Adventures in Wonderland
Encyclopedia
Adventures in Wonderland is a live-action musical
television series based on Walt Disney
's animated classic Alice in Wonderland
. In the series, Alice (played by Elisabeth Harnois
), was portrayed as a girl who can go to and from Wonderland simply by walking through her mirror (a reference to Wonderland's source material Lewis Carroll's
Through the Looking-Glass
).
Usually the format consisted of Alice coming home from school and talking to Dinah (her cat) about a problem facing her that day, then going into Wonderland and finding the residents of that world facing a similar crisis. At the end of each episode she would return to the real world with a solution to her problem. In some cases, Alice would have a problem with her little brother, her older sister, a friend, or some other dilemma, and by the show's end, she would know how to deal with it. In "To Tear Is Human," Alice learns a lesson in humility when she splits her pants in the middle of a charades game, making her not so quick to laugh at other people's misfortune. (Earlier in the episode, she had laughed at another student for dropping his lunch tray.)
The show ran from 1991
to 1995
on the Disney Channel and on stations across the country. Like many Disney Channel
original shows, Adventures in Wonderland was taped at Disney's Hollywood Studios
at the Walt Disney World Resort
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
, but on a single giant set for all scenes in "wonderland", used exclusively for the show.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released three VHS
tapes of certain episodes, however, there are currently no plans to release Adventures in Wonderland on DVD
.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
television series based on Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's animated classic Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
. In the series, Alice (played by Elisabeth Harnois
Elisabeth Harnois
Elisabeth Rose Harnois is an American television and film actress.-Early life:Harnois was born in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA, and raised in Los Angeles. She attended St...
), was portrayed as a girl who can go to and from Wonderland simply by walking through her mirror (a reference to Wonderland's source material Lewis Carroll's
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
).
Usually the format consisted of Alice coming home from school and talking to Dinah (her cat) about a problem facing her that day, then going into Wonderland and finding the residents of that world facing a similar crisis. At the end of each episode she would return to the real world with a solution to her problem. In some cases, Alice would have a problem with her little brother, her older sister, a friend, or some other dilemma, and by the show's end, she would know how to deal with it. In "To Tear Is Human," Alice learns a lesson in humility when she splits her pants in the middle of a charades game, making her not so quick to laugh at other people's misfortune. (Earlier in the episode, she had laughed at another student for dropping his lunch tray.)
The show ran from 1991
1991 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1991-92 United States network television schedule.The year 1991 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1991.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
to 1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
on the Disney Channel and on stations across the country. Like many Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
original shows, Adventures in Wonderland was taped at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
, but on a single giant set for all scenes in "wonderland", used exclusively for the show.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released three VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tapes of certain episodes, however, there are currently no plans to release Adventures in Wonderland on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Cast
- Elisabeth HarnoisElisabeth HarnoisElisabeth Rose Harnois is an American television and film actress.-Early life:Harnois was born in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA, and raised in Los Angeles. She attended St...
as Alice - John Robert HoffmanJohn Robert HoffmanJohn Robert Hoffman is an American actor/screenwriter. In addition to acting in films, television, and theatre, he wrote screenplays for films such as Indianapolis, Queen of the Jews, aka Queen Bess, and The Last of Sheila...
as the Mad Hatter - Reece Holland as the March Hare
- Armelia McQueenArmelia McQueenArmelia McQueen is an American actress. A native of North Carolina, she has played roles in both film and TV.-Films:* Sparkle as Ann* Quartet by James Ivory, as Night Club Singer...
as the Red Queen - Patrick Richwood as the White Rabbit
- Harry Waters, Jr. as Tweedle Dee
- Robert Barry Fleming as Tweedle Dum
- Wesley MannWesley MannWesley Mann is an American character actor.Many of Mann's roles are minor and he frequently he delivers only a handful of lines, but he has a somewhat distinctive appearance, that of a long-suffering, vaguely glib demeanor that makes him easily recognizable whenever he shows up in a film or on...
