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Joan of Arcadia

  • TV Series
  • 2003–2005
  • TV-PG
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
9.7K
YOUR RATING
Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Ritter, Amber Tamblyn, and Michael Welch in Joan of Arcadia (2003)
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Coming-of-AgeSupernatural FantasyComedyCrimeDramaFantasy

A teenage girl is visited by God, disguised as everyday people, and is given assignments and tasks that eventually have a positive outcome on people's lives.A teenage girl is visited by God, disguised as everyday people, and is given assignments and tasks that eventually have a positive outcome on people's lives.A teenage girl is visited by God, disguised as everyday people, and is given assignments and tasks that eventually have a positive outcome on people's lives.

  • Creator
    • Barbara Hall
  • Stars
    • Amber Tamblyn
    • Joe Mantegna
    • Mary Steenburgen
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    9.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Creator
      • Barbara Hall
    • Stars
      • Amber Tamblyn
      • Joe Mantegna
      • Mary Steenburgen
    • 105User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys
      • 10 wins & 26 nominations total

    Episodes45

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    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:21
    Trailer

    Photos23

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    Top cast99+

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    Amber Tamblyn
    Amber Tamblyn
    • Joan Girardi
    • 2003–2005
    Joe Mantegna
    Joe Mantegna
    • Will Girardi
    • 2003–2005
    Mary Steenburgen
    Mary Steenburgen
    • Helen Girardi
    • 2003–2005
    Jason Ritter
    Jason Ritter
    • Kevin Girardi
    • 2003–2005
    Michael Welch
    Michael Welch
    • Luke Girardi
    • 2003–2005
    Becky Wahlstrom
    Becky Wahlstrom
    • Grace Polk
    • 2003–2005
    Christopher Rodriguez Marquette
    Christopher Rodriguez Marquette
    • Adam Rove
    • 2003–2005
    Aaron Himelstein
    Aaron Himelstein
    • Friedman
    • 2003–2005
    Mageina Tovah
    Mageina Tovah
    • Glynis Figliola
    • 2003–2005
    Elaine Hendrix
    Elaine Hendrix
    • Ms. Lischak
    • 2003–2005
    Mark Totty
    Mark Totty
    • Det. Carlisle
    • 2004–2005
    Patrick Fabian
    Patrick Fabian
    • Gavin Price
    • 2003–2005
    April Grace
    April Grace
    • Sergeant Toni Williams…
    • 2003–2004
    Catherine Petra Villalobos
    • Skater Girl
    • 2003–2005
    Derek Morgan
    • Undersheriff Roy Roebuck…
    • 2003–2004
    Annie Potts
    Annie Potts
    • Lieutenant Lucy Preston
    • 2004–2005
    Constance Zimmer
    Constance Zimmer
    • Sister Lilly Watters
    • 2004–2005
    Kris Lemche
    Kris Lemche
    • Cute Boy God…
    • 2003–2004
    • Creator
      • Barbara Hall
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews105

    7.29.7K
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    Featured reviews

    tamasin105

    WONDERFUL show

    This show is nothing like Touched by an Angel or anything insipid delivered on the Pax network. It is instead a deep reflection on how complicated it is to to be human. How do we find moments of consolation in those dark moments of desolation? How do we connect to ourselves and others?

    It just so happens, Amber Tamblyn as title character Joan Girardi, (one of my personal favorites since her days as Emily Quartermaine on General Hospital) plays a cynical teenager who sees God. But God doesn't perform miracles. And he/she looks a little different every week. Joan is just trying to figure out who she is, like any of us she's digging around "in the trash trying to find something that matters." Joan's family is going through some real stress in Season 2 with the lawsuit against the oldest son Kevin who was left permanently paralyzed after a drunk driving accident...

    Not being particularly religious, I feel incredibly drawn to the questions and issues this show raises every week.

    Incisive writing, compelling acting. I can't remember what I was taping Friday nights.
    AllisonLVenezio

    Excellent, high quality program

    Television itself is a barren wasteland of programming upon the ushering in of each new fall season. So many choices, each one with less and less quality to them. Hence, there is one show that pushed past this.

    "Joan of Arcadia" is about 16-year old Joan Girardi (20-year old Amber Tamblyn), who is visited by beautiful stranger who calls himself "God." He tells her that because he let her wheelchair-bound brother Kevin (hottie Jason Ritter) survive a car crash that paralyzed him, Joan has to listen to him. Each week, he has her do something new (hold a yard sale, get a job, try out for cheerleading, take AP Chem). It's a weird world out there, and Joan's just got a little weirder.

    I remember CBS rolling out the commercials for this program in July, and I was fascinated immediately. I knew I was compelled to watch this show, since I wanted to try to get into shows geared toward my age brackett (the elusive 18-25 group--I'm 21). Joan herself is completely relatable to myself (I wrote an essay on her for a college course 1 1/2 months ago--I got an A). I see that sarcastic personality in her that I had in high school. She's just trying to survive there--that's what I did.

