Fuller's other show, Pushing Daisies (also excellent), there's something at the heart of it that captures some of Amélie's magic.
Even 10 years after this show first graced screens, I still don't get tired of watching it again. The great dialog and humor is a huge factor in the show's re-watch-ability. And while this show was short-lived, the creators did a good job of offering the viewers a bit of closure after only 13 episodes - a feat few canceled programs manage to do.
The show was beloved by its fans, who campaigned very hard to get it released on DVD through SaveWonderfalls.com. Even after it was announced that Wonderfalls would find new life on DVD shelves, the fans worked hard to promote the release and created WhatIsWonderfalls.com, a site made specifically to introduce potential new viewers to the show.
Wonderfalls is something special. Just give it a chance an it'll capture you with its charm.
Seemingly banal and pointless instructions from (normally) inanimate animal objects like "lick the light switch" or "take a picture" have huge ripple effects that ultimately improve Jaye's life and the lives of those she encounters. This show has often been compared to "Joan of Arcadia", which on the surface is apt. However, Wonderfalls is so much more fun and charming. Watching underachiever Jaye go from thinking she's completely lost her marbles to begrudgingly doing what the talking muses tell her to do is nearly always hilarious. Not just because of the absurdity of her tasks, but also due to the show's characters' wit and snark.
While the show is actually pretty grounded (aside from the bossy animal figures) and deals a lot with the characters' relationships, it has at often times reminded me of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amélie." Not surprising since one of the show's creators, Bryan Fuller, loves the movie. While Wonderfalls isn't nearly as influenced by the movie as Fuller's other show, Pushing Daisies (also excellent), there's something at the heart of it that captures some of Amélie's magic.
Even 10 years after this show first graced screens, I still don't get tired of watching it again. The great dialog and humor is a huge factor in the show's re-watch-ability. And while this show was short-lived, the creators did a good job of offering the viewers a bit of closure after only 13 episodes - a feat few canceled programs manage to do.
The show was beloved by its fans, who campaigned very hard to get it released on DVD through SaveWonderfalls.com. Even after it was announced that Wonderfalls would find new life on DVD shelves, the fans worked hard to promote the release and created WhatIsWonderfalls.com, a site made specifically to introduce potential new viewers to the show.
Wonderfalls is something special. Just give it a chance an it'll capture you with its charm.
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