Production Begins On "WONDERLAND"(12/6/99)
Mon, Dec 6, 1999 05:55 PM PST 
 

"Wonderland," a riveting, gritty, one-hour drama shooting on location in New York City, delves into the lives of the doctors manning Rivervue Hospital's psychiatric and emergency programs. Writer, director and former "Chicago Hope" star Peter Berg is the executive producer/writer/director. 

Mr. Berg and the writers of the drama spent months at a New York hospital researching the project and working side by side with top psychiatrists and ER physicians. They were able to observe everything from electric shock therapy sessions, to interviews with serial killers, schizophrenics and suicidal housewives.

Edgy and real, the stories for "Wonderland" are inspired by the experiences of staff and patients. The cast of "Wonderland" is encouraged to improvise, and the show is shot documentary style, resulting in nothing less than gripping television. With personal lives as complex as their patients' minds, the doctors of Rivervue endure joys and sorrows that often mirror the triumphs and tragedies of the afflicted they strive to heal.

The cast stars Ted Levine ("Silence of the Lambs" ), Martin Donovan ("The Opposite of Sex" ), Michelle Forbes ("Homicide: Life on the Street," "Kalifornia" ), Billy Burke and Michael Jai White.

In the realm of psychiatric medicine, this public, city hospital is the Mecca, and its doctors are among the world's best, brightest and toughest. Professionally, Dr. Robert Banger (Mr. Levine) heads up the forensic psychiatry department (the psychiatric study of criminology); while personally, he struggles to cope with the break-up of his marriage. Still in love with his wife, Dr. Banger is forced to fight her tooth and nail for the custody of their two young sons. Dr. Neil Harrison (Mr. Donovan), who also specializes in forensics, grapples with the fears and joys of impending fatherhood. His wife, Dr. Lyla Garrity (Ms. Forbes) heads up the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, a.k.a. CPEP (a critical response facility for people suffering psychiatric emergencies).

Dr. Abe Matthews (Mr. Burke) is recognized as a talented psychiatrist who works in the CPEP, but has a well-earned reputation as a first-class commitment-phobic womanizer, both inside the hospital and out. Dr. Derrick Hatcher (Mr. White) balances the struggles of single parenthood with working daily miracles in the emergency suite -- all while simultaneously leading med stuudents through the ropes of Rivervue's "boot camp."

In addition to Mr. Berg, executive producers for "Wonderland" are Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tony Krantz, along with co-executive producer/director John D. Coles. Peter McIntosh is the line producer. The program is produced by Hostage Productions, Inc. in association with Imagine Television.

"Wonderland," a riveting, gritty, one-hour drama shot on location in New York City, delves into the lives of the doctors manning Rivervue Hospital's psychiatric and emergency programs. Writer, director and former "Chicago Hope" star Peter Berg is the executive producer/writer/director. "Wonderland" makes its premiere THURSDAY, MARCH 30 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

Mr. Berg and the writers of the drama spent months at a New York hospital researching the project and working side by side with top psychiatrists and ER physicians. They were able to observe everything from electric shock therapy sessions, to interviews with serial killers, schizophrenics and suicidal housewives.

Edgy and real, the stories for "Wonderland" are inspired by the experiences of staff and patients. The cast of "Wonderland" is encouraged to improvise, and the show is shot documentary style, resulting in nothing less than gripping television. With personal lives as complex as their patients' minds, the doctors of Rivervue endure joys and sorrows that often mirror the triumphs and tragedies of the afflicted they strive to heal.

In the premiere episode, the series pilot, New York City's Rivervue Hospital comes alive when a patient shoots down police and pedestrians in Times Square -- and then commits another horrific act in the emergency room.

In the realm of psychiatric medicine, this public, city hospital is the Mecca, and its doctors are among the world's best, brightest and toughest. Professionally, Dr. Robert Banger heads up the forensic psychiatry department (the psychiatric study of criminology); while personally, he struggles to cope with the break-up of his marriage. Still in love with his wife, Dr. Banger is forced to fight her tooth and nail for the custody of their two young sons. Dr. Neil Harrison, who also specializes in forensics, grapples with the fears and joys of impending fatherhood. His wife, Dr. Garrity, heads up the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program, a.k.a. CPEP (a critical response facility for people suffering psychiatric emergencies).

Dr. Abe Matthews is recognized as a talented psychiatrist who works in the CPEP, but has a well-earned reputation as a first-class, commitment-phobic womanizer, both inside the hospital and out. Dr. Derrick Hatcher balances the struggles of single parenthood with working daily miracles in the emergency suite -- all while simultaneously leading med students through the ropes of Rivervue's "boot camp" ; and young resident Heather Miles adds her own perspective to the mix of professional care at Rivervue.

The series stars Ted Levine ("Silence of the Lambs" ) as Dr. Robert Banger, Martin Donovan ("The Opposite of Sex" ) as Dr. Neil Harrison, Michelle Forbes ("Homicide: Life on the Street," "Kalifornia" ) as Dr. Lyla Garrity, Billy Burke as Dr. Abe Matthews, Michael Jai White as Dr. Derrick Hatcher and Joelle Carter as Heather Miles.

Also starring are Patricia Clarkson as Tammy Banger, Sharon Wilkins as Mrs. Brown, Linda Emond as A.D.A. Strictler, Erik Per Sullivan as Tucker Banger, Brendan McVeigh as Mick Banger and Matthew Sussman as Emanuel Treyhill.

