’Angel,’ ’Firefly’ Veteran Dives Over ’Wonderfalls’

(Saturday, March 06 12:04 AM)

By Kate O’Hare

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Tim Minear ("Strange World," "Angel") is right back where he started from — almost. He was executive producer, with creator Joss Whedon, of the highly anticipated FOX outer-space Western "Firefly," which premiered on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET in the fall of 2002. It didn’t last long.

"We like to think of it as the night that we promote 13-episode DVD sets," Minear quips about the quickly axed series, which will return as a just-greenlit $35 million feature film from Universal called "Serenity," with Whedon writing and directing.

"I won’t be working on ’Serenity,’" Minear says, "but I’ll be first in line to see it. But Joss better pay for my ticket. Just sayin’." On March 12, Minear returns to Fridays, but this time at 9 p.m. ET, as executive producer, with creators and fellow execs Bryan Fuller ("Dead Like Me") and Todd Holland ("Malcolm in the Middle"), of the new FOX series "Wonderfalls."

He’s hoping the second time’s the charm.

"It’s surreal," Minear says. "At least we’re not on at 8. Look, there’s so many differences. Even though it seems not dissimilar, there are so many differences. First of all, as weird as this show is, it’s probably going to be easier for the general public to get their mind around than ’Firefly.’ Also, we’re not on at 8. Also, we’re not spaceships and horses. Also, we’re midseason, which makes a big difference."

One of the most critically lauded pilots of last spring, "Wonderfalls" stars Caroline Dhavernas as Jaye Tyler, a 20-something, cranky, overeducated but underachieving gift-shop clerk in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

"Her family certainly are high-achievers," Minear says. "The way she chooses to live is a reaction to that. She can be just as unhappy putting in very little effort. Why work so hard to be dissatisfied when you can be dissatisfied with less?"

"There’s a little bit of Jaye in everybody," Fuller adds, "When you get into a character like that, who is a little bit surly and a little bit direct, it’s so much more interesting than someone who has a smile pasted on their face all the time."

Jaye’s life changes forever when a misshapen wax lion from a vending machine starts talking to her. He’s only the first in a series of toys, cartoons and knick-knacks (all animals) that give Jaye cryptic messages then refuse to shut up until she heeds their often vague commands.

As a result of the actions she takes, unexpected consequences ripple out for friends, family and complete strangers.

If this sounds just a bit like the cryptic commands given by God to underachieving teen Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn) in CBS’ "Joan of Arcadia," which airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET, you’re not the only one who thought about that.

In front of assembled TV critics this past January in Hollywood, FOX programming chief Gail Berman said, "What I’ve seen on Friday night with ’Joan of Arcadia’ makes me hopeful that the audience might find its way over to ’Wonderfalls.’ Thematically the shows are similar. Those viewers are around. That’s clear from ’Joan’s’ numbers, and I’d like to believe that we’ll be able to take advantage of them."

"I think it’s a double-edged sword," Minear says, "because we are not ’Joan of Arcadia.’ I’m not sure we’ll appeal to the same people. But hopefully people who enjoy quality will like both."

Unlike "Joan," who believes she’s talking to God, Jaye isn’t sure where her messages come from, although Fuller says, "She has seen enough evidence to know definitively that this is not just something inside her head. As far as the character’s point of view, it’s coming from a source greater than her."

"We never get specific about where the messages are from," Minear says.

"Wonderfalls" might have seemed stranger before "Joan" came along, but it’s still a tough show to explain and promote to new viewers. After his "Firefly" experience, Minear has a better understanding of helping a network deal with the problem.

"The thing I learned from ’Firefly,’" he says, "is that if a network doesn’t understand the property in their bones, they will not, no matter how much they want to, be able to support it. If they don’t have it, they can’t sell it. That’s all there is."

"There’s a lot of fear about ’Wonderfalls,’" Fuller says, "so sometimes that creeps in, and it can be disheartening. But Tim usually finds a way to give everybody what they want. He’s mastered the art of negotiation. He can make them happy about what we’re doing and still be able to have the creative freedom to do a show we haven’t seen before."

One question that both "Joan" and "Wonderfalls" don’t answer in the episodes is why these particular young women have been chosen to receive their messages.

Whether or not it’s ever articulated in the show, Fuller knows why Jaye was tapped. "Why this girl? She’s being taught a big lesson about letting life slip by and not taking advantage of the moments that are given to her every day, the moments you and I are given every day, that we can act or not act on.

"We are constantly confronting these situations and opportunities, an she’s letting all those slip by. So this is the universe grabbing her by the collar and saying, ’Wake the f**k up."

As a bonus to "Firefly" fans, Jewel Staite, who played mechanic Kaylee, will visit "Wonderfalls."

"Jewel appears about or around episode nine," Minear says, "and plays through episode 13 or so."