This will the discussion thread for Wonderfalls (forcorreo that's why I've amended your description line). We've all seen the many reviews posted over the last couple of days. No more to be posted about tonight's episode, thank you.

So let your fellow posters know if you thought the hype was worth it or think it's a case the show suffers from the post Buffy Emperor's New Clothes syndrome.

Simon | March 12, 23:56 CET

Broke down and watched Wonderfalls. Boy am I glad I did. I could have done without a lot of Holland's gimicky camera-work but the writing & acting was laugh out loud funny. I hope Fox doesn't pull the plug too quickly. Good show with a lot of potential.

NOLA64 | March 13, 04:01 CET

I watched it as well...I thought it was great; I really hope that Fox gives it the chance it deserves.

tacitron | March 13, 04:09 CET

I really enjoyed it. Quirky and funny. As someone who watches Joan of Arcadia I can definitely say it's not the same show. I love JoA and think it's a great show but this show also has the potential to be great on it's own. I hope those who watch JoA gave this show a chance too. There were an awful lot of comparisons of the two shows and some people might've been turned off thinking it was a rip-off.

I had many "laugh out loud" moments. I watched it with my husband and kids and they also thought it was funny. Both kids were cracking up constantly.

Firefly Flanatic | March 13, 04:24 CET

I'm glad I watched tonight. The show is funny and fast paced. I haven't often seen a series start out so well. I didn't really think that a show based on such a premise could carry things off so well. Sort of makes me wonder what Tru Calling would be like if it had good writers.

pesoto74 | March 13, 04:30 CET

Grrr on another board I just heard that the show was pre-empted for a basketball games in some areas - with March Finals up on us this may be an issue and it will effect the shows ratings. Rats!!!! So whose up for starting the Save Wonderfalls campaign.....

I really hate network TV at times.

RavenU | March 13, 04:37 CET

Yeah. Whereas Joan has the wonderful angst of being a teenager to deal with, Jaye definitely has her own bitterness that gives this show a completely different flavor from JoA. I honestly had to remind myself to keep breathing I was laughing so hard when the lion started singing throughout the night.

Big gripe was the little "photo" cuts to change scenes. Seemed rather cheesy to me. But great writing, fun acting, etc. Here's hoping the fact that it's in The Time Slot Of Doom doesn't hold any bad omens.

syrcharles | March 13, 04:39 CET

Agreed on the 'photo' thing--it wasn't too bad at first, but each time it happened it got more annoying. I did like the show, though, and will probably watch it next week.

weatherby | March 13, 04:42 CET

I also have to agree about the photo thing being annoying.

Firefly Flanatic | March 13, 04:44 CET

I have to say, I didn't like it.

I'm not going to give up on it. I'm assuming it either A)Gets better, or B)Is an acquired taste, like "Sex and the City," which is a great show, but it takes a few episodes to adjust to it's provacative quirkiness. Besides, I only have six hours of TV left for me if I don't give it more chances.

Things I liked:
William Sadler
The bartender
The best friend
Next week's promo. That episode actually looks good. That's the one from Tim and Marita, right?
They cast normal-looking people, not insanely gorgeous-looking people. (exception-the bartender)

Things I didn't like:
Uber-uberquirky, like it's trying too hard to stand out
The acting was mostly pretty bad. I'm gonna be nice and say that the actors are probably adjusting to their roles.
It wasn't funny. Not really. It tried to be, but it just wasn't. Okay, except for the neck-stabbing scene. I was intensely smiling during that part.
It wasn't dramatic. You could care less about what happens to any of the characters, except the bartender, cuz he's nice.
It seems pretty gimmicky. But it's too soon to judge on that.
It didn't do a good job introducing all the characters. And people thought "The Train Job" was horrible at that! The only name I know is Jaye, and the only characters I feel familiar with other than her are the bartender, the best friend, the sister, and PoorBitch. And, I guess, the wax lion.

So, I will continue watching, because I am fairly confident that it will get better.

My Score: 3 out of 10

Invisible Green | March 13, 05:04 CET

I pretty much loved all of it. Even the cheesy Viewmaster scene transitions weren't so bad after I got used to them (maybe they could be varied a little more? Or am I just used to 'Angel's blipverts?). I was puzzled by the lack of identifiable opening credits, though -- I know everyone's name got listed and all, but all of a sudden it was *ON* and there was no theme song to cue you in from the other room. A little disorienting. But still, very cool. The humor is so off-kilter I was laughing out loud ("Poor bitch.") through the whole thing. And by the end, my inner Jaye felt extremely gratified and vindicated.

Tim was right -- Caroline Dhavernas is wonderful. Her face is like a best-selling book of expressions. Just flip to any page and she sucks you right in.

Good show, TM! I hope Fox leaves it alone and lets it grow.

Wiseblood | March 13, 05:04 CET

i liked it, i was hooked right away, it didn;t take long to get into it so i liked it, i will def watch again next week...i am sooo glad i finally found a new show i like.

