Joan of Arcadia
Joan of Arcadia is an American fantasy family drama television series telling the story of teenager Joan Girardi, who sees and speaks with God and performs tasks she is given. The series originally aired on Fridays on CBS and CTV for two seasons, from September 26, 2003, to April 22, 2005.
On initial release, the show was praised by critics and won the Humanitas Prize and the People's Choice Award. It was also nominated for an Emmy Award in its first season for Outstanding Drama Series. The title alludes to Joan of Arc and the show takes place in the fictional city of Arcadia, Maryland.
Plot
In the pilot episode, God appears to Joan and reminds her that she promised to do anything he wanted if he would let her brother survive a car crash that left him a paraplegic. God appears in the form of various people including small children, teenage boys, elderly ladies, transients, or passersby. Joan is asked by God to perform tasks that often appear to be trivial or contrary, but always end up positively improving a larger situation.One of the more obvious effects of Joan's actions occurs when she is asked to take a reclusive bully to the school dance. While both her mother and the assistant principal object, Joan follows through with God's task. At the dance, it is revealed that the bully has a bottle of alcohol with him, but Joan convinces him not to open it. Despite this, the assistant principal later reaches into his jacket, finds the alcohol and expels him. In his anger, the boy threatens the chief of police with a handgun, and he is then arrested. Joan later finds out from God that, while this turn of events seems rather bleak, it was the lesser of two evils—without Joan's actions, he would have shot over a dozen students and teachers with a handgun, before turning the gun on himself. This ending is noticeably more direct than most episodes, since it is the only time God comments so clearly on "what would have happened" rather than primarily allowing events to speak for themselves.
The series starred actors Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen as Joan's parents Will and Helen, Jason Ritter as her paraplegic older brother Kevin, and Michael Welch as her younger brother Luke. The family relationships and plot situations were written more realistically than other shows with spiritual themes. Various storylines that spanned multiple episodes dealt with the consequences of Kevin's accident, Will's job as a police officer, Helen's career as an art teacher, and Luke's aspirations to be a scientist. God quotes Bob Dylan, Emily Dickinson and the Beatles rather than any scripture or verses. Furthermore, God is portrayed with a very human personality. In "Touch Move", he tells Joan that he has to send her "down there", and laughs when she becomes worried he means Hell, when he meant the school basement. Also, in one episode, he hands Joan a book from a store they have just left. When Joan accuses him of stealing, he remarks "Well, technically everything's mine".
Christopher Marquette also stars as Adam Rove, a close friend of Joan's who has an on-and-off romantic relationship with her. Another of Joan's best friends is Grace Polk, played by Becky Wahlstrom.
Cast and characters
Main cast
- Joe Mantegna as Will Girardi – Joan, Kevin and Luke's father. He moved his family from their home in Chicago when he was offered the job of Chief of Police in Arcadia, Maryland. After he busts wide open the internal corruption of the town of Arcadia's infrastructure, the Arcadia Police Department is disbanded and he becomes the Chief of Detectives of the Hogan County Sheriff's Department, which assumed the law enforcement responsibilities for the town. Since the leaving of Lt. Preston, Will serves as the acting head of the HCSD Arcadia Station. Mantegna had a development deal with CBS and liked the script so agreed to be part of the show. He was also involved in the casting of the other characters.
- Mary Steenburgen as Helen Girardi – Will's wife and mother of Kevin, Joan, Luke. An artist, Helen dropped out of art school after she was raped by an unknown perpetrator. She works as the secretary at Arcadia High School, and becomes the art teacher in "State of Grace". She was raised in the Catholic faith, but was never confirmed; after moving to Arcadia, she has considered going back to the Church.
- Amber Tamblyn as Joan Girardi – Middle child of the Girardi family, Joan is a teenage girl who talks to God. He often gives her assignments or tasks that eventually have a positive outcome, but she is frequently exasperated by the randomness of His directives and His refusal to answer any direct questions. She is in an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with Adam Rove; the two broke up in "Trial and Error". As seen in "Drive, He Said", Joan's middle name is Agnes, and her date of birth is November 24, 1987. She works part-time as a retail associate at a local bookstore.
- Jason Ritter as Kevin Girardi – Eldest child in the Girardi family. Became a paraplegic in a car accident because of failing to stop a friend from drunk driving while in high school, the accident having occurred a year and a half before the pilot. A jock, he was supposed to attend the University of Arizona on a baseball scholarship prior to the accident. Works for the local newspaper as a fact checker at first; later pursuing a career in journalism, and going on to become a local news anchor.
