Thanks to Amy I found one of the most interesting, entertaining, witty, and well filmed & cut television series ever made.
It's called...
WONDERFALLS
I rented the series, but I'm contemplating purchasing it, because I already watched every episode twice, because I felt each time that I almost rushed through watching them the first time, because it was that engaging and addictive... And I think I might like to savour them all yet again.
It's available to rent on Netflix, where it's described this way:
In a small gift shop adjacent to the magnificent Niagara Falls toils Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), a highly intelligent Ivy League grad whose parents have invested all their hopes and dreams in her. Much to their chagrin, all Jaye wants is to work as a clerk at the store, until unexplainable events -- such as lifeless objects speaking to her in secret -- remind her that she may actually be destined for an offbeat kind of greatness.
And it's available for purchase on Amazon.com, where it's described this way:
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.
I don't think these descriptions do it justice. But I'm not at all sure how to describe the show. And I think that's its greatest strength.
I know that it seemed like a metaphor in a lot of ways.
I related to the characters, especially Jaye Tyler, in a lot of ways.
It's a comedy, a romance, a drama, and at times a thriller.
It's cut like a hip film, so it definitely doesn't have a low-budget feel or anything like that. It's damn slickly done.
Yet it's quirky & off-beat enough that it got cancelled after only one season. (Which I consider a crying shame!!) But really, the one season of this series winds up standing on its own almost like a movie anyway.
The characters are well developed, and the actors play their parts very well.
Including characters like the little smushed face wax lion figurine, a shrink's monkey book end, and my personal favourite, The Cow Creamer.
This kind of reminds me of Dead Like Me. This was my favorite show on Showtime... until the cancelled it, The Rat bastards!
Posted by Tim Pintsch | Saturday 07 May 2005 8:40PM
I never saw Dead Like Me, never even heard of it. So I really couldn't comment. But I added the 1st season to my Netflix queue.
I'm not actually a big fan of television shows. (I'm a film buff.)
But I usually prefer British television shows.
And I much prefer to watch them on dvd. I can't follow television shows on television - remember to watch or remember to record, or whatever. Which is the only reason I've never seen 24, for example.
Posted by Chloe | Sunday 08 May 2005 11:53AM
the funny thing is, when i looked at the photo of you above with your family, the first thing that popped in my head was wonderfalls and the lead actress...
i love that show
Posted by mike | Monday 09 May 2005 1:09PM
Chloe, You will not be sorry, e-mail me and tell me what you think of it. I have a feeling you'll either absolutely love it or hate it.
Posted by Tim Pintsch | Monday 09 May 2005 1:25PM
Mike: I think that's funny because immediately when I watched Wonderfalls for the first time, I thought - oh my goodness - she's me!. But it wasn't just the way she looks. haha. She thinks like me, and even her mannerisms are a lot like mine! It was kind of creepy watching her for the first episode or so. hah.
Tim: I'll let you know... But it's not too high up in my Netflix queue, so it might be awhile. Right now I'm hip deep in the Touching Evil series, and there's several movies I'm anxious to see as well.
So many movies - so little time. If I could afford it, I would have the 6 out at a time Netflix. haha.
Posted by Chloe | Monday 09 May 2005 3:10PM
As I was the "recommender" of Wonderfalls (to Chloe, and others), I thought I'd add my two cents. I recommended it to Chloe because, first and foremost, I loved the show and thought it was a shame few people got a chance to see it.
Everything is great about it...the characters, storylines, editing, concept, setting. I could go on and on.
I just happened across it on Fox one night while dogsitting, and thought it was the most brilliant non-animated show I'd ever seen (not counting the Twilight Zone).
And knowing Chloe as I do, I knew that this show would be one of the things she and I both "get," but I can't really explain that. We just seem to see the world in an interesting way. And we always think it is the logical, common sense way to see the world, but we always find we are in the minority. And the way Jaye is made to think she's insane by her surroundings is something we understand too well.
And let's face it, I came close to running off to Niagara Falls to work in a bar or gift shop many times!
Posted by Amy | Monday 09 May 2005 5:42PM
I'm still considering running off to Niagra Falls to work in a gift shop. haha.
Posted by Chloe | Monday 09 May 2005 11:50PM
Some mentioned that it reminded them of Dead Like Me. The shows were created by the same person, so that's probly why they are similar :)
Posted by Destany | Saturday 06 August 2005 11:38AM
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superficiality >>If the facade is what's important to you, all you wind up with is an illusion. Disillusionment is the gift of substance.
-- Chloe<<
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I don't need to hang onto resentments from my past dealings with him, because he has a seemingly endless supply of comments & behaviour to keep anyone pissed in the contemporary.
, where it's described this way:
This kind of reminds me of Dead Like Me. This was my favorite show on Showtime... until the cancelled it, The Rat bastards!
I never saw Dead Like Me, never even heard of it. So I really couldn't comment. But I added the 1st season to my Netflix queue.
the funny thing is, when i looked at the photo of you above with your family, the first thing that popped in my head was wonderfalls and the lead actress...
i love that show
As I was the "recommender" of Wonderfalls (to Chloe, and others), I thought I'd add my two cents. I recommended it to Chloe because, first and foremost, I loved the show and thought it was a shame few people got a chance to see it.
Some mentioned that it reminded them of Dead Like Me. The shows were created by the same person, so that's probly why they are similar :)