as the Caterpillar - Richard Kuhlman as the Cheshire Cat (voice)
- John LoveladyJohn LoveladyJohn Lovelady is a right-handed puppeteer who worked with the Muppets, including on Sesame Street. He stopped working with the Muppets when The Muppet Show Season 1 ended but later joined the syndicated children's series The Great Space Coaster and also performed in a serialisation of Alice's...
as the Dormouse (voice) - Ken PageKen Page (actor)Ken Page is an American cabaret singer and actor from St. Louis, Missouri, best known as the voice of the evil bag of bugs Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Kingdom Hearts series, and for playing Old Deuteronomy in the original Broadway and video cast of Cats.Ken...
as the Walrus - Teri GarrTeri Garr-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
as the Duchess
Main characters
- Alice: The show's protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, played by Elisabeth HarnoisElisabeth HarnoisElisabeth Rose Harnois is an American television and film actress.-Early life:Harnois was born in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA, and raised in Los Angeles. She attended St...
. Alice is an average preteen, often facing problems in school, with her little brother (Brian) or big sister (Kathy), or some other issue. She often confides in her cat Dina about her day. Alice has a special gift in that she is able to pass into Wonderland by walking through her mirrorMirrorA mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
(see Through the Looking-GlassThrough the Looking-GlassThrough the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
). Whenever she arrives, she helps her friends solve their problems, which in turn offers a solution to hers in the real world.
- The Red Queen: The ruler of Wonderland, played by Armelia McQueenArmelia McQueenArmelia McQueen is an American actress. A native of North Carolina, she has played roles in both film and TV.-Films:* Sparkle as Ann* Quartet by James Ivory, as Night Club Singer...
. The Red Queen or Queen of Hearts, is Wonderland's sole monarch (she is combination of The Queen of HeartsQueen of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch, that Carroll himself pictured as "a blind fury", and who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense...
from Carroll's original book and the Red Queen from Through The Looking-Glass). She is strict but fair, often citing her mother and grandmother's example in her ruling. Unfortunately, the Queen is occasionally a source for trouble, usually due to her selfish attitude. As queen, she expects to get whatever she wants right away, and often pouts when things go wrong - often to the point where she says "Oh harumph!". She usually ends up eating crow by the end of the episode, but sometimes, she offers solutions to problems other Wonderland residents face. Deep down, she cares greatly for her subjects (especially the White Rabbit), throwing them parties and celebrating their accomplishments.
- The White Rabbit: The queen's chief lackey, played by Patrick Richwood. The White Rabbit is the Queen's personal chef, servant, butler, event planner, shopping assistant, and every other job that she can think of at the time. He wears roller skatesRoller skatesRoller skates are devices worn on the feet to enable the wearer to roll along on wheels. A first basic type of roller skate consists of a boot with four wheels with ball bearings, arranged in the same configuration as the wheels of a typical car.-History:...
to get around, and occasionally loses control-with humorous results. He is also exceptionally timid, unable to stand up to the Queen when he is being treated unjustly. Rabbit is good friends with the other citizens of Wonderland, and he is often a notable accomplice in their schemes, given his proximity to Her Majesty. Though he occasionally complains, the White Rabbit is actually the Queen's closest confidant, and he often sympathizes with her.
- Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee: A pair of wacky twinsTWINSTwo Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
played by Robert Barry Fleming and Harry Waters Jr.Harry Waters Jr.Harry Waters, Jr. is an American stage and film actor. He created the role of Belize in the first production of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes in 1991...
. The Tweedles wear bright, colorful clothing and sing and dance in the style of hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music. As brothers, they share a strong sibling rivalrySibling rivalrySibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among children, blood-related or not.Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as parental treatment, birth order, personality,...
, often competing with each other about nearly everything. They are the most athletic residents of Wonderland, often playing sports and organizing games. The two's brotherly love usually triumphs over petty problems, and they usually offer Alice some sensible advice on any problems she may have.
- The Mad Hatter: Wonderland's resident oddball, played by John Robert HoffmanJohn Robert HoffmanJohn Robert Hoffman is an American actor/screenwriter. In addition to acting in films, television, and theatre, he wrote screenplays for films such as Indianapolis, Queen of the Jews, aka Queen Bess, and The Last of Sheila...