- Michael Welch as Luke Girardi – Youngest Girardi child. Science nerd, straight-A student. He had a brief romantic relationship with Glynis Figliola, and later began a relationship with Grace Polk which largely consisted of making out in the biology lab's closet.
- Chris Marquette as Adam Rove – Only child of Elizabeth and Carl Rove. Socially awkward and introverted. Joan's best friend/boyfriend, Grace's best friend since childhood. One of Helen's art students, talented artist.
- Becky Wahlstrom as Grace Polk – Only child of Sarah and Rabbi Polanski. Adam and Joan's best friend and Luke's eventual girlfriend. An outspoken activist against all authority, has a particular hatred for school vice principal Gavin Price. She is highly intelligent despite her reputation. After years of putting it off, Grace finally had her bat mitzvah in "The Book of Questions".
Recurring cast
- David Burke as Father Ken Mallory – Helen's friend and pastor of a nearby church.
- Haylie Duff as Stevie Marx
- Patrick Fabian as Gavin Price – The Vice Principal of Arcadia High School. Very unpopular among students.
- John Getz as District Attorney Gabe Fellowes – A corrupt public servant who was later arrested during the investigation of corruption into the Arcadia city government.
- April Grace as Detective Toni Williams – Will Girardi's partner on the Arcadia Police Department and later the Hogan County Sheriff's Department in Season One.
- Sprague Grayden as Judith Montgomery – Joan's friend from the summer psychiatric camp.
- Elaine Hendrix as Ms. Lischak – Chemistry and Physics teacher.
- Aaron Himelstein as Friedman – Luke's best friend.
- Wentworth Miller as Ryan Hunter – a young, charming dot com millionaire who also talks to God, but with his own sinister agenda.
- Derek Morgan as Hogan County Undersheriff Roy Roebuck – He previously served as head of the Arcadia Police Department Internal Affairs Division before being forced to transfer to the Arcadia Fire Department as the arson investigator. After the dissolution of the Arcadia city government, Roy became the Commanding Officer of the Hogan County Sheriff's Department Arcadia Station. He resigned after learning that two of his officers were dirty and had murdered a witness.
- Erik Palladino as Lt. Michael Daghlian, the senior detective of the Arcadia PD under Chief Will Girardi. He was fired after removing evidence from an official report.
- Sydney Tamiia Poitier as Rebecca Askew, a reporter at the newspaper where Kevin works. Dated Kevin.
- Annie Potts as Lt. Lucy Preston – Formerly the head of the Hogan County Sheriff's Department's Internal Affairs Division, she replaced Undersheriff Roy Roebuck as Commanding Officer of the Hogan County Sheriff's Department. She and Will quickly got close, both professionally and personally, but Will soon became uncomfortable with her methods of policing – and her apparent complicity in the death of Judith Montgomery's murderer. In "Romancing the Joan", Preston transfers to Washington, D.C. for a job with the United States Department of Justice.
- Kevin Rahm as Dana Tuchman, guidance counselor at Arcadia High School.
- Paul Sand as Rabbi Polanski, Grace's father.
- Mark Totty as Detective Carlisle – Will Girardi's junk food-addicted partner on the Hogan County Sheriff's Department.
- Mageina Tovah as Glynis Figliola – Luke's friend and one-time girlfriend.
- Constance Zimmer as Sister Lilly Watters, a former nun who helps advise Helen Girardi, also Kevin's girlfriend.
