World of Wonder
Encyclopedia
World of Wonder is an international media production company based in Hollywood and London
. Founded in 1991 by producers-cum-auteurs Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the company creates reality and documentary television programs, feature films, and Internet video content. The company is best known for producing Inside Deep Throat
, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
, and Party Monster
(both the feature film and "shockumentary"). Their recently aired television series, RuPaul's Drag Race
, was a record-breaking ratings hit for MTV
's Logo (TV channel)
channel, and a third season began airing January 24, 2011 on Logo
and VH1
.
World of Wonder operates primarily out of its historic art-deco building on Hollywood Boulevard
. Designed by architects S. Tilden Norton and Fredrick H. Wallis and erected in 1930, the building served as the original home of the Directors Guild of America
. The World of Wonder Storefront Gallery now occupies the ground floor retail space, with production and management offices occupying the upper three stories. The basement, once home to the legendary punk rock club The Masque
, now houses the company's video archive and a sound stage.
and other clubs in downtown New York City. They produced two albums, Age of the Thing which included their hit single, “New York City Beat”, and Gagging on the Lovely Extravaganza, which included guest appearances by Lady Miss Kier
, RuPaul
, Martyn Phillips, and Filthy the Dog. World of Wonder was organized initially in order to manage the Fabulous Pop Tarts, and to enable projects in television production and licensing, documentary film-making, and in helping to build the careers of their friends and fellow artists, particularly RuPaul
.
World of Wonder notably shares its name with one of its early television documentaries, Died on the 4th of July: Nelson Sullivan's World of Wonder. Nelson Sullivan
was a central figure in the downtown New York City art and club scene of the 1980s, obsessively videotaping everyone and everything he saw before tragically dying of a heart attack on July 4, 1989. He left behind over 1800 hours of video footage that he'd shot over the last ten years of his life. From this archive World of Wonder created the one-hour documentary portrait of Nelson which aired on UK's Channel 4
, and is also included on the DVD release of Party Monster: The Shockumentary
.
, Channel 4
, FIVE, HBO, Cinemax
, Showtime, A&E
, MTV
, VH1
, Bravo TV, Oxygen
, Sky
, Discovery
and Living TV. Well known recent productions include RuPaul's Drag Race
, Tori & Dean: Inn Love
, Million Dollar Listing
, Heli-Loggers, and Pam Anderson: Girl on the Loose. World of Wonder also produced the documentary series One Punk Under God
, Sex Change Hospital and TransGeneration
, which won the 2006 GLAAD Award for Outstanding Documentary.
In addition to numerous television productions, World of Wonder has also produced several feature-length documentaries such as The Eyes of Tammy Faye
, Party Monster: The Shockumentary
, and The Last Beekeeper, as well as the feature film, Party Monster, starring Macauley Culkin and Seth Green.
, and dozens of other employees and associates of the company.
In addition, the company operates WOWTV, a free and public video sharing platform through which the company distributes its own experimental video shows like Daily Freak Show, and Ring My Bell. Reaching out to those video artists who are "banned from youtube" or "kicked off of myspace," the site invites anyone to create their own channel where they can upload and distribute their work for sale or for free.
From December 2005 to September 2007, World of Wonder produced the web show thisisaknife
for the website of Channel 4
in the UK.
, Thairin Smothers, and Steven Corfe have since staged several more popular art exhibits in the space on themes including Britney Spears
, Dolly Parton
, Madonna
, owls
, and cartoons. The space has also been used for guest-curated shows by Lenora Claire, Vivid Entertainment
, and i am 8-bit. Recently, RuPaul
curated a show in celebration of all things drag for the premiere of her WOW-produced TV series, RuPaul's Drag Race
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Founded in 1991 by producers-cum-auteurs Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the company creates reality and documentary television programs, feature films, and Internet video content. The company is best known for producing Inside Deep Throat
Inside Deep Throat
Inside Deep Throat is a 2005 American documentary about the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat and its effects on American society.The film is narrated by Dennis Hopper. The documentary was written, produced, and directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, and produced by Brian Grazer...
, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a 2000 documentary film directed by Fenton Bailey and narrated by drag queen RuPaul focusing on the life of Tammy Faye Bakker.-Reception:...
, and Party Monster
Party Monster: The Shockumentary
Party Monster: The Shockumentary is a 1998 documentary film detailing the rise of the club kid phenomenon in New York City, the life of club kid and party promoter Michael Alig and Alig's murder of fellow club kid and drug dealer Angel Melendez. Produced by World of Wonder and based in part on the...
(both the feature film and "shockumentary"). Their recently aired television series, RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
, was a record-breaking ratings hit for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Logo (TV channel)
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
channel, and a third season began airing January 24, 2011 on Logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
.
World of Wonder operates primarily out of its historic art-deco building on Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
. Designed by architects S. Tilden Norton and Fredrick H. Wallis and erected in 1930, the building served as the original home of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
. The World of Wonder Storefront Gallery now occupies the ground floor retail space, with production and management offices occupying the upper three stories. The basement, once home to the legendary punk rock club The Masque
The Masque
The Masque was a small punk rock club in central Hollywood, California which existed intermittently from 1977 to 1979. It is remembered as a key part of the early L.A. punk scene.-History:...
, now houses the company's video archive and a sound stage.
