This Is Wonderland
Encyclopedia
This Is Wonderland was a Canadian
television series which aired on CBC Television
. The series is a legal drama
with comedic
elements, or a comedy-drama
. It was created by playwright
George F. Walker
, his writing partner Dani Romain
, and Osgoode Hall Law School graduate and longtime Canadian TV producer Bernard Zukerman.
The first season aired in 2004, the second season began on January 25, 2005 and the third season began on November 23, 2005. On February 13, 2006, the CBC declined to order a fourth season, effectively cancelling the show. The final episode aired on March 15, 2006. Repeats of the first and second season currently air on Canadian digital specialty channel, bold, as well as on VisionTV.
, a young criminal lawyer
fresh out of Osgoode Hall Law School
, is thrown into a chaotic justice
system. She encounters characters ranging from the truly desperate to the bizarre. Alice, with a good-natured openness that cloaks a tenacious, committed spirit, finds herself on a journey that constantly tests her patience and compassion. Alice has a distinctive habit of muttering to herself.
Set in the courtrooms of Toronto
's Old City Hall
, cast regulars include Michael Riley
, Michael Murphy
, Michael Healey
, Siu Ta
, Eric Peterson
, Janet-Laine Green
and Kathryn Winslow. Jayne Eastwood
and Ron Lea
joined the cast in 2005.
In addition to Alice's education in the real world of low rent criminal justice, distinctive features of the Wonderland courtroom include respectful treatment of the mental health concerns of both defendants and the authority figures (judges and lawyers) faced with the contradictions of the system and the multicultural nature of Toronto society. Events in many of the characters' lives overwhelm their ability to emotionally cope and the shortcomings of the "blunt instrument" of the judicial system to address those situations are fully explored. Language and cultural barriers routinely figure into the course of justice, raising questions about the ability of the judicial system to respond to the needs of a changing society.
(as Alice DeRaey) and Michael Riley
(as Eliot Sacks) won in 2005 for Best Lead Actress and Actor respectively, and Michael Murphy (Judge Maxwell Fraser) won in 2004 and 2005 for Best Featured Supporting Actor. On August 29, 2006, This Is Wonderland received twelve Gemini nominations.
in September 2005. As of October 2009 seasons two and three have not been released on DVD.
On July 7, 2009 season one of This Is Wonderland began airing on DStv
in South Africa
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
television series which aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. The series is a legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
with comedic
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
elements, or a comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
. It was created by playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
George F. Walker
George F. Walker
George F. Walker, CM is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter. He is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally.-Early years:...
, his writing partner Dani Romain
Dani Romain
Dani Romain is a Canadian screenwriter and television producer, who has been the writing and production partner of George F. Walker in the television series This Is Wonderland, The Line and Living in Your Car, and the film Niagara Motel. A native of South Africa, she has lived in Canada since...
, and Osgoode Hall Law School graduate and longtime Canadian TV producer Bernard Zukerman.
The first season aired in 2004, the second season began on January 25, 2005 and the third season began on November 23, 2005. On February 13, 2006, the CBC declined to order a fourth season, effectively cancelling the show. The final episode aired on March 15, 2006. Repeats of the first and second season currently air on Canadian digital specialty channel, bold, as well as on VisionTV.
Plot
Alice De Raey, played by Cara PifkoCara Pifko
Cara Pifko is a Canadian actress known primarily for her work on television shows produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation....
, a young criminal lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
fresh out of Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School
Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...
, is thrown into a chaotic justice
Ontario Court of Justice
The Ontario Court of Justice is a Provincial Court for the Canadian province of Ontario. This court oversees matters relating to family law and criminal law....
system. She encounters characters ranging from the truly desperate to the bizarre. Alice, with a good-natured openness that cloaks a tenacious, committed spirit, finds herself on a journey that constantly tests her patience and compassion. Alice has a distinctive habit of muttering to herself.
Set in the courtrooms of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Old City Hall
Old City Hall (Toronto)
Toronto's Old City Hall was home to its city council from 1899 to 1966 and remains one of the city's most prominent structures. The building is located at the corner of Queen and Bay Streets, across Bay Street from Nathan Phillips Square and the new City Hall in the centre of downtown Toronto...
, cast regulars include Michael Riley
Michael Riley
Michael Riley is a Canadian actor and graduate of the National Theatre School in Montreal, Canada in 1984. Riley's first appearance was in the film No Man's Land...
, Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (actor)
Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
, Michael Healey
Michael Healey
Michael Healey is a Canadian playwright and actor. He graduated from the acting programme at Toronto's Ryerson Theatre School in 1985. His acting credits include the plays of Jason Sherman and George F...
, Siu Ta
Siu Ta
Siu Ta is a Vietnamese Canadian actress and independent short film producer.- Biography :Born in South Vietnam, she moved to Canada with her family at age seven. A graduate of the University of Toronto majoring in drama, she has been steadily building a career in film and stage entertainment since...
, Eric Peterson
Eric Peterson
Eric Neal Peterson, C.M. is a Canadian stage and television actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian series – Street Legal, Corner Gas and This is Wonderland.-Personal life:...
, Janet-Laine Green
Janet-Laine Green
Janet-Laine Green) is a Canadian actress, director, producer and teacher, active for over 25 years. Best known for her roles in She's the Mayor, Seeing Things and This is Wonderland, this Toronto-based film and television personality has also been a voice actor for animated series such as Jacob...
and Kathryn Winslow. Jayne Eastwood
Jayne Eastwood
Jayne Eastwood , also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress most famous for appearing in the 2002 film Chicago. She was one of the original cast members of the Toronto branch of The Second City, and was a semi-regular on SCTV...
and Ron Lea
Ron Lea
Ron Lea is a Canadian actor.Lea was born in Montreal and attended Concordia University before moving on to take acting training at the National Theatre School. His career took off after appearing in various local theatre productions. Lea can be seen in many movies on television, but may be most...
joined the cast in 2005.
In addition to Alice's education in the real world of low rent criminal justice, distinctive features of the Wonderland courtroom include respectful treatment of the mental health concerns of both defendants and the authority figures (judges and lawyers) faced with the contradictions of the system and the multicultural nature of Toronto society. Events in many of the characters' lives overwhelm their ability to emotionally cope and the shortcomings of the "blunt instrument" of the judicial system to address those situations are fully explored. Language and cultural barriers routinely figure into the course of justice, raising questions about the ability of the judicial system to respond to the needs of a changing society.
Awards and Reception
During the series' run, four Gemini Awards were won by members of the cast. Cara PifkoCara Pifko
Cara Pifko is a Canadian actress known primarily for her work on television shows produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation....
(as Alice DeRaey) and Michael Riley
Michael Riley
Michael Riley is a Canadian actor and graduate of the National Theatre School in Montreal, Canada in 1984. Riley's first appearance was in the film No Man's Land...
(as Eliot Sacks) won in 2005 for Best Lead Actress and Actor respectively, and Michael Murphy (Judge Maxwell Fraser) won in 2004 and 2005 for Best Featured Supporting Actor. On August 29, 2006, This Is Wonderland received twelve Gemini nominations.
DVD release
The first season was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in September 2005. As of October 2009 seasons two and three have not been released on DVD.
On July 7, 2009 season one of This Is Wonderland began airing on DStv
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.