Wonderfalls comes to DVD on december 7th, 2004! (1 Viewer)

[BrandonJF]

I didn't say the show's performance would have been better. I'm just saying the show would've been cancelled either way. The ratings for the first episode would have been the same had they ran "Serenity" or "The Train Job". I highly doubt the ratings for the second episode would have been any lower had they ran "Serenity" first. Yes, maybe we will have to check out the parallel universe to see the exact numbers (although, does Fox know what they are doing in this parallel universe? I might stay there, if they do. ), but it's a pretty safe assumption that the switch would not have had a dramatic impact on the ratings either way. Given the number of people who tuned into the first episode, it's fate was pretty much sealed. If a network doesn't get people to the first episode, it's an uphill battle from there. And Fox didn't get people to the first episode.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

The ads for WONDERFALLS were horrible. FOX tried to make it look like "touched by an angel."

The shot of Jaye in a snowglobe lifting her arms in the air, then a shot of fireworks, then "FEEL THE WONDER..." completely misrepresented the show. It has a lot more in common with Malcolm in the Middle than Joan of Arcadia... fox should have played that up.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I disagree, especially when you're talking about these series. Whedon/Minear/Greenwalt suck at the art of the recap, seeming to go out of the way to make theirs intimidating - they're too long, often contain clips not directly relevent to the episode in question, and it's not uncommon for them to contain information which the show handles with exposition in the first five minutes. And having them sends the message that "you started late", so the audience might just as well say "why bother?"

 

[Greg Madsen]

Sales for Wonderfalls are going well.

from Video Business:

FALLEN WONDERFALLS IS A DVD WONDER
Axed Fox show selling well on disc
By Susanne Ault 2/11/2005


FEB. 11 | The Fox network killed the fantasy/sci-fi TV series Wonderfalls after four episodes, so the show's early success on DVD is surprising, to say the least.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment shipped almost 100,000 units of Wonderfalls to retail for its Feb. 1 bow, and the studio already has sold through about 25,000 copies.

"It's totally surprising," said Bryan Fuller, Wonderfalls co-creator/co-executive producer. "I ordered 50 copies off Amazon.com myself to get it going. I was hoping it would do well, but honestly I didn't think that many people knew about it."

In fact, the title ranked as an Amazon Top 20 seller. And a number of bricks-and-mortar retailers were taken off guard and ordered additional units last week.

"We brought in a cursory amount of it because we didn't know what to expect with its lack of TV exposure," Tommy K's CEO Frank Slugaski said. "It's selling very well though. The only way you can gauge whether a [canceled] show will do well is check Web sites, go into chat rooms, but that's very time-consuming."

Tommy K's was scrambling to order more units last week, Slugaski said.

Although Wonderfalls was a blip on TV screens during its April-May run, it had the makings of a cult DVD title. The involvement of co-executive producer Tim Minear stamped the series with a fantasy/sci-fi pedigree from his past work on Angel and Firefly, and the genre is famous for cultivating voracious Internet fan bases.

Fox sensed the Internet love from www.savewonderfalls.com which fans created after learning of the show's impending demise last spring. Via the site, Fox staged its first live Webcast DVD launch Feb. 1.

Nearly all the Wonderfalls cast participated in the event either from New York or Los Angeles.

"Actors do want to support a show because it will further its longevity," Fuller observed. "But after the show is dead and gone, it's weird to get people to turn out."

Hundreds of people logged onto the Webcast. The group included such key consumer cheerleaders as E! Online TV blogger Kristin Veitch. In another boost, the Museum of Television and Radio in New York hosted a Wonderfalls marathon the weekend before the DVD launch.

Retailers are aware of the wild popularity TV on DVD sets can have, regardless of the fate the shows might have suffered at network hands. Family Guy, another Fox network cast-off, went on to sell more than 3 million units over various Fox disc titles, leading the studio to slot fresh Family Guy episodes to air in May.

"It's part of a growing trend that will likely grow further, where we'll see good quality programming getting a second life that didn't have it in all the years before DVD," Virgin DVD product manager Chris Anstey said. "The strange thing about Wonderfalls is that when we were first solicited, it wasn't immediately recognizable. But I asked around the office and people said they really loved the show. That gave me some good info."

Few shows that have been cut off as quickly as Wonderfalls have since enjoyed life on DVD. But Anstey noted other relatively speedy TV to DVD transitions outperformed retail expectations, including Freaks and Geeks, My So-Called Life, The Ben Stiller Show, Firefly, Greg the Bunny and Mr. Show.

"When you have a work that is not available, it makes folks ravenous to get their hands on it," Amazon.com DVD editor Doug Thompson said. "This has led to the great interest and sales on DVD with canceled series like Wonderfalls, The Family Guy and Freaks and Geeks to name a few."

