So is this what Dead Like Me is like? The quirkiness could be fun but right now I'm finding Jaye as uncharismatic as they come, which does not bode well. Her voice really grates on me--chirpy and dour at the same time.

So, inevitable comparison to Joan of Arcadia (yes, I know, they were in development at the same time, etc.): now she's supposed to do random things without God's authority, just because they seem to work out when the objects tell her to?

... okay. Works for me, for now. I guess.

Yeah. I'm going to give it a few weeks, but I am not quite disenchanted-and-overly-educated-liberal-artsy enough to be charmed by Jaye in her more Fuck You All moments. Liked the scenes with her family, though, and in the bar, so that's something.

I really liked Jaye. The only thing that seemed off was her teeth. I'll give the show a few more tries and see if it sticks.

To my relief, I'm not in. It's like the bastard love child of Tru Calling and Joan of Arcadia, with creepy stale echoes... Tru's sister identical to Jaye's sister, the two male love interests nearly identical. I guess the bottom line is that the characters are superficial, shallow, not real enough to make me care about what happens to them.

Well, thankfully I've never watched even a second of Tru Calling, so I'm in for this one. I quite enjoy it, but then I've always liked quirky shows, sharp writing, and snarky cynical characters. I laughed out loud quite a few times, and find all of the characters endearing- and I can certainly relate to Jaye. (Although, thankfully not in terms of her family.) So I'm in, definitely.

That's the thing- I never once related to Tru, or Buffy, or Cordy, but I relate to Jaye with her standoffish sarcasm, her lack of caring, and her siezing up emotionally. I don't think I'm that way, but a part of me sees it increasing, and is deeply in fear of becoming the person who can't say "I love you" to her family or friends.

In making Jaye less accessible, in a way, the writers make her more accessible to me. And the difference between Jaye's sister and Tru's sister, IMO, is that the actress in Wonderfalls' can actually act.

Not a whole lot more, in my opinion.

I found Jaye unlikeable... and not in a charming, I-understand-why-she-has-these-quirks way. I think they were trying to harness the lost-bitter-postgrad-finding-herself energy of Winona Ryder's character in Reality Bites, but they didn't... Jaye just comes across as a stubborn baby. Maybe I'm too old now to relate to that kind of blindness and stupidity of youth.

Also, I didn't like the souvenir shop or the show's overall setting.

I haven’t heard anything about this programme at all; could somebody give me a one line précis? “The bastard love child of Tru Calling and Joan of Arcadia” doesn’t really help me as neither are on in the UK and I have only a vague notion on what the former’s about, nothing at all about the latter.

Snarky, unfriendly Brown University graduate with a degree in philosophy moves back to Niagara Falls and works in a gift shop, where animal-shaped things start talking to her and telling her to do things.

Tru Calling = Dead bodies talk to a girl and tell her to do things to save people, and she can't tell anyone because they'll think she's crazy.
Joan of Arcadia = Diety talks to a girl and tells her to do things to save people, and she can't tell anyone because they'll think she's crazy.
Wonderfalls = Souvenirs talk to a girl and tell her to do things to save people, and she can't tell anyone because they'll think she's crazy.

Heh. Thanks, guys!

It certainly is a weird trend. What next: voices talk to a girl and tell her to do things to kill people and she tells people and they think she's crazy?

Hee. I thought of another.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer = Sexy British man talks to girl and tells her to do things to save people, and she can't tell anyone because they'll think she's crazy.

Buffy = Powers that be bestow strength on girl and expect her to save the world but she can't tell anyone because they'll think she's crazy.

I love Jaye's character! I think this show has alot of potential. did anyone see the last episode? I think I found a new favorite for Fri. nights. :)

Did anyone catch the last episode? I thought it was really funny the way Jaye was trying to handle the religious thing between her family and the priest. And they almost kissed... so close.

Anyway, I heard this show was moving from Friday to Thursday? Did anyone hear this and does this mean that the show is here to stay?

Ok, if Jaye and Eric don't hook up tonight, I'll be extremely disappointed... enough flirting/teasing! Just get it over with!!

Wonderfalls is cancelled already.