The premiere guest stars are Leland Orser as Rickle, Jay O. Sanders as Ed Butowsky, George DiCenzo as therapist and Michele Barker as Julie McCray.

In addition to Mr. Berg, executive producers for "Wonderland" are Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tony Krantz, along with co-executive producer/director John D. Coles. Peter R. McIntosh is the line producer. The program is produced by Touchstone Television in association with Imagine Television.

The pilot was written and directed by series creator Peter Berg. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED) (Broadcast in stereo where available)

A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.

This Thursday on ABC, a man sees miniature rhinoceroses walking amongst his fuzzy slippers; another claims to be missing his imaginary monkey. A newly admitted patient tells the nurse checking his bags for "dead animals" and sharp objects" that his name is "Ronald Regan McDonald Giuliani." And a psychopath opens fire in the middle of Times Square, shooting up everyone in his way, from police to pedestrians.

Keep in mind, all of this happens before lunch.

Welcome to "Wonderland" (premiering March 30 at 10 p.m.), brainchild of creator Peter Berg ("Chicago Hope"). The setting is New York's fictitious Rivervue hospital, where sanity and madness blend seamlessly, and the chaotic, criss-crossing lives of patients and staff is bound to hit a nerve with viewers, if not a whole synapse.

STARTING THINGS OFF WITH A BANG

The pilot episode revolves around crazed gunman Wendell Rickle, who opens fire in downtown Manhattan. As he walks madly through the New York City crowds to his destination, a voiceover recites the "ABC's" of insanity: "A is for addiction, B is for beta-blockers, C is for convulsions." By the time he gets to Z, you know Rickle knows his ABC's pretty well. 

As the psychotic shooter, actor Leland Orser gets under your skin like a tick about to pop. Laying on a hospital gurney after his spree--one of his victims lying beside him--he yells to his doctors: "Quit wasting your time with me and get over there and help that man die!" 

LIKE PATIENT, LIKE DOCTOR

Dr. Robert Banger, a confident yet vulnerable doctor played by Ted Levine ("Silence of the Lambs" ), heads the forensic psychiatric department at the hospital, but inwardly he struggles with his recent (not very mutual) divorce and the custody battle over his two boys. In a funny and frantic scene, Banger has to convince a panel that he is the more fit parent while his sons undress him shoe-by-shoe from his work clothes, readying him for playtime. 

Martin Donovan plays Dr. Neil Harrison, anxious about impending parenthood with his very headstrong and very pregnant wife, Dr. Lyla Garrity (Forbes).

Michelle Forbes' character shows the most riveting complexity of the ensemble. Heading up the hospital's psychiatric emergency area, Garrity prides herself on her relationships with her patients and her ability to accurately diagnose them. Of course, Rickle turns out to be the one she let slip through the cracks.

She's a perfectionist (in the opening scenes she stares at her pregnant form in a mirror and laments that she's "lost her body…lost everything), yet her poor judgement with Rickle may cost her more than she wants to give. 

Garrity is five months pregnant, yet she values women who pursue education in lieu of becoming " baby factories." She can be confident, arrogant, impatient, or lovable, turning from one trait to the next almost without warning, and you find yourself waiting on the edge of your seat to either love or hate her. 

EMERGENCY MEDICINE VS. MENTAL MEDICINE

"Wonderland," like its main time slot competition "ER," features captivating story lines, complex characters and enough blood and gore to make the squeamish squirm. And in a way, the " Wonderland" cast also bares an uncanny resemblance to the original "ER" meds. Most notable is the Doug Ross-like commitment phobe, Dr. Abe Matthews (Billy Burke), seen in the opening shots making passionate love to a foreign beauty whom he later snubs. And Dr. Banger, like "ER's" Dr. Green, plays the balding, intelligent staff leader who works well professionally under pressure, but buckles under the stress of his failing family life.

Unlike "ER", which lost Gloria Reuben, Kellie Martin and will soon be saying adios to Julianna Marguiles, the "Wonderland" cast won't be leaving the show anytime soon.

But the one element that truly separates the two hospital dramas is "Wonderland's" added element of psychosis. Not only does the show portray the breakdown of the patients' minds; it burrows itself into the minds of the staff and the insanity that infests all of us in our everyday lives.

SHADOW PEOPLE

Patients at Rivervue moan, fidget, repeat themselves, screech, whisper and laugh. In the opening shot, titled "Group" what starts to be a peaceful therapy session turns into a chaotic screaming match between patients, and the uncomfortable presence of these people permeates many scenes in the pilot. They're always nearby, muttering, singing, banging or rapping. They are, in Dr. Banger's words, "The people society would rather just go away…the shadow people."

But in " Wonderland," these shadow people have major story lines.

INSANITY: A VIEW THROUGH THE LENS

Shot documentary-style with jerky camera action much like "NYPD Blue," Berg uses camera movement to manipulate mood, tension, confusion, agitation, sympathy or all of the above.

The use of voiceovers are at times almost poetic, blending the insanity of those admitted to Rivervue with the internal chaos of the doctors' lives.

Berg, along with his team of writers, spent months at a New York hospital researching the project, working directly with psychiatrists and ER physicians to get the lingo and the situations as authentic as possible.

So if you start to squirm, or cover your eyes, or even feel the urge to flip the channel because "Wonderland's" debut makes you uncomfortable, it only means that Berg succeeded in what he set out to do. He's gotten inside your mind."

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