Wonderfalls: Difference between revisions

| image = Wonderfalls.jpg

| caption = Promotional photo. Left to right: Neil Grayston, William Sadler, Diana Scarwid, Tracie Thoms, Tyron Leitso, Katie Finneran, Caroline Dhavernas, Lee Pace

| genre = [[Comedy drama]]<br />[[Fantasy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/wonderfalls-tv-series-v305155|work=Allmovie|title=Wonderfalls [TV Series]|access-date=November 21, 2012|author=Dillard, Brian J.}}</ref><ref name="BFI" />

| runtimecreator = 42[[Todd minutesHolland]]<br />[[Bryan Fuller]]

| creatorexecutive_producer = [[Bryan Fuller]]<br = />[[Todd Holland]]<br />[[BryanTim FullerMinear]]

| openthemecountry = "I Wonder Why the Wonderfalls" by= [[AndyUnited Partridge]]States

| country language = United StatesEnglish

| languagelocation = English[[Ontario]], Canada

| network first_aired = [[Fox{{Start Broadcasting Companydate|2004|03|Fox]]12}}

| first_airedlast_aired = {{StartEnd date|2004|0304|1201}}

| last_aired num_seasons = {{End date|2004|04|01}}1

| num_seasons num_episodes = 113

'''''Wonderfalls''''' is ana 13-episode American comedy-drama television series created by [[Todd Holland]] and [[Bryan Fuller]]. thatFour wasepisodes were broadcast on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] television network in 2004, and the entire series was released on DVD in 2005.

The show centers on Jaye Tyler ([[Caroline Dhavernas]]), a recent [[Brown University]] graduate with a philosophy degree, who holds a dead-end job as a sales clerk at a [[Niagara Falls]] gift shop. Jaye is the reluctant participant in conversations with various animal figurines – a wax lion, brass monkey, stuffed bear, and mounted fish, among others – which direct her via oblique instructions to help people in need.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VNnM_pZVBkwC&q=wonderfalls&pg=PA331 |title=Hofstede, David (2006). ''5000 Episodes And No Commercials: The Ultimate Guide to TV Shows on DVD 2007'', Back Stage Books, ISBN 0-8230-8456-6, p. 331 |isbn=9780823084562 |access-date=June 16, 2010|last1=Hofstede |first1=David |year=2006 |publisher=Watson-Guptill Publications, Incorporated }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YJsLk18cftsC&q=wonderfalls&pg=PR89 |title=Datlow, Ellen, et al. (2005). ''The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Eighteenth Annual Collection'', Macmillan, ISBN 0-312-34194-6, p. xxxix – xl |date= August 2005|isbn=9780312341930 |access-date=June 16, 2010|last1=Datlow |first1=Ellen |last2=Link |first2=Kelly |last3=Grant |first3=Gavin |publisher=St. Martin's Press }}</ref>

Despite her being extremely caustic and a deliberate underachiever, Jaye's life takes an odd turn when various muses, in the form of animal objects, begin talking to her and delivering cryptic instructions. At first uncooperative, Jaye eventually breaks down after they inflict on her various forms of passive coercion, such as keeping her awake all night by singing, and harassing her with their messages when she is around others, forcing her to accede in order to avoid appearing crazy.

[[Tyron Leitso]] as Eric Gotts – Jaye's love interest – is introduced in "Wax Lion" under unusual circumstances: Six days prior to the events of the pilot, Eric arrived in Niagara Falls for his honeymoon with his new wife, Heidi. Upon returning to their hotel suite one day, he discovered Heidi "servicing" a hotel bellman. Anguished, he retreated to The Barrel and sat and drank for 3&nbsp;daysthree straight days, after which the owner offered him a bartending job.