History
Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey met in the graduate film program at NYU, in the mid-'80s. Intent on becoming famous, they formed a disco-pop-rock duo called The Fabulous Pop Tarts and began performing regularly at DanceteriaDanceteria
Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. Throughout its history, the club had seven different locations, three in NYC and four in the Hamptons...
and other clubs in downtown New York City. They produced two albums, Age of the Thing which included their hit single, “New York City Beat”, and Gagging on the Lovely Extravaganza, which included guest appearances by Lady Miss Kier
Lady Miss Kier
Kierin Magenta Kirby , better known by her professional name Lady Miss Kier, is an American singer and DJ.-Personal life:Kirby was born in Youngstown, Ohio and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
, Martyn Phillips, and Filthy the Dog. World of Wonder was organized initially in order to manage the Fabulous Pop Tarts, and to enable projects in television production and licensing, documentary film-making, and in helping to build the careers of their friends and fellow artists, particularly RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
.
World of Wonder notably shares its name with one of its early television documentaries, Died on the 4th of July: Nelson Sullivan's World of Wonder. Nelson Sullivan
Nelson Sullivan
Nelson Sullivan was a video artist in New York City during the 1980’s. He was ubiquitous on the downtown scene during that decade.-Early life:...
was a central figure in the downtown New York City art and club scene of the 1980s, obsessively videotaping everyone and everything he saw before tragically dying of a heart attack on July 4, 1989. He left behind over 1800 hours of video footage that he'd shot over the last ten years of his life. From this archive World of Wonder created the one-hour documentary portrait of Nelson which aired on UK's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, and is also included on the DVD release of Party Monster: The Shockumentary
Party Monster: The Shockumentary
Party Monster: The Shockumentary is a 1998 documentary film detailing the rise of the club kid phenomenon in New York City, the life of club kid and party promoter Michael Alig and Alig's murder of fellow club kid and drug dealer Angel Melendez. Produced by World of Wonder and based in part on the...
.
Television and film productions
World of Wonder primarily produces television content for networks in the US and UK, including BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, FIVE, HBO, Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
, Showtime, A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Bravo TV, Oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
, Sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
, Discovery
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
and Living TV. Well known recent productions include RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
, Tori & Dean: Inn Love
Tori & Dean: Inn Love
Tori & Dean is a reality show on the Oxygen Network starring actress Tori Spelling and her second husband, actor Dean McDermott. The first and second seasons of the show were titled Tori & Dean: Inn Love. The show was renamed Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood as of the third season...
, Million Dollar Listing
Million Dollar Listing
Million Dollar Listing is an American reality series that first aired on the Bravo television network. The show follows real estate agents based in Hollywood and Malibu, California selling high-end properties. The series, presented in one-hour episodes, gives viewers an inside look at the world of...
, Heli-Loggers, and Pam Anderson: Girl on the Loose. World of Wonder also produced the documentary series One Punk Under God
One Punk Under God
One Punk Under God is a 2006 original observational documentary that airs on the Sundance Channel, directed and produced by Jeremy Simmons. It focused on the life of Jay Bakker, only son of Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Messner , formerly evangelical ministers and hosts of The PTL Club...
, Sex Change Hospital and TransGeneration
TransGeneration
TransGeneration is an eight episode documentary series depicting the lives of four transgender college students during the 2004/2005 school year as they attempt to balance college, their social lives, and their struggle to merge their internal and external selves while gender transitioning.Two of...
, which won the 2006 GLAAD Award for Outstanding Documentary.
In addition to numerous television productions, World of Wonder has also produced several feature-length documentaries such as The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a 2000 documentary film directed by Fenton Bailey and narrated by drag queen RuPaul focusing on the life of Tammy Faye Bakker.-Reception:...
, Party Monster: The Shockumentary
Party Monster: The Shockumentary
Party Monster: The Shockumentary is a 1998 documentary film detailing the rise of the club kid phenomenon in New York City, the life of club kid and party promoter Michael Alig and Alig's murder of fellow club kid and drug dealer Angel Melendez. Produced by World of Wonder and based in part on the...
, and The Last Beekeeper, as well as the feature film, Party Monster, starring Macauley Culkin and Seth Green.
Internet
World of Wonder operates the popular blog, The WOW Report. Stephen Saban, known for chronicling '80s downtown NYC club life in the original Details magazine which he co-founded, is the lead blogger on the site. Joining him are the company's owners and founders, Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, celebrity, host, and curator of the WOW Storefront Gallery, James St. JamesJames St. James
James St. James is an American television personality, author, celebutante and former Club Kid of the Manhattan club scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.James St...
, and dozens of other employees and associates of the company.
In addition, the company operates WOWTV, a free and public video sharing platform through which the company distributes its own experimental video shows like Daily Freak Show, and Ring My Bell. Reaching out to those video artists who are "banned from youtube" or "kicked off of myspace," the site invites anyone to create their own channel where they can upload and distribute their work for sale or for free.
From December 2005 to September 2007, World of Wonder produced the web show thisisaknife
Thisisaknife
thisisaknife was a web show produced for Channel 4 in the UK by World of Wonder that ran from December 2005 to September 2007.Originally daily, it ran from 5 January to 27 April 2006, and was presented by Donal Coonan, Rachna Suri, Alex Sutton and Susan Hickey.After a gap of two weeks, it...
for the website of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the UK.
World of Wonder Storefront Gallery
In the summer of 2007, World of Wonder opened its Storefront Gallery with a one-man show of Sham Ibriham's art work called "Shamart." Lead curators, James St. JamesJames St. James
James St. James is an American television personality, author, celebutante and former Club Kid of the Manhattan club scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.James St...
, Thairin Smothers, and Steven Corfe have since staged several more popular art exhibits in the space on themes including Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, and cartoons. The space has also been used for guest-curated shows by Lenora Claire, Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment Group is an adult video producer, featuring a catalog of VHS and DVD titles and internet content. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry....
, and i am 8-bit. Recently, RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
curated a show in celebration of all things drag for the premiere of her WOW-produced TV series, RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
.