Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
If a chintzy wax lion in a second-rate souvenir shop began talking to you, would you follow its instructions?
This is the dilemma Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas) faces as the main character of "Wonderfalls," a late, lamented casualty of the Fox Network.
Jaye does exactly what you'd expect: She ignores it. The problem comes when the result of not listening is the theft of a woman's purse. Following the incident, Jaye experiences what her mother terms a "sode" and finds that all sorts of inanimate objects are moving and speaking to her. It doesn't take long before Jaye starts doing what the objects are telling her. She finds that by doing so, good things happen.
For Jaye, the worst part isn't that she's hearing voices - it's that she's suddenly being nice to people.
"Wonderfalls" sprang from the mind of Bryan Fuller, creator of "Dead Like Me" and "Pushing Daisies." Similar to those series, "Wonderfalls" feels whimsical and surreal. Scenes transition like a View-Master - the series is awash in strange camera angles. Unusual plot elements rule the day.
The heart of the series is Jaye, a self-described slacker who graduated from Brown University. She majored in philosophy yet chose to work at a Niagara Falls gift shop and live in a trailer park. She has a biting sense of humor and dislikes most people - and isn't afraid of to let people know it.
She's the balance between the dark cynicism of George of "Dead Like Me" and the polite kindness of "Pushing Daisies'" Ned the pie maker.
The character works so well because of Dhavernas' acting skills - Dhavernas always brings the charm to Jaye's less flattering moments. It's a shame Dhavernas retreated back to her native Canada following the series' cancellation - her skills could benefit many U.S. TV series.
Jaye is surrounded by a family of overachievers who she secretly loves but wouldn't admit to it. The one person she'll willingly associate with is her friend Mahandra (Tracie Thomas), who works as a waitress at Jaye's favorite watering hole.
Jaye's life becomes even more complicated when she meets new bartender Eric (Tyrone Leitso) - someone she becomes very interested in - at the same time that the objects begin speaking to her. She quickly finds her efforts to get together with Eric are stymied by the talking animals, who seem to keep putting up roadblocks to the relationship.
The series originally aired on Fox in 2004, but quickly fell victim to the Friday night curse. While only four episodes aired, 13 were produced. Luckily, the entire series was released on DVD in a wonderful package that makes its cancellation that much worse.
Cast and crew collaborated on commentaries for six of the 13 episodes. They're generally high-quality, providing insights into the making of the series and what would have happened had it lived.
Other extras include the feature "Greetings from Wonderfalls," which offers a backstage look at the making of the series.
There's also a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects department, with input from both the members of the special effects team as well as the actors. It's interesting but short.
"Wonderfalls" was a somewhat divisive series. With a prickly main character who rubbed some people the wrong way and a long-form narrative that takes a while to become familiar, the series struck some people as too witty for its own good.
Still, for those who like something different from today's TV drama, "Wonderfalls" can provide vital relief and plenty of laughs.