. The Mad Hatter lives in a house shaped like a hat, and is usually seen at his perpetually set tea table. He tends to be rather careless with his dishes and cups. The Mad Hatter is Wonderland's chief inventor, often devising crazy machines and potions to get himself and the gang out of trouble. However, the devices tend to get them into further trouble. He also has an affinity for disguises, such as fake beards and nose/eyeglasses. His catch phrase is, "How true that is."
- The March Hare: The hare that manages to be bright and foolish at the same time, played by Reece Holland. The March Hare is quite intelligent, and he often assists his best friend the Mad Hatter in inventing and scheming. Unfortunately, the Hare lacks common senseCommon senseCommon sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Thus, "common sense" equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have...
, and is easily duped by others. The March Hare also usually serves the role of conscienceConscienceConscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong. Moral judgement may derive from values or norms...
among his friends; when a poor choice of judgment is reached, he is usually the one who questions the decision the most. He and the Hatter are best friends, but they annoy each other almost as much as they pal around.
- The Caterpillar: This mammoth insectInsectInsects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
is Wonderland's wisest resident, played by Wesley MannWesley MannWesley Mann is an American character actor.Many of Mann's roles are minor and he frequently he delivers only a handful of lines, but he has a somewhat distinctive appearance, that of a long-suffering, vaguely glib demeanor that makes him easily recognizable whenever he shows up in a film or on...
. When the Caterpillar speaks, he draws out his vowelVowelIn phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s in a long, deep voice. As a bug, he has three pairs of hands, which he often uses in tandem to complete tasks. The Caterpillar has a book of wondrous stories, similar to fables in their animal characters and simple morals. The characters often visit the Caterpillar in his mushroom glen to seek advice, which comes in the form of a story. Occasionally, he leaves his patch to visit other Wonderland areas.
- The Cheshire Cat: a sarcastic, purple-striped cat that has the power to disappear and reappear at willInvisibilityInvisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
. The Cat loves to play all manner of practical jokes on the Wonderlanders, but even he occasionally performs some act of kindness.
- The Dormouse: A tiny rodentRodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
played by a puppet. The Dormouse lives in a teapot on the Hatter's tea table. Despite his small size, he apparently has all the necessities of life inside his home, including a kitchen sink and a painting gallery.
Minor characters
- The Duchess: The Red Queen's chief rival and, in a strange way, good friend (played by Teri GarrTeri Garr-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
). The Duchess and the Queen constantly quest to upstage each other, often trading insults along the way. Often refers to the Queen as "Twinkle Toes". Apparently, their rivalry began when they were still quite young. All of the Wonderlanders assume that the Queen and Duchess dislike each other-but deep down, the two admit that they have a special, if rocky, relationship.
- The Walrus: A newcomer to Wonderland, played by veteran Broadway actor Ken Page. When the Walrus first moved to Wonderland, he was the victim of prejudicePrejudicePrejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
, but soon gained friendships with all of the other citizens. The Walrus is quite smart-although he does have one rather strange oddity, in that his best friend PinnipedPinnipedPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
is completely invisible. Though the Walrus seems different, he is accepted as just another member of the Wonderland gang.
- Crystalvision: Although not really a living breathing character Crystalvision (Crystal for short) is often seen around Wonderland in various places. Crystal's role in Wonderland is something like that of a televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
showing clips and prerecorded images for all the citizens of Wonderland to see. In some episodes it was shown having a real personality by making joke via showing words on its screen and by the characters acknowledging it as a person.
Episodes
External links
- Adventures in Wonderland http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Adventures-Wonderland/5274 at TVShowsOnDVD.comTVShowsOnDVD.comTVShowsOnDVD.com is a website dedicated to cataloging, campaigning for, and reporting news about Region 1 television series releases on DVD. The site's slogan asks "Is YOUR Favorite Show On DVD?"...
- Adventures in Wonderland LiveJournal Community, Chuckleheads http://aiwchuckleheads.livejournal.com/