Series synopsis
Wonderfalls is a Canadian comedy drama sci-fi & fantasy mystery television series that premiered on FOX on March 12, 2004. It ended on December 15, 2004. It was created by Todd Holland, Bryan Fuller, Tim Minear. It stars Caroline Dhavernas, Tyron Leitso, Tracie Thoms and Katie Finneran.
Jaye Tyler, a recent Brown University graduate with a philosophy degree, holds a dead-end job as a sales clerk at a Niagara Falls gift shop. Jaye is the reluctant participant in conversations with various animal figurines — a wax lion, brass monkey, stuffed bear, and mounted fish, among others — which direct her via oblique instructions to help people in need.
Premise
Jaye Tyler, a recent Brown University graduate with a philosophy degree, holds a dead-end job as a sales clerk at a Niagara Falls gift shop. Jaye is the reluctant participant in conversations with various animal figurines — a wax lion, brass monkey, stuffed bear, and mounted fish, among others — which direct her via oblique instructions to help people in need.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Caroline Dhavernas as Jaye Tyler
- Tyron Leitso as Eric Gotts
- Tracie Thoms as Mahandra McGinty
- Katie Finneran as Sharon Tyler
- Lee Pace as Aaron Tyler
- Diana Scarwid as Karen Tyler
- William Sadler as Darrin Tyler
- Neil Grayston as Alec
Guest cast
- Spencer Breslin as Peter Johnson
- Carrie Preston as Sister Katrina
- Colin Fox as Fred Bradley
- Eddie Kaye Thomas as Fat Pat
- Sarah Drew as Bianca Knowles
- Louise Fletcher as Vivian Caldwell
- Kari Matchett as Beth
- Boyd Banks as Janitor
- Rue McClanahan as Millie Marcus
- Chelan Simmons as Gretchen Speck-Horowitz
- Mike Beaver as Border Patrol Officer #1
- Kellie Waymire as Penelope
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 19 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 6 | ||
| Season 1 | 13 | March 12, 2004 | December 15, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unaired Pilot | |
| 2 | Greetings From Wonderfalls | |
| 3 | Fantastic Visual Effects |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wax Lion After Jaye Tyler is convinced by a wax lion to chase after a shiny quarter, she finds herself returning a lost purse to a lady (who instead of thanking her, punches her in the face), meeting an attractive and sweet bartender named Eric, setting her sister Sharon up with a newly divorced delivery driver she knows, and later discovering her sister's sexuality. |
March 12, 2004 |
| 2 |
Karma Chameleon While working another shift, Jaye is approached by a young girl who, after an introduction, tells her that she stole her wallet. As she gives it back to her, Jaye notices that she has a stuttering problem and a stuffed chameleon tells her to "get her words out". This eventually leads to the girl - nicknamed Binky- getting a job at Wonderfalls, with Jaye as her mentor. Unfortunately, Binky starts to take the mentor idea too seriously and seemingly takes Jaye's identity: Her job, her friends, her family, her looks, and her personality. With the animals still telling her to "get her words out", Jaye decides to take matters into her own hands. |
March 19, 2004 |
| 3 |
Wound-Up Penguin Jaye and Eric find a woman in the Barrel, who they discover is a nun that is trying to leave her abbey. A priest comes looking for her to try to convince her to come back, but isn't very successful in doing so. Jaye naturally gets wrapped up in it, and taking instructions from the animals, eventually helps the two. |
March 26, 2004 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | FOX |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 12, 2004 |
| Last aired | December 15, 2004 |
| Runtime | 42 minutes |
| Status | Canceled |
| Schedule | Monday at 21:00:00 |