History Series / Wonderfalls

The show's creator, Creator/BryanFuller, also created ''DeadLikeMe'', which may explain some of the similarities between the two shows; for example, the slacker female protagonist with a traditionally male name stuck in a dead-end job. (Fuller went on to create ''PushingDaisies'', starring Lee "Aaron Tyler" Pace alongside a female with a traditionally male name.) A series arc of sorts was planned; the second season was to focus on Jaye's sessions with her therapist, and the third was to have had Jaye committed to an institution. The show also shares characteristics with ''Series/JoanOfArcadia'', which premiered a few months earlier, as it is (very loosely) based upon the Joan of Arc legend.

* ViewersAreMorons: Fox absolutely ''hated'' the episode "Crime Dog" because of its HowWeGotHere narration, thinking that fans wouldn't be able to understand what was going on.

* BlackBestFriend: Mahandra. (Though for the purposes of collecting casino money, 1/8th Native American on her grandmother's side!)

* [[HoYay Les Yay]]: Behind the scenes. In the bonus features on the DVD Jaye and Sharon's actresses frequently talk about each other's cleavage and having "nice boobs", and Sharon commenting on how playing a lesbian was fun because "girls are nice to kiss, they're ''really'' soft!"
** Although she did follow that by saying, "I don't like them as much as boys, unfortunately."

* TheOtherDarrin: Initially, Adam Scott was cast as Aaron and Kerry Washington was cast as Mahandra. They filmed the pilot but were unable to commit to a full series, so the roles were recast with Lee Pace and Tracie Thoms and their scenes were refilmed for the broadcast version of the episode.
** Heidi was played by Corry Carpf during a brief flashback in "Wax Lion", and replaced with [[Series/{{Firefly}} Jewel Staite]] when the character appeared in the last five episodes.

The Fox network aired four one-hour episodes of the series before cancelling it, though thirteen episodes had been completed. [[TheTimReaper Tim Minear]], one of JossWhedon's co-creators on ''Series/{{Angel}}'', wrote and executively produced, ensuring snappy post-modern dialogue and convoluted plots.

* Chekhov'sGunman: The Olsen girl who tried to frame Dr. Ron for murder is mentioned in the first episode, long before she appears in the series.

--> '''Jaye''': You ambushed us with the fuzz! You were all back-lit and evil-smoking like that guy on TheXFiles.

* [[JeannedArchetype Jeanne d'Archétype]]: Jaye.

* [[JeannedArchetype Jeanne d'Archétype]]: Jaye, obviously.

* PlotParallel: OnceAnEpisode, with the WoobieOfTheWeek and Jaye's morals matching up.

The show's creator, Creator/BryanFuller, also created ''DeadLikeMe'', which may explain some of the similarities between the two shows; for example, the slacker female protagonist with a traditionally male name stuck in a dead-end job. (Fuller went on to create ''PushingDaisies'', starring Lee "Aaron Tyler" Pace alongside a female with a traditionally male name.) A series arc of sorts was planned; the second season was to focus on Jaye's sessions with her therapist, and the third was to have had Jaye committed to an institution. The show also shares characteristics with ''JoanOfArcadia'', which premiered a few months earlier, as it is (very loosely) based upon the Joan of Arc legend.

* ColdOpening

* DeusExScuseMe: Happens occasionally.

* DuelingShows: ''Wonderfalls'' had the unfortunate luck of being made at the same time as ''JoanOfArcadia'', which had a very similar premise but was more family oriented and optimistic. All of Fox's attempts to keep people from thinking ''Wonderfalls'' was ripping it off were the exact ''wrong'' things to do. Delaying the premiere of ''Wonderfalls'' didn't help either (see ExecutiveMeddling, below).
* EasyAmnesia: [[InvokedTrope Invoked]]; Heidi Gotts tries to [[FakingAmnesia fake amnesia]] ''precisely because'' so many people think amnesia works this way.

* {{Impromptu Tracheotomy}}/{{Instant Drama Just Add Tracheotomy}}: In the back seat of a car with a wheezing man who throat is closing up, the first thing Sharon thinks of is to pick up her ball point pen and hope she hits the right spot.

* IntercontinuityCrossover: Mary Ann Marie Beetle, from "Muffin Buffalo", appears in the ''PushingDaisies'' episode "Comfort Food".

* {{Jerkass}}/JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Jaye is pretty obnoxious and self-centered, but she's got significant good points, especially loyalty to her family.

* LesYay: Behind the scenes. In the bonus features on the DVD Jaye and Sharon's actresses frequently talk about each other's cleavage and having "nice boobs", and Sharon commenting on how playing a lesbian was fun because "girls are nice to kiss, they're ''really'' soft!"

** Heidi was played by Corry Carpf during a brief flashback in "Wax Lion", and replaced with [[{{Firefly}} Jewel Staite]] when the character appeared in the last five episodes.