AngelicSlayer | March 13, 05:44 CET

Liked it too. Wasn't able to watch, but I taped it, and I will probalby do so again when I miss the airtime. As for the lack of credits, most shows don't have a regular credit sequence for the pilot. Gives them a chance to have more exposition without taking up valuable commercial time. There will be a credit sequence next week.

RootBoy42 | March 13, 05:56 CET

"You're not supposed to steal."
"You're not supposed to talk to strangers. Piss off!"

I definitely liked it. The camera work and editing, and especially that opening narrative with the story... VERY Dead Like Me. And while it reminded me so much of that show, which I also love, it was still able to be its own show. Introductions are always awkward and sometimes hard to follow, and I do feel this episode was a lot of that. But I also feel it's set up some great potential and I am very eager to see where they take things. It's shows like this that I typically enjoy the most.

I worry though. This show was quirky. How often do quirky shows succeed... on any network? That, and the Time Slot of Doom doesn't provide much hope. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed and if nothing else, we'll still have the DVDs when they come out.

Greyflowers | March 13, 06:12 CET

Two more things I didn't like:

No opening credits sequence. Sure, pilots of quite a few good shows (including Roswell and Miracles) have lacked main titles, but I really see it as a sign of disorganization.

The score music was possibly the worst possible. Ow, my ears!

Invisible Green | March 13, 07:01 CET

Wow. There's just something about Wonderfalls. I didn't think I could get drawn in like this. I'm hooked. And yeah, I thought it was reminiscent of Amelie. There is definitely nothing else like this on TV. Yay!

electricspacegirl | March 13, 07:05 CET

Quirky is certainly the right word for the show, but I loved it. As long as you're able to accept the quirkiness, it's a great show.

I was disappointed in the lack of credits, too, but since there is a theme song (and it's great), I assume they'll show up eventually.

katayla | March 13, 07:25 CET

I see a lot of people using the word "like", but I'm gonna go right out there and say I loved it. Quirky without being annoying, completely original, highly relatable, and laugh out loud hilarious. I was sad that I didn't get to hear the wonderful theme song, but many pilots don't have an opening titles sequence for whatever reason.

Please get good ratings, please get good ratings, please get good ratings...

MindPieces | March 13, 09:20 CET

Absolutely great television. Glad I have TiVo...it was pre-empted in my area for High School sports (as it is again next week), so it didn't air until 12:30 am Saturday.

ringworm | March 13, 09:41 CET

After all the critics went out of their way, mostly in trying to distance the show from JoA I assume, to describe how very bitter this girl is, I was afraid I was going to be put off by it, that I wouldn't be able to stomache watching such a negative character for too long. So expecting what I was expecting, the show actually surprised me with its sweetness.

But I'm not sure how well I liked the show overall, I'll have to give it time. I definitely liked it well enough to want to give it time though.

forcorreo | March 13, 09:49 CET

I enjoyed Wonderfalls very much. I'm more than a little negative and my family is seriously fractured, so Jaye clicked for me immediately. I didn't feel that her negativity, quirkiness, snarkiness, whatever you want to call it was off-putting at all. Especially considering that it looks as if she's been forced into the 'do-gooder' role. It would bore me to see a cheerful, spunky 20-something eagerly awaiting each new task in that role.

I loved the blind date/hospital sequence. There was much laughter here.

What I didn't like was the local Fox affiliates eagerness to send another promising series to the gallows. Instead of the prime time spot on the night of death that most of the rest of the country got, our Fox superstars thought an 11:40pm Friday slot would be great. We absolutely need that basketball, after all. I'm beginning to take this personally. Angel is constantly pre-empted for the same reason.

Haborym | March 13, 10:32 CET

Hey, I need that basketball! :) I only caught the last 2/3 of the episode, but I really liked what I saw. I can't really complain about the pre-emption-- coming from a place where I walk by a statue of James Naismith on the way to class multiple times every day, college basketball is in my blood. Until the end of the tournament, this is the only time all year that sport gets any kind of priority, but I'll definitely be downloading the SVCDs off Usenet (our VCR is crappy, plus the later airdates aren't in widescreen.)

Robo-Ritter | March 13, 10:44 CET

Well, I just finished watching it via Kazaa and I'm late for bed. It's 5am. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. There's alot of themes mixed into it and it's just a fun show to watch and that's why I think it's going to be successful. When it came to Buffy or Angel, people were always confused or blew it off but this show is different. It's for everyone and since it's just begun, it'll be easier to understand. I dunno how but yeah. They really should do something about that Friday time slot, though.

Christopher | March 13, 10:57 CET

Out of curiosity, what is the perfect time slot for a new show such as this?

Simon | March 13, 11:02 CET

Well, I'd say Sunday because the majority of people have the day off and there's alot of other comedy shows on during this time but I dunno. Any day would work fine with it except for Friday and Saturday. Maybe a Thursday?