Guest cast
- Michael Badalucco as Father Payne
- Hilary Duff as Dylan Samuels
- Alexis Dziena as Bonnie
- Louise Fletcher as Eva Garrison
- Cloris Leachman as Aunt Olive
- Shelley Long as Miss Candy
- Lauren Mayhew as Elle
- Armin Shimerman as Ronald Harbison
- Tyler James Williams as hallway boy
Incarnations of God
- Juliette Goglia – Little Girl God
- Kathryn Joosten – Old Lady God, or occasionally as Mrs. Landingham God
- Russ Tamblyn – Dog Walker God
- Kris Lemche – Cute Guy God
- Jeffrey Licon – Goth Kid God
- Keaton Tyndall and Kylie Tyndall – Twin Girl God
- Zachary Quinto – video assignment God
- Adam Richman – a butcher God
- John Marshall Jones – commonly referred to as Chess Player God
- John Kassir – Mime God
- Robert Clendenin – Linesman God
- Roark Critchlow – Newscaster God
- Wendy Worthington – Mailwoman God
- Phill Lewis – Naval Officer God
- Candice Azzara – Housewife God
- David Doty – Businessman God
- Larry Hankin – Homeless Man God
- Chris Hogan – Sidewalk Vendor God
- Oliver Muirhead – Proctor God
- Alphonso McAuley – DJ God
- Thomas Kopache – Creepy Guy God
- Curtis Armstrong -Security Guard God II
- Lindsay Hollister – Computer/Library Girl God
- Fred Stoller – Pizza Delivery God
- Trevor Einhorn – Mascot God
- Ronnie Warner – Street Guitarist God
- Anastasia Baranova – Exchange Student God
- Brian Klugman – Cashier God
- Louis Mustillo – Garbage Man God
- George D. Wallace – Old Man Walker God
- Joel Murray – Balloon Sculptor God
- Erin Chambers – Majorette God
- Susan Sullivan – Rich Woman God
- John Patrick Amedori – Loner Loser Kid God
- Allyce Beasley – Woman with Cats God
- Rick Overton – Bad Stand-Up Comedian God
- Iqbal Theba – East Indian Sunglasses Salesman God
- Rae Allen – Fortune Teller God
- Christy Carlson Romano – Officious Hall Monitor God
- Mike Starr – Big Tough Guy God
- Sonya Eddy – Female Custodian God
- Veanne Cox – Personable Woman God
- Jack Kehler – Electrician God
- Al Mancini – Grandpa God
- Rolando Molina – Trash Man God
- Adam Wylie – Skinny Kid God
- Mark L. Taylor – Salesman God
- Shelly Cole – Punk Girl God
- Don McManus – Park Ranger God
- Jane Morris – Substitute Teacher God
- James Martin Kelly – Sweeper God
- Michael N. Chinyamurindi – Nigerian Doctor God
- John Del Regno – Locksmith God
- Michael Wyle – French Waiter God
- Cal Gibson – Groundskeeper God
- Todd Sherry – Gay Male Secretary God
- Jordan David – Geek God
- will.i.am – Three Card Monte Guy God
Crew
- Barbara Hall, Executive Producer
- Jim Hayman, Executive Producer
- Stephen Nathan, Executive Producer
- Hart Hanson, Consulting Producer
- Peter Schindler, Co-Executive Producer
- Randy Anderson, Co-Executive Producer
Theme song
Osborne re-recorded the song specifically for the show. To fit the lyrics of the song, Joan first meets God as a teenage boy riding to school on the bus with her.
Production
Scenes of Arcadia's skyline and other outdoor scenes were actually the city of Wilmington, Delaware. Arcadia itself is set in Maryland. Joan's high school is El Segundo High School, California.Episodes
Season 1 (2003–04)
Season 2 (2004–05)
Reception and cancellation
Joan of Arcadia debuted on the heels of Touched by an Angel, which had ended its nine-year run in April 2003.While Joan of Arcadia was one of the highest-rated new shows of the 2003–2004 television season, its ratings declined in the second season, in spite of continued critical acclaim. The show was cancelled by CBS on May 18, 2005.
Fan campaigns were created in response, in an effort to have the show reinstated.
Only two episodes "No Future" and "The Rise and Fall of Joan Girardi" from the second season were repeated by CBS, and remaining reruns were pulled from the schedule. Near the end of the second season, a menacing character was introduced to the series, an amoral "tempter", seemingly destined to cause a significant amount of conflict in the show's characters. The show's cancellation left that premise unexplored. Ghost Whisperer took over the show's Friday time slot in September 2005.
After the show's cancellation, props such as pieces of Adam's artwork and Joan's signature messenger bag and costume pieces belonging to cast members were sold on eBay. Grace's trademark leather jacket was not included as the jacket was brought in by actress Becky Wahlstrom from her own teenage years.
Viewers by season
USA Today summarized Joan of Arcadia's ratings as follows: "During its first season, Joan of Arcadia averaged 10.1 million viewers, respectable numbers for Friday, a quiet night for television. year, viewership sank to 8 million, according to Nielsen Media Research."Nielsen ratings
Awards and nominations
Home media
released both seasons on DVD in Region 1 in 2005/2006.Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released all seasons in Region 2.
On June 6, 2017, CBS Home Entertainment released Joan of Arcadia: The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.
| Season | DVD Cover | Discs | Release Date | Ep# | Additional Information |
| 1 | 6 | May 10, 2005 | 23 | Deleted Scenes, Audio commentaries by the Filmmakers and Cast Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes: The Creation of Joan of Arcadia and Joan of Arcadia – A Look at Season One God Gallery | |
| 2 | 6 | November 28, 2006 | 22 | Audio Commentaries on selected episodes A Look at Season 2 featurette The Making of Queen of the Zombies A Tour of Joan's High School Common Thread Table Read | |
| Complete Series | 12 | June 6, 2017 | 45 |
Note: each disc in the season, except the last, contains 4 episodes.