    My favorite episode was when Joan was told by God to try out for cheerleading. That cheer at the end was priceless. I was laughing and clapping. Jason Ritter (the son of late legendary John Ritter) is great as Kevin. I really think he's hot, and he reminds me so much of his dad. Thankfully, Jason will carry on the name. As Joan's parents, Joe Montenga and Mary Steenburgen are wonderful--they're like everyone's parents, and aren't most just slightly neurotic??? Absolutely. Michael Welch, as Luke Girardi, reminds me of a young Anthony Michael Hall that I came to know in the Brat Pack movies I fell in love with in the late '90s when I was a love-struck teenager in high school. I know, it wasn't THAT long ago, but still...

    All in all, this is quality programming. If CBS knows what they're doing (and what's good for them) they'll keep this show on the air. This is good for whether you're religious or non-religious (I'm non-religious). I'm so glad a program this high-caliber came along. People need shows with a little faith. This is the one!
    jwrowe3

    Quality=Doomed

    I discovered this show, just this last week. My 9 year old daughter had watched once or twice before and seemed to really enjoy it. I make it a point to watch what my children watch, to see if it's acceptable viewing. Surprise! Great Show!

    Without going over all the obvious details, I'll say this: Take the time for "Family Viewing" and have a look at this charming CBS Friday night show.

    9 out of 10 on my scale.

    2005 UPDATE....

    Yup, the goons at CBS have pulled the plug. What a shame. Quality DOES equal probable cancellation, I guess.....
    magicbeauty

    GREAT show!

    I stumbled upon Joan of Arcadia near the end of the first season and quickly found one thing out: This is a great show!

    God speaks to Joan to have her try to make a DIFFERENCE in this world. The show is all about the choices we make in our lives that make a difference in the world around us. Through the choices Joan, her friends and her family make, we can learn something. Don't worry, it doesn't come off as all about religion, or all preachy. There is a great cast (especially Amber Tamblyn, Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen), solid story lines and some really great music in between. I have been extremely impressed with Amber Tamblyn; she is perfect for this part.

    Sometimes sad, very often funny, there is always something you can relate to. Give it a chance; you will enjoy it!
    PopRox9139

    Heaven-Sent

    After Buffy the Vampire Slayer was canceled, I was also on the outs with every other show I had previously watched, and had almost nothing left. There was a great big void in my TV watching schedule, and it was filled with this show. If I had only heard the description for Joan of Arcadia, I know that I would never have watched it. Let's face it, the premise alone sounds pretty lame. Fortunately, I saw a commercial for the show one day while flipping through the channels, but was still skeptical. The commercial was on again and again, incessantly telling me to watch this show, and finally I decided to give in and watch the show, even though I probably wouldn't like it. The pilot episode was good, and the episodes that followed were good as well. The Girardis are a realistic portrayal of a family, not too perfect yet not overly exaggerated either. The kids are funny and intelligent, from the snippy Joan to the dorky Luke to the sarcastic Kevin, and the parents actually seem to love each other and their kids. Joan's friends, Grace and Adam, are another highlight. Grace is great as the rebellious girl without a cause and I liked her instantly, even though I did think she was a boy. Adam, on the other hand, took me a little more time. I recognized him from when he huffed paint on 7th Heaven, which did not exactly endear me to him. By the end of the very first episode he was in, however, I fell in love with his character. What is unique about this show is that the main character talks to God, who appears in various forms and assigns Joan tasks. The tasks always have unexpected results, and there is always a message in what Joan has to do, a message that is thankfully not beat into the audience with a sledgehammer, but is subtle and genuine. This is a moving show that deals with human experience quite well. Without a doubt this is the best new show this year.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Show creator Barbara Hall wrote a list of guidelines for the writers, which she called "The Ten Commandments of Joan of Arcadia". These "commandments" are:
      • 1. God cannot directly intervene.
      • 2. Good and evil exist.
      • 3. God can never identify one religion as being right.
      • 4. The job of every human being is to fulfill his or her true nature.
      • 5. Everyone is allowed to say "no" to God, including Joan.
      • 6. God is not bound by time. This is a human concept.
      • 7. God is not a person and does not possess a human personality.
      • 8. God talks to everyone all the time in different ways.
      • 9. God's plan is what is good for us, not what is good for him.
      • 10. God's purpose for talking to Joan, and everyone, is to get her (us) to recognize the interconnectedness of all things - i.e., you cannot hurt a person without hurting yourself; all of your actions have consequences; God can be found in the smallest actions; God expects us to learn and grow from all our experiences. However, the exact nature of God is a mystery, and the mystery can never be solved.
    • Quotes

      God: Good is relative. Beauty's relative. Everything's relative. Except for me. I'm absolute.

      Joan: I thought that was vodka.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      One of Us
      (aka "What if God was One of Us?")

      (Title Song)

      Written by Eric Bazilian

      Performed by Joan Osborne

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 25, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • CBS
      • SCI-FI Channel
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Le monde de Joan
    • Filming locations
      • 1816 1/2 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA(Skylight book store)
    • Production companies
      • Barbara Hall