Joan of Arcadia

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Joan of Arcadia was an American television fantasy/family drama which aired on Fridays, 8-9 PM ET/PT on CBS from 2003 until 2005.

The show was a favorite with the critics and won the prestigious Humanitas Prize, the People's Choice Award, as well as being one of the few television shows to be nominated for an Emmy Award in the first season, for Best Dramatic Series. The title is a word-play on Joan of Arc. The "Arcadia" of the title is the fictional city of Arcadia, Maryland.

Joan of Arcadia is about a girl, Joan Girardi (played by The Ring's Amber Tamblyn), who sees and speaks with God in the form of various people such as small children, teenage boys, elderly ladies, transients, passersby, etc. Joan is asked by God to perform tasks that often appear to be trivial or contrary, but the end result of which is always positive towards a larger situation.

The opening credits roll with the song "One Of Us" by Joan Osborne, a number one single in the United States off her 1995 album Relish:

What if God was one of us?

Just a slob like one of us

Just a stranger on the bus

Trying to make his way home

It starred actors Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen as Joan's parents, Jason Ritter (son of the late John Ritter) as her paraplegic older brother, and Michael Welch as her younger brother.

While the show was one of the highest rated new shows of the 2003-2004 TV season, its ratings declined in its sophomore year in spite of continued critical acclaim. The show was cancelled by CBS on May 18, 2005. Only two episodes from the second season were repeated by CBS: "No Future" and "The Rise and Fall of Joan Girardi." The network pulled any remaining reruns from its schedule.

Several online fan sites were created in response, in an effort to have the show reinstated. While in its first season it had a wide variety of fans demographically, its controversial cancellation, along with other similar moves in the media, such as cancellations of American Dreams and Judging Amy, produced an outcry from many older Americans who feel that their entertainment tastes and demands are being completely ignored. Many fans believe that the network meddled with the show in the second season in an attempt to attract younger viewers, but only succeeded in alienating some of its audience. They also question the decision to air it on Friday evenings when the desired demographic segment is smaller than on other nights. Despite their efforts, Ghost Whisperer took over the show's Friday time slot in September 2005.

1 Major cast
2 Minor cast
3 Crew
4 Trivia
5 External links

[edit]

Major cast

Amber Tamblyn as Joan Girardi
Joe Mantegna as Will Girardi - Joan's father
Mary Steenburgen as Helen Girardi - Joan's mother
Jason Ritter as Kevin Girardi - Joan's older brother, partially paralyzed in a car accident
Michael Welch as Luke Girardi - Joan's younger brother
Chris Marquette as Adam Rove - Joan's (now seemingly ex-)boyfriend
Becky Wahlstrom as Grace Polk - Joan's friend, Luke's girlfriend

[edit]

Minor cast

Aaron Himelstein as Friedman - Luke's best friend
Mageina Tovah as Glynis Figliola - Luke's friend
Sprague Grayden as Judith Montgomery - Joan's friend, died after several episodes.
Elaine Hendrix as Ms. Lischak - Chemistry and Physics teacher
Patrick Fabian as Gavin Price - Assistant Principal, Arcadia High School
Annie Potts as Lucy Preston - Lieutenant, Arcadia Police Dept.
Derek Morgan as Roy Roebuck - Arcadia Police Dept.
Russ Tamblyn, Amber's father, as one of many who have played an incarnation of 'God' (commonly referred as Dog Walker God)
Wentworth Miller as Ryan Hunter - a young, charming millionaire who also talks to God , but with his own sinister agenda. Introduced at the end of Season Two and planned to be a major character throughout the third season.
David Burke as Fr. Ken Mallory - Helen's friend and pastor of a nearby church.