I thought the move to Thursday was ominous. Shame though. I'd enjoyed what I'd seen so far. It made me laugh out loud several times an episode which is rare for me with TV these days.

In that thread, Minear says, "Hey, look on the bright side -- no more boring-ass TWoP blow-by-blow recaps!" Heh. I actually haven't read Wonderfalls recaps, dunno if that's fair.

Yeah, Now I'm totally depressed. Last episode was good too.

In order to be totally depressed I'd have to have had an expestation that the network would do right by the show. It was clear before the show started that that wasn't going to happen, so I'm not depressed or disappointed.

I wonder when cable companies will start to sell an HBO and PBS-only package, because that seems to be where the only good TV is.

I managed to miss all the episodes aside from the pilot. Sigh.

Minear also wrote some pretty nice things about TWoP in general, and Strega. I think he just didn't like the Wonderfalls recaps, and I gotta say I agree with him- I found them deadly dull and unfunny.

Poor Minear. I'd be happy to comfort him.

I'm sure you would. But he's probably too busy working on the scripts for the new Faith pilot, right?

It does seem like a lot of heads are falling into the bucket lately. But then a midseason show has the odds of an icicle in hell, and a show on Fox has the odds of half an icicle.

Apparently he's working on an adaptation of The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress right now. *shrug*

Yeah, I'd just gotten to a point where I was amused by Jaye instead of wanting to kick her over a cliff, and then bang. Oh well. Less TV for me, which is okay. (They're replacing it next Thursday with, wait for it, a re-run of The Swan. Augh!)

I honestly don't understand why they won't at least show the episodes that have already been shot. What on earth is the point in showing reruns instead?

They must actually think they'll get more people watching a rerun of The Swan. Ew.

That was just wishful thinking on my part, kmm. I mean, theoretically Eliza Dushku is busy anyway.



Because then it might actually do well in the ratings and the network execs' decision to cancel it would make them look like idiots with the company. They can't risk the show suceeding after they decided (before it aired) that it would fail. Also, with the terminal inanity. Ever since Undeclared, I've ranked Fox as the worst of the worst, with ABC a close second and the WB in third.

That's funny about the other site. You dish it, you better be able to take it. Surely our Minear is no stranger to the experience of receiving criticism.

There's an unflattering picture of Tim Minear (though I suppose no one looks good as a disembodied head) in this week's TV Guide, with an article about Wonderfalls' trouble and a word bubble, "Please watch my show." Too late.

I didn't like the show, but I feel bad for him and those who did.

Yes, same here. And I hate the system whereby 4 episodes is all a new drama gets if it isn't a surprise hit. (See also Century City.)

Signs of life!

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=17392
http://www.eonline.com/Gossip/Kristin/Arch...04/040416c.html (beware Angel casting spoilers here--to avoid, just page to the bottom and inch back up no further than the picture of Jaye--or just go to the aintitcool link, which quotes all the relevant stuff)

WB is going to consider an episode of Wonderfalls along with its fall pilots, so it has a chance at renewal yet. Follow the links for where to mail letters of support.

That's nice, but it's still very cold odds, I'd say. It's akin to when networks say that a show is on hiatus and they're hanging on to it for the following midseason.

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.ht...-06/23/09.30.tv



13 episodes, 6 with commentaries. Or, move to Argentina, where the whole series is about to air.

The only worthwhile comment on the AICN page: "I hear at the end Wonderfalls girl realizes she got her powers when Willow did her magic on the scythe. That's right, she's a slacker slayer!"

In other news, Tim Minear is adapting Heinlein's "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" for a feature? Gosh.

I'd be excited if I, Robot wasn't what it turned out to be.

Yabbut that wasn't Tim Minear! :)

How they turned one of the more cerebral Asimov stories (and that's saying something!) into the human/robat war we see in the trailers, I'll never understand. I don't know whether I'll even see it.

On the other hand, I see that one of the writers for I, Robot is also adapting The Da Vinci Code, which is probably a good fit.

It's my understanding that they had this robot story, and they had the rights to I, Robot, and they just kinda... smooshed the title onto the story.

The which topic? Oh, okay. [moves I, Robot to a movie thread]