zwolanerd

Wonderfalls: One of my favorite shows that was never really given a chance. The show was cancelled after four episodes aired, but luckily for the small but devoted fanbase, an entire 13-episode season was filmed and later released on DVD. This show suffers from having an extremely odd premise. Why is this a bad thing? Well, it’s actually not. It’s refreshing and fun. But trying to explain the premise to others is a surefire way to get the other person to give you the side eye and start wondering when you got off your meds.

So here it is. A young woman who is pretty unmotivated and bored with life works in a gift shop for a popular tourist attraction on the American side of Niagara Falls. She gets knocked on the head and suddenly inanimate objects start talking to her, giving her vague instructions on things she needs to do to help people. She becomes an unwilling do-gooder because of these objects’ persistence in getting her to do good things for others (frequently complete strangers). Her family is neurotic but concerned that this young woman is taking neuroses to an unhealthy level. And there’s a sweet love story.

Are you hooked, or are you wondering how on earth a show like this even got the green light to begin with?

This is one of those instances where the cast really makes the show. All the characters are amazingly 3-dimensional, even if they are sometimes caricatured. Some of the over-the-top portrayal is on purpose to further a story or character development, but then they also seem kind of realistic. The stories are heart-warming and sweet, sometimes serious but mostly ridiculous and fun. This show was created by the same guy that brought you Pushing Daisies (where he also used actor Lee Pace) and the passed over Munsters remake Mockingbird Lane. Bryan Fuller shares some things in common with Joss Whedon, another TV fan favorite, as this show suffered almost the identical fate of Firefly (without the added bonus of a theatrical release). FOX aired the first handful of episodes out of order, switched its order on the schedule, and abruptly cancelled it before it found its footing. The website SaveWonderfalls.com has fallen into disuse, and has been all but forgotten. But I’m excited to rewatch it, and share it with you.

So this is what I remember from not having seen this show in several years. I believe I haven’t watched it for almost 4 years, so it will be fantastic to go back and see if this show holds up to my fangirl-type adoration. I plan to look at a number of themes, including how the characters  and events match up to popular tropes, pop culture references that come up, and a discussion of long and short story arcs. There may also be a little bit of snark, but it’s all truly from a place of love as I rediscover this wonderful show.

Tags: LWST, Wonderfalls

Written by: Meags