The series was an American production, filmed in [[Niagara Falls, Ontario]] and [[Toronto]], Ontario (standing in for [[Niagara Falls, New York]] and environs),<ref name="BFI">{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/39918|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824002244/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/39918|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 24, 2011|work=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=November 21, 2012|location=London|title=Wonderfalls}}</ref><ref>[http://www.wondertour.org/ Wonderfalls Tour — Guide to filming locations seen on the show]</ref> with several Canadian actors cast in lead roles (including the show's star). It was created by [[Bryan Fuller]] and [[Todd Holland]] and executive produced in partnership with [[Tim Minear]]. Originally scheduled to debut in the fall of 2003, its premiere was delayed until early 2004. When it finally debuted in March 2004 on the FOX network, ''Wonderfalls'' received positive reviews from critics,<ref>{{cite web|author=Tim Goodman |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/12/DDG6B5HL391.DTL |title=Trinkets are Spirit Guides in Fox's Brilliant 'Wonderfalls', ''San Francisco Chronicle'', March 12, 2004 |publisher=Sfgate.com |date=March 12, 2004 |access-date=June 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Heffernan |first=Virginia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/12/movies/television-review-orders-come-from-a-talking-lion-made-of-wax.html |title=Orders Come From a Talking Lion (Made of Wax), ''New York Times'', March 12, 2004 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 12, 2004 |access-date=June 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Joy Press |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2004-02-24/art/guided-by-voices/ |title=Press, Joy. "Guided by Voices", ''Village Voice'', February 24, 2004 |publisher=Villagevoice.com |date=February 24, 2004 |access-date=June 16, 2010}}</ref> but had trouble attracting viewers. The pilot episode, "Wax Lion", received a higher [[Nielsen rating]] when it was repeated the Thursday after its premiere, and the show was moved from a Friday -night time slot to Thursday.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MZRt-W8Hq7UC&q=wonderfalls&pg=PA277 |title=Perebinossoff, Philippe, et al. (2005) ''Programming for TV, Radio, and the Internet: Strategy, Development, and Evaluation'', Elsevier, ISBN 0-240-80682-4, p. 277 |isbn=9780240806822 |access-date=June 16, 2010|last1=Perebinossoff |first1=Philippe |last2=Gross |first2=Brian |last3=Gross |first3=Lynne S. |year=2005 |publisher=Taylor & Francis }}</ref> There was little notice or promotion of the time change, and FOX subsequently canceled the show after airing the fourth episode. A fifth episode was advertised but never aired.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timminear.net/archives/press/000064.html |title=Cancellation notice from |publisher=Tim Minear |date=April 3, 2004 |access-date=June 16, 2010}}</ref>

Despite its cancellation, ''Wonderfalls'' developed a loyal fan base. A campaign spearheaded by fans, (andwith an accompanying website), was launched, and several members of the cast and crew visited the site and encouraged the grassroots support.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.savewonderfalls.com |title=Save Wonderfalls |publisher=Save Wonderfalls |access-date=June 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web

|ShortSummary = When Jaye encounters a nun ([[Carrie Preston]]) who has lost her faith, she shares her experiences with the talking animals with the nun who tries to perform an exorcism on her.

|ShortSummary = Jaye ishates finallythat her actions when listening to the voices and hates that her actions are causing people to see her as a hero. Without any prodding from the animals, Jaye befriends a shut-in from the trailer park after she inadvertently hurts his feelings.

|ShortSummary = Jaye helps the firsta woman ([[Rue McClanahan]]) that people believe is the first woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel to regain some of her celebrity, until another woman ([[Louise Fletcher]]) shows up saying that she actually went over the Falls in that barrel.

|ShortSummary = Worried that she isn't sane enough to enter a relationship, Jaye deflects Eric's advances while they work together to help a Russian mail-order bride whose prospective husband turns out to be a 13-year-old boy. The boy soon turns his romantic attention towards Jaye.

|ShortSummary = Upset that the voices told her to let Eric go back to Heidi, Jaye is looking for a reason to suspect Heidi of wrongdoing. She misreads the signs that the voices give her, which leads to her alienating Eric but saving the life of her psychologist.

|ShortSummary = A bank robber takes Jaye, Sharon, and some of the gift shop employees hostage just as Jaye and Eric are supposed to meet to say a final goodbye. Circumstances of the crime provide life-saving treatment for the security guard. As the episode and series ends Eric has moved back to Niagara Falls and Jaye and Eric kiss.

All 13 episodes of ''Wonderfalls'' were aired to completion for the first time on Canada's [[VisionTV]] beginning in October 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.com/Television/TV_Shows/W/Wonderfalls/2004/10/04/pf-732969.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812212125/http://jam.canoe.com/Television/TV_Shows/W/Wonderfalls/2004/10/04/pf-732969.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 12, 2016|title=Vision TV rescues 'Wonderfalls'|date=October 4, 2004|publisher=Canoe.com|first=Bill|last=Brioux|access-date=June 19, 2016}}</ref>

[[Category:American English-language television shows]]