* SomethingTheyWouldNeverSay: Sharon tries to alert her parents she's being held hostage by saying she'll miss their anniversary dinner and it's "such a chore" for her anyway, when she's actually he only one insisting on those dinners to begin with. But her parents don't pick up on it because they are, very much ''in'' character, too much wrapped up with each other to notice.

* TheUnfavorite: Averted, Jaye ''is'' considered the least successful member in her family, but they don't hold it against her. Instead they simply lower their expectations for her and celebrate every little accomplishment she makes, as a way to encourage her to keep improving.

* ExecutiveMeddling: When they found that the show ''JoanOfArcadia'' would be released around the same time as ''Wonderfalls'' with a very similar premise, Fox decided to hold off on premiering ''Wonderfalls'', not wanting to risk looking like a rip off. Of course ''Joan'' ended up being a huge hit and by releasing the show a few months later they ''definitely'' looked like they were ripping off the show. Smooth.
*** However, it can be argued that the decision to delay the broadcast allowed the producers to complete filming of all 13 episodes of the first season so that, when Fox cancelled the show after only four episodes, fans were still able to view the complete storyline, even if they had to wait a year or so for the DVD.
** In a less show-endy way, they also made the show change its opening credits because they didn't have enough shots of Jaye smiling, and they had them cut out a shot of Eric fainting because he wasn't "manly enough".
** The people at Fox apparently thought there were too many blonde girls in the show, and had Sharon's love interest wear a rather fake looking brunette wig throughout the season.
* FakeAmerican: French-Canadian Caroline Dhavernas as Jaye (and yes, that extended to the French-Canadian dub for the show, which she also recorded).
** Within the show, "Crime Dog" has an illegal Canadian immigrant pretending to be a naturalized American citizen.
*** She's also an English Canadian, pretending to be a French Canadian, with a very badly faked accent.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/230px-Wonderfalls.jpg

~~TelevisionSerial, {{Dramedy}}, MagicRealism~~

* DuelingShows: ''Wonderfalls'' had the unfortunate luck of being made at the same time as ''JoanOfArcadia'', which had a very similar premise but was more family oriented and optimistic. All of Fox's attempts to keep people from thinking ''Wonderfalls'' was ripping it off were the exact ''wrong'' things to do.

* FakeAmerican: French-Canadian Caroline Dhavernas as Jaye (and yes, that extended to the French-Canadian dub for the show).

* InstantDramaJustAddTracheotomy

The show's creator, BryanFuller, also created ''DeadLikeMe'', which may explain some of the similarities between the two shows; for example, the slacker female protagonist with a traditionally male name stuck in a dead-end job. (Fuller went on to create ''PushingDaisies'', starring Lee "Aaron Tyler" Pace alongside a female with a traditionally male name.) A series arc of sorts was planned; the second season was to focus on Jaye's sessions with her therapist, and the third was to have had Jaye committed to an institution. The show also shares characteristics with ''JoanOfArcadia'', which premiered a few months earlier, as it is (very loosely) based upon the Joan of Arc legend.

To her aging post-yuppie parents, her closeted lesbian overachieving sister, and her atheist theology-grad-student brother, she is undergoing a stress-related psychiatric 'sode. Despite Jaye's apparent life of {{Dismotivation}} (dead-end retail job, trailer-park home, vintage clunker car), they would rather believe stress is the cause rather than the effect of her episodes. Her best friend and confidante merely believes that Jaye will tell her the truth about whatever is wrong when she's ready, rather than accept the actual truth that Jaye has already disclosed. Additionally, relationship tension is provided by a local bartender that Jaye is attracted to, but to whom she seems unable to admit the attraction, much less make a commitment to.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The various references to Heidi cheating on Eric can get pretty dirty ("She always said I shouldn't open my mouth to strangers." "Kind of ironic, you know...considering"), as is the policewoman's comment about how she could tell Sharon was a lesbian from her short fingernails. ("Lesbians always trim their nails like that. You know why?")

Jaye Tyler is a young woman with a useless Ivy League degree and no desire to pursue a career, working as a retail clerk in a NiagaraFalls souvenir shop. MagicRealism asserts itself when inanimate objects--everything from statues, bookends and plush dolls to cartoon business logos, but always animals in some form--begin to talk to her. Their cryptic clues lead Jaye to bettering the lives of people around her (usually in cleverly-conceived, indirect ways) while simultaneously causing her to seriously doubt her sanity. Worse, if she attempts to ignore their commands, they badger and pester her until she relents.

* LastSecondWordSwap: Jaye threatens terrible things to a donkey toy if it tells her "Girl needs a boy" like she'd already heard that day. It finishes, "...Donut. Girl needs a donut."

** And now Gretchen Speck (she dropped the 'Horowitz' in the divorce) has appeared on Bryan Fuller's new series Series/{{Hannibal}}.