World Famous Comics: Wonderfalls - The Complete Series
Wonderfalls - The Complete Series
Directed By: Michael Lehmann, Peter Lauer, Allan Kroeker, Peter O'Fallon, Jeremy Podeswa Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: 20th Century Fox Number of Items: 3 Region Code: 1 Release Date: February 01, 2005 Running Time: 570 minutes Theatrical Release Date: March 12, 2004
Description: "From the producer of Angel and Firefly comes Wonderfalls with 9 never aired episodes. Although a recent graduate of Brown University, Jaye Tyler decides to ignore her degree, live in a trailer and work at a tourist gift shop in Niagara Falls called Wonderfalls—-much to the despair of her well-to-do family. But Jaye’s aimless life takes a startling turn after a lion figurine begins talking to her. Her family calls it an "episode," but Jaye knows better.
Fearing for her sanity, Jaye nevertheless starts doing exactly what an increasing number of inanimate objects tell her to do and is amazed when her outrageous actions begin changing people’s lives in unexpected ways. "
Amazon.com: Wonderfalls is probably the most hilarious show you've never seen. An hour-long "dramedy" about a young woman who hears the voices of inanimate objects--which instruct her to help out total strangers--the show aired on Fox in early 2004 to critical acclaim and dismal ratings. After airing four times in terrible time slots, the show was quickly canceled, but not before a hue and cry from a small but fervently devoted cadre of fans went up, begging for all 13 episodes to be released on DVD. Thus, the highest-profile DVD release of a canceled show was born, and the nine unaired episodes of Wonderfalls are finally seeing the light of day.
You may be wondering: is it worth it to check out a show that was axed so quickly? The answer is an unqualified yes, as Wonderfalls is quirky without being precious, sardonic without being bitter, and smart without being a show-off about it. Jaye (Caroline Dhavernas) is a graduate of Brown University who's opted not to put her education to work, and instead lives in a trailer and works at a tourist shop in Niagara Falls, to the consternation of her affluent, successful family. All seems to be going well for this self-proclaimed slacker, until one day a small toy lion speaks to her in enigmatic epigrams, commanding her to help people. Loath to deal in any compassionate way with the rest of humanity, Jaye warily obeys, if only to make the voices stop. Soon, though, she finds herself to be an unwilling humanitarian and accidental hero when more inanimate objects start talking to her, and more people turn out to need her help.
The premise may sound a bit too off-the-beaten-path, but Wonderfalls' meddling with the ethereal was grounded in a keen awareness of post-college life and the travails befalling young twentysomethings who had no idea where their life was going. And instead of being sanctimonious or inspiring, the show was instead a complex mix of the heartfelt and the angsty, and Dhavernas was one of the most cynically hopeful heroines to grace the small screen. The rest of the cast was also topnotch, including Kate Finneran as Jaye's high-strung sister, Diana Scarwid as her caustic mother, and Tyron Leitso as bartender Eric, whose tentative romance with Jaye was both affecting and hilarious. Think of Wonderfalls as less of a failure and more of a rare opportunity to see some of the most creative television in recent memory. --Mark Englehart
Fabulous Amazing one of the best shows ever Wonderfalls is completely new to me, as in I hadn't even heard of the show untill very recently. I ran across this one while serching shows similiar to my current favorite series Pushing Daisies Pushing Daisies - The Complete First Season So I rented it, and now I must own it. Put it this way I watched all 13 episodes in like a day and a half, I was floored I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this show. Every episode is better then the last, and so funny I laughed until I was coughing many times. Wonderfalls is one of those rare shows that only come around once in a while, where everything just seems to fit, and there's absolutely nothing you would change about the series. I'm sort of relieved that I missed the show when it aired, it disgusts me when brilliant shows like this one are passed over in favor of um...lets say shows that are more flash and less brain. Also, I got to miss out on the frustration of an incomplete story. I never saw the few episodes that aired, So I got to experience the series as a whole the way it was meant to be seen. I worried slightly over there being only 13 episoeds, thinking that when the credits roled on the finale I would feel like nothing was resolved and that I had wasted my time and money. Happily though, this was not the case. At the emd I was very satisfied there was and end, but not an ending. As though the story would go on to what ever end a viewer choose, even if they wern't there to see it. I love shows that end this way. I really can't say enough good things about this series. If you want to be seriously entertained, and have a slightly twisted sense of humor. then Wonderfalls is a must see again and again.
What a great series The concept is interesting, the characters are compelling, and the stories interesting. It's the story of a reluctant hero, drafted against her will to help others.
The idea is an interesting one. Inanimate objects give the lead character hints of actions she needs to take to avoid serious consequences. Most of the time the consequences are for someone else, which means helping an often hard-to-help person.
Like a horoscope, the objects do a good job of dropping hints of what actions need to be taken to ensure a good outcome. And like a horoscope, those hints can be interpreted in many different ways. Misinterpreting the hints provides the mystery that drives the stories.
Though it was canceled after only one season, they did write a full story, so there you aren't stuck with a cliffhanger at the end of the last episode that never gets resolved.
Highly recommended.
Wonderfalls (a series ahead of it's time?) This is a great series!! I loved the few episodes I caught on tv before it disappeared. I'm so glad I got to see it on DVD. I am very disappointed there were/are no networks forward-thinking enough to pick it up after FOX canceled it. Looking at the overwhelming number of positive reviews, it kind of makes you think that maybe tv execs don't always know what they're doing, eh?
This series was original and unique (perhaps ahead of it's time?), and I just loved Caroline Dhavernas in the role of Jaye. Her expressions are priceless. Check this great (short) series out. Give it a chance beyond the first few episodes and watch it evolve.
I feel sorry for the people who didn't care for the series. Curmudgeon much? In any case, chances are most of you will love it as much as the (at the time of this review) 301 out of 317 other reviewers did. :)
Quirky and life affirming I was going to give it 4 stars but then asked myself, "what could be done to make this a better show?" And I couldn't think of anything. What I liked about this show was the characters and the script. The instructions to Jaye from the animated creatures were almost always ambiguous yet somehow worked out for the best. Yet the situations never seemed forced or contrived.
Jaye's family comes across as believable and endearing. They are well-played and provide support for Gen Y-er, Jaye. It is important for Jaye to have a supportive functional family so that it can be clear that the Gen Y anomie is a product of the times, a choice of the Gen Y-er, and not the social/family dysfunction. (Or maybe the functional family is the cause?)
I think what may have turned off some people, (it was canceled after just 4 'sodes) is that there was never a clear "nemesis" or bad guy. Situations were bad, but people were not really bad. Jaye's "insanity" pushed her into situations where she is forced to interact or intervene and thereby complicate her life, but it always works out for her when she does get involved, which is the anti-thesis of the Gen Y-er.
Should be titled "No Wonder it fell"! Don't waste your money like I did. I expected a light hearted family oriented show about a girl who was influenced by talking, inanimate objects. Instead, I find a lame show that includes a lesbian fling by her sister, a lot of un-family friendly language, and boring plots. I didn't even last through the second episode.
I can understand why it was canceled after just 4 episodes (according to the box jacket.)!
My copy is now in the trash...such a waste of money! I couldn't even bring myself to try to sell it to some other unsuspecting soul! Bad! Bad!
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