This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland is a Canadian legal comedy-drama television series that premiered on CBC on January 12, 2004. The series was created by George F. Walker, Dani Romain, and Bernard Zukerman.
This Is Wonderland
- George F. Walker
- Dani Romain
- Bernard Zukerman
- Cara Pifko
- Michael Riley
- Michael Healey
- Siu Ta
- Michael Murphy
- Tom Rooney
- Kathryn Winslow
- Eric Peterson
- Jayne Eastwood (S2, 3)
- Ron Lea (S3)
Varouje Hagopian
Canada
3
39
- Dani Romain
- Michael Prupas
- George F. Walker
- Bernard Zukerman
45 minutes
- Indian Grove Productions
- Muse Entertainment
January 12, 2004 –
March 15, 2006
The second season premiered on January 25, 2005, and the third season on November 23, 2005. On February 13, 2006, CBC declined to order a fourth season, effectively cancelling the show. The final episode aired on March 15, 2006.
Plot[edit]
Alice De Raey, played by Cara Pifko, 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.
Broadcast[edit]
Within Canada, reruns of This Is Wonderland were broadcast on CBC's specialty channel Country Canada[1] (later rebranded as Bold).
The syndication began airing on South African network M-Net Series on July 7, 2009.[2] The series also became available on VisionTV.[3]
Reception[edit]
Awards and nominations[edit]
During the series' run, four Gemini Awards were awarded to members of the cast. Michael Murphy (as Judge Maxwell Fraser) won Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series in 2004 and 2005; Cara Pifko (as Alice DeRaey) won Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2005; and Michael Riley (as Eliot Sacks) won Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2005.[4]
This Is Wonderland received twelve Gemini nominations, including Best Dramatic Series (in 2006).[5][6][7]
Streaming[edit]
In 2017, the series had been released online for free on Canada Media Fund’s Encore+ YouTube channel. The channel ceased operation as of November 30, 2022.