Wonderfalls

Okay, so you're saying to yourself, there's nothing good on TV. Well, there was something - Wonderfalls. And it got canceled by the dark forces known as Fox. Fortunately, it's now available on DVD! Jaye Tyler is your not-so-average girl next door. She holds a degree from Brown University, but instead decided to work at a souvenir shop at picturesque Niagara Falls. Her reason? She wanted to live an expectation-free life. She's rude to the customers, a total bitch to her lesbian sister and frowns at everything good about the world, and yet, she's the most likable character you'll ever meet. Her 'sodes started when inanimate objects started talking to her, telling her in cryptic messages to do spontaneous things without a reason. She has no choice but do as they say or they'll bug the hell out of her by singing her ears off.

One simple act will lead to a series events that at the end makes sense to her and the person she's unknowingly helped.

This show had the rare combination of great writing, acting and directing. This is evident by the great on screen chemistry. Watch just one episode and I guarantee you'll be hooked and wanting more.

Fresh, intelligent, insightful and hysterically funny, Wonderfalls is a show you'll come back to time and again.

The series has oft been criticised as a cheap Joan of Arcadia carbon copy, but Wonderfalls is by far the superior of the two.

Whereas JoA has a painful tendency of falling into a soppy family drama -- tears and revelations and tight embraces and fluffy bunnies -- Wonderfalls is constantly slick and on top of it. It, too, has its share of emotional moments, but never dwells on the soap; rather, biting back with its trademark humour.

To give an example -- Jaye and Eric share a lovely moment standing at the top of the falls, where Jaye has the chance to scatter a deceased character's ashes (very cutely, in a souvenir barrel). It's a sweet moment, and as the barrel plummets into the foam, Jaye turns -- to find herself face-to-face with a cop, who promptly fines her $250 for littering.

Caroline Dhavernas is perfect for the starring role of Jaye Tyler, an underachiever whose expectation-free reputation belies her true intelligence. Jaye doesn't like people in general, revels in the role of the bitch, when suddenly she's forced to do good by the nagging of toy animals. In following these cryptic messages and helping others, Jaye herself begins to develop a warmer sense of compassion and a sharper understanding of those around her, while still retaining her delightfully badass attitude.

Dhavernas steals our hearts in a way Joan of Arcadia's Amber Tamblyn has never been able to manage.

It is sad that Wonderfalls -- by far the better of the two shows in every aspect -- was the one to get the axe, but at least we can console ourselves with the promised DVD release later this year/early 2005.

So, here we have another impressive, interesting show, that's thankfully interesting and not some sort of godawful reality mess...but it's on Fox. You know Fox, right? That network renowned for giving amazing shows a chance, then never advertising them, airing them out of order or preempting them for some tripe like American Idle, changing their place int he schedule from week to week and finally cancelling them cuz "Gee Wally, these ratings aren't so good."

I can only conclude that there are two seperate entities at work over at Fox. One likes to take these new shows and give them a place to live and grow, to go beyond the normal, dare I say crap, we see on TV. And the other entity is the one who gets to control the show once it's signed on. It's the thing that says "You're on here, opposite Monday Night Football...no wait, at 3AM on Tuesdays...no wait, Fridays at 9!" This entity is of substandard intelligence and may very well be Rupert Murdoch. But I digress.

Wonderfalls is another rare hit for Fox, if only they take the time to promote it, give it a good timeslot and keep it around long enough for it to develop a fanbase. Failing that, brace yourself for more godawful and pointless reality TV. We shall see.

I am stunned that Fox chose to axe Wonderfalls after just one series. I read that they didn't give it a chance by continually changing it's scheduling and missing weeks etc. I picked up on the series on Sky one (who seemed to do the same thing - I could never figure out when it was next on) so finally bought the DVD from the States.

Wonderfalls is an excellent, gentle, quirky comedy, with a great performance from Caroline Dhavernas in the lead role as Jaye Tyler, a somewhat disaffected graduate, in a dysfunctional family, to whom inanimate objects start to speak and give her advice. This leads her into all kinds of comical situations.

From Caroline to the whole of the rest of the cast, faultless performances are given. It isn't laugh out loud mostly, but engaging and humorous. There are one or two really hilarious moments though.

Caroline, I hope you go on making shows and films as good as this one - you have a real talent for comedy.

Fox - you must be mad for killing such an excellent show. Think again!

This series caught my imagination with the very first episode and I was hooked. It quickly moved to #1 on my TiVo and I became emotionally invested in the characters.

But FOX struck its evil axe again and killed another great series. Now what are we left with? Repeats of their latest reality brain drain "The Swan". Fantastic. JUST what I wanted.

I can only hope some other channel sees the potential of this show - if nothing else, just to see the rest of the season.

RIP Wonderfalls, Firefly, Dark Angel, John Doe ....