Christopher | March 13, 11:13 CET

If it was me 9pm on Monday night or Tue night would give it a better shot. If you wanted the best place let it follow the Simpson's on Sunday night - since they kinda run in the same snarky - quirky vein - it might do it's best there.

RavenU | March 13, 11:14 CET

"I didn't feel that her negativity, quirkiness, snarkiness, whatever you want to call it was off-putting at all...It would bore me to see a cheerful, spunky 20-something eagerly awaiting each new task in that role."

Erm, I wasn't misunderstood was I? I liked the show.

forcorreo | March 13, 12:55 CET

Has anyone jotted down the differences between the pilot and the, um, pilot-pilot yet? There seem to be different scenes in it - and I think both the best friend and the brother are different actors.

Caroline | March 13, 13:04 CET

I liked it very much, and my son, who's in the 18-34 demo, actually sat and watched it with me, which says something positive, I think. His review: "I wouldn't say I would make a point of watching it, but if it was on, I wouldn't turn it off."
Not bad coming from someone who only watches "Survivor".

wissxwe | March 13, 15:34 CET

No opening credits sequence. Sure, pilots of quite a few good shows (including Roswell and Miracles) have lacked main titles, but I really see it as a sign of disorganization.

I think pilots often drop the opening credits because if they were to keep with the "Teaser-->Credits-->Commercials-->Act I" format, it gives viewers enough time to change the channel. By skipping straight to Act I, the audience is thrown into the story right away. Also, I think a three-minute opening teaser is probably tough to write when nobody knows any of the characters in the first place. Not impossible, of course, but harder.

Oh, and I loved it, even the Viewmaster scene transitions. And this:

-Am I crazy?
-Crazy-insane, or crazy I put a camera in my house and pretended I was on Big Brother?

VampiresSuckLOLOLGetIt | March 13, 16:33 CET

Reminded me of Soap. Amazing how much they put in one episode. Worth the watch. Hope they can continue without becoming farcical.

Linda | March 13, 16:42 CET

Overall, I really liked it. Not "loved" yet, mainly because of the gimmicky camera work. I just don't like that style; it feels too self-consciously "aren''t we being quirky and clever as hell?" to me. Too distracting.

But everything else I did love -- the hilarious dialogue, the mixture of cynicism and sweetness, and most of all, Jaye. She felt "real" to me. Loved her. Adored her. This is a unique, truly original show. Head and shoulders above most of the other stuff on tv. I wasn't sure how they'd be able to pull off the little talking figures but they did it, and did it well.

One thing, though: am I the only hot-blooded female to not find the bartender particularly compelling? I didn't hate him, but didn't adore him, either. I hope that the series doesn't revolve too much around his character.

phlebotinin | March 13, 16:50 CET

I have to say I wasn't all that impressed. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, and I'll watch it again, but I don't quite see what everyone is raving about. It was funny here and there, and snarky which I enjoy. But it was just 'okay' to me. It didn't make me fall in love with it on the first go. Of course shows take time to grow, (Firefly really hit its stride after the 4-5th episode or so) so I'll watch it.

But really it smells way too much like a 'who-are-we-gonna-help-this-week' format, which is kind of a pet peeve of mine in TV shows. It's why I never got into Quantm Leap or Tru Calling or most of the other shows like that.

EdDantes | March 13, 19:50 CET

forcorreo:


I didn't misunderstand you at all. :) I'd just heard those words being used to describe the characterall over the place, positively and negatively. I didn't mean to sound as if I were directing my opinion at your post.

When's the first Minear episode again?

Haborym | March 13, 20:10 CET

Okee dokey, just saw a lot of similar phrasings in your post as were in mine, and wasn't sure if they were in response to me or not.

forcorreo | March 13, 22:05 CET

From the Buffistas thread: Monkey Read Bookends.

Caroline | March 13, 22:31 CET

The show seems interesting...I wouldn't say I am hooked though...just yet. I am wary of putting TOO much stock in first episodes. There have been a lot of shows that didn't spark me at first, but then after seeing another episode or two, I really liked it...so we shall see.

Tracy | March 13, 23:04 CET

Minear wrote next weeks' ep, Karma Chameleon.

I'll pimp this show with my dying breath. I truly believe in it.

Allyson | March 14, 01:15 CET

I'm in the "like it/don't yet love it" category, but I pretty much expect it to grow on me. REALLY looking forward to next week with TM writing goodness!

Might need those bookends. Thanks Caroline!

melsta | March 14, 03:39 CET

Thanks Allyson! I'm rooting for the show, and Mr. Minear, as well.

It may not be the Whedonverse, but it's clever, original and I doubt that anyone is going to be voted off or forced to eat bugs. I'm not utterly dependent on Joss, I can enjoy episodic TV without him. I keep telling myself that while I channel surf and inevitably settle on techTV or a DVD.

And I could be wrong on the bug eating thing...

Haborym | March 14, 05:25 CET