This Is Wonderland

infobox television
show_name = This is Wonderland


caption = Cara Pifko, right, of "This is Wonderland".
format = Legal drama/Comedy
runtime = 45 minutes per episode
creator = George F. Walker
Dani Romain
Bernard Zukerman
starring = Cara Pifko
Michael Riley
Ron Lea (season 3)
Michael Healey
Siu Ta
Jayne Eastwood (seasons 2-3)
Michael Murphy
Tom Rooney
Kathryn Winslow
Eric Peterson
also starring =
country = Canada
network = CBC
first_aired = 12 January, 2004
last_aired = 15 March,2006
num_episodes = 39
imdb_id = 0385482|

"This is Wonderland" is a critically acclaimed Canadian television series, aired on CBC Television, about Alice De Raey, played by Cara Pifko, a young criminal lawyer fresh out of Osgoode Hall Law School, and 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.

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 1) the mental health concerns of both defendants and the authority figures (judges and lawyers) faced with the contradictions of the system and 2) 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.

The series is a drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F. Walker, his writing partner Dani Romain, and Osgoode Hall Law School graduate and longtime Canadian TV producer Bernard Zukerman.

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.

The first season aired in 2004, the second season began on January 25, 2005 and the third season began on November 23, 2005. The first season DVD collection went on sale in early September of that year. Repeats of the first and second season currently air on Canadian digital television station, CBC Country Canada.

On February 13, 2006, the CBC declined to order a fourth season, effectively cancelling the show. The final episode aired on March 15.

During the series' run, four Gemini Awards were won by members of the cast. Cara Pifko (as Alice DeRaey) and Michael Riley (as Eliot Sacks) won in 2005 for Best Lead Actress and Actor respectively, and Michael Murphy (Judge Maxwell Fraser) won in 2004 and 2005 for Best Featured Supporting Actor. [http://www.academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?stitle=This+Is+Wonderland&awyear=0&winonly=1&awards=2&rtype=2&curstep=4&submit.x=19&submit.y=12#1] On August 29, 2006, "This Is Wonderland" received twelve Gemini nominations.

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