I wonder wonder why the Wonderfalls…on LOGO?

Surprise number one: We’ve got LOGO, which I noticed yesterday because they were showing Sarah McLachlan in concert.

Surprise number two: They’re airing Wonderfalls!

First I thought, finally a network who realizes what a gem this smart and funny show is, even when it’s creator network left it hanging with most episodes unaired! I guess the DVD with all the unaired episodes did well enough for someone else to notice it! Hurray hurrah! Wonderfalls back on TV! Will there be new episodes? Surely not, but we can’t get everything we want.

Then, after sitting through a few commercial breaks in the Sarah concert, I realized that LOGO seems to be a channel geared toward the gay and lesbian community. They don’t seem to have picked up a lot of programming from other networks. Well, they have The Graham Norton Effect, but his appeal isn’t too hard to see — he is British. Why, then, did they choose to pick up Wonderfalls? Sure there is the issue of Jaye’s sister being a lesbian, but overall, isn’t the show a twisted Joan of Arc story with the main character more likely believing that she is going insane than she is talking to God via stuffed animals? I guess the whole Joan of Arc notion might appeal to those wanting to defy supposedly traditional gender roles, but having seen all the episodes, I can’t really see why this show should appeal to a gay and lesbian crowd any more than any other viewing crowd.

Anyway, it looks like Wonderfalls is getting pretty high billing on the fledgling network, according to their website. I really don’t even find it more than a curiosity that it was the show of choice for a gay and lesbian network, because, honestly, it’s just a show of choice. And if it takes invoking the cliche about certain groups who have better taste, then fine, I’ll invoke it. Here’s wishing LOGO huge success.

I have to wonder, though, about my taste in TV shows, and what sort of “audience” the Flerly channel would cater to. You see, after I not only noticed Wonderfalls on the channel guide, but also got to watch two consecutive episodes of it, it got me thinking that my faith in tv might well be restored. For just a moment I expected to start flipping channels and having to decide between dozens of shows I love and miss, all airing 24-hours a day, for whatever mood I might be in. That was hardly the case, though.

Oh well. I’m not sure there could really be just a Flerly channel. Perhaps I’d do better with a suite of channels — British Flerly, let’s call it FBC 1, with our Dr. Who, Monty Python, Young Ones, and Coupling. Then FBC 2 could be more Sci-Fi/Fantasy, with maybe… Firefly, Buffy, Angel, Brisco County Jr., Hercules, Xena, Farscape… I’m sure I’m missing some… and perhaps a Mainstream FBC 3 with Wonderfalls, Greg the Bunny, Gilmore Girls, E.R., Judging Amy and the like. Maybe even pick up House when the idiots at FOX decide to cancel it, which they will, because it’s a good show.

To quote Family Guy:

Peter: Everybody I’ve got bad news. We’ve been cancelled.
Lois: Oh no Peter! How could they do that?
Peter: Well unfortuantely Lois, there’s just no more room on the schedule. We just gotta accept the fact that FOX has to make room for terrific shows like Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That 80’s Show, Wonderfalls, Fast Lane, Andy Richter Controls The Universe, Skin, Girl’s Club, Cracking Up, The Pitts, Firefly, Get Real, Freaky Links, Wanda At Large, Costello, The Lone Gunman, A Minute with Stan Hooper, Normal Ohio, Pasadena, Harsh Realm, Keen Eddy, The Street, American Embassy, Cedric The Entertainer, The Tick, Louie, And Greg The Bunny….
Lois: Is there no hope?
Peter: Well I suppose if ALL those shows go down the tubes we might have a shot