This Is Wonderland

Even with the frantic pace, this courtroom comic drama takes just the right amount of time to tell its painful, and painfully funny stories. As art it creates its own universe and peoples it with highly original characters. As a piece of urban it seems to tell the truth. It is a highly inventive and revealing portrait that shows how peoples lives are affected by their dance with the court system. What is also revealing and truth-telling is the necessary manipulation of the judicial process in order that people actually get a bit of justice. A funny dramedy. CBC, you're on the ball.

Congratulations to CBC for picking a real winner for once! Not that I dislike their other shows necessarily, but until now there hasn't been a Canadian series that could compete at an international level (with a couple of possible exceptions). This show is funny, smart, and grabs your attention. It's almost impossible to *not* watch until the end once it's started.

I'm praying real hard that it finds its audience because once it picks up steam, it could actually draw... my god... ratings. And I don't mean acceptable-for-Canadian-made-TV ratings. Actual numbers! Did I just say that? A highly rated CBC show?

Well I can dream, can't I?

This show is weird, hilarious, and poignant. The production quality is very good, the acting is great, and the characters are brilliant. Even the sound is good, which is more than I can say for most US TV shows of late. I understand that the producers ended up in the Old Toronto City Hall one day and found it so odd they had to make it into a TV show.

As an American I am not used to the Canadian Justice system, but this just makes it all the more interesting. There is a court that would be like the US night court and then three more: bail court, plea court and crazy people court. Oh yes and once in a while we get to see trail court as well. While the judges wear red robes, like in Rumple of the Bailey, there are no powdered wigs.

If you can get CBC -- watch this show. If you can't get CBC -- move.

A one hour show depicting all that can go wrong in a courtroom combining the elements of drama, comedy, and lots of people in the courtoom "audience" can make it a bit chaotic for the viewing audience trying to follow what's happening. Michael Riley shines as the extroverted Elliott Saks, bringing back memories of his quick pace and quirky character in Power Play. Recognizable faces as recurring characters including Michael Murphy, Janet Laine-Greene, and Eric Peterson, best known from the CBC series Street Legal, and now on the new CTV series Corner Gas. Lots of laughs though we can sometimes empathize with the plight of those on the witness stand - accused and victims. How best to describe this to those who haven't seen the show? Imagine a little bit of the 80s sitcom "Night Court" + any prime time legal drama = This Is Wonderland.

this show is great. it is an example of when cbc does things right how good a show it can make. i think that the star and her supporting cast are all perfect in their roles and i hope this show comes back for not just one but for many more seasons. it is very funny but at the same time quite dramatic and it has a heart. it's the kind of good Canadian show i would have my children watch and will as soon as they are old enough as long as this show is still on. unfortunately a lot of good Canadian shows on cbc get cut down so i hope this one survives. the production values are terrific (again especially for a cbc show) and the writing is superb. good work all around.