- 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 MurphyTom 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 onCBC Television , about Alice De Raey, played byCara Pifko , a youngcriminal lawyer fresh out ofOsgoode 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 acomedy-drama . It was created byplaywright George F. Walker , his writing partnerDani Romain , and Osgoode Hall Law School graduate and longtime Canadian TV producerBernard 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 andKathryn Winslow .Jayne Eastwood andRon Lea joined the cast in2005 .The first season aired in
2004 , the second season began onJanuary 25 ,2005 and the third season began onNovember 23 ,2005 . The first seasonDVD 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 onMarch 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.External links
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