New Regency Prod., a sister movie unit to Wonderfalls' Regency Television production company, hopes to develop a Wonderfalls feature film with Fuller and co-creator/co-executive producer Todd Holland. But it's unlikely there will be fresh TV episodes a la Family Guy, as contractual differences between actors and voice talent make reunifications trickier with live-action series.

"But the Family Guy thing is interesting," Holland said. "I'll be curious to see if those same [DVD] people show up on a weekly basis to watch it on TV. These people didn't have to tune in every day. TV on DVD might be changing the way we watch TV."

Holland also would want to make extra sure that the Fox network would handle the show with care.

"I'd want to know they were committed," he said. "I don't want to be heartbroken twice."

 

[Rutgar]

Hmm... As much as I like Wonderfalls as a TV series. I don't know if it would work as feature.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

I think the show itself reached a logical conclusion in 13 episodes (though I would love more...) so a feature isn't wholly unworkable. It's certainly more likely than a firefly movie... and I can even see that working. what? next september?...

 

[RossMan]

www.savewonderfalls.com

http://www.getherwordsout.com/

 

[KyleC]

My wife and I watched Crime Dog last night, and it was a damn good ep. I really wish the show hadn't been cancelled. :frowning:

 

[TravisR]

That was probably my favorite episode (except for maybe the finale). I loved this show

 

[Jamie Middleton]

i never got the chance to see this show durring its netowrk run but I have really been drawn to purchase the dvd set a few times when ive seen it at Meijer......I guess its the story line that intrigues me.

 

[JonZ]

I dont really watch network tv, but always wanted to see this show - it seems interesting to me.

I never even got a chance to see it, it was gone to fast.

So Im thinking of pikcing up the DVD set.

Edit: Change that to did pick up the set. Looking foward to watching it.

 

[Dave>h]

I bought this as a blind buy and have to say I am really enjoying it.

It is quirky and fun, much like Northern Exposure to my mind. A unique landscape filled with interesting and odd people who do interesting and oddly funny things.

Not surprised it didn't find an audience after only 4 episodes airing. Too bad really as the series seems to pick up after the 4th episode. Episodes like Crime dog and and Donkey love (or whatever they are called) have been very good, much better than any of the network television I have watched this year - Joey anyone? (Not to dis Joey, I hope they flesh that series out a bit, it has some good potential but it isn't there yet)

Anyway, it was a good purchase in my books. Too bad there won't be anymore of them. The young lady who plays Jaye was very interesting to watch.

Dave

 

[KyleC]

Almost done the series. We watched the one where Eric's wife returns
and the one following that tonight. Only two more left. :frowning:

"Lick the lightswitch"
LOL. The lines are classic.

 

[JonZ]

Interview with Caroline here, including film talk.......

http://popgurls.com/article_show.php3?id=533

 

[EricW]

i guess i'm in the minority in that i wasn't that impressed with the series. i think it started off really great but it just didn't go anywhere (maybe if they'd done a whole season there would have been a better payoff).

i loved the first season of Dead Like Me and i can certainly see similarites in the 2 series, but certain things on WonderFalls just annoyed me, like Jaye's constant GenY slacker protesting got a little too much. also the continuous stand-off relationship between the 2 mains didn't appeal to me. i did like the family relationships, both the parent/sibling stuff and inter-sibling stuff.

in contrasting with Dead Like Me, maybe i miss George's narration. just going by Jaye's whining and non-action doesn't help understand her character's motivation or reasoning.

 

[Jerry R Colvin]

I just started and finished watching this series over the past three weeks and I loved it.

 

[Andreas_CH_M]

Another happy blind byer reporting...

I got the tip from someone on the Dead Like Me season 2 review thread (which I can't find any more ?) and got it in my hands last Friday. I then had to go away on a stag night and returned very tired Sunday afternoon. I sat up and watched the series to 4 AM this morning! It's that good. So thank you to whoever recommended the series.

And I can second the emotion about:
Eric leaving before and even during Caged Bird.
I was stuck to my seat so to say.

BTW, I seem to but more and more TV-series on DVD since most of them probably never find their way to Sweden.

 

[JonZ]

I cant remember what channel it was, but I saw this on cable the other night.

Its been awhile so I guess WB isnt picking it up.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

FOX aired 4 episodes before scrapping the show. Originally there was talk about WB possibly picking the show up but it never happened. The cable channle LOGO recently acquired the rights to re-air the original 4 episodes and to broadcast the 9 unaired episodes as well. No new episodes will be produced, but there's talk of a big screen movie adaptation if the feature film "Serenity" does well at the box office (another movie adaptation based on a failed FOX show with a large following).

 

[Marty M]

I recently watched the entire 13 episode series of this show. It was a really great series. What a shame that Fox gave up on it so quickly. I am grateful that they did release all 13 episodes that were filmed.

I highly recommend purchasing this series. It was a bit quirky, but a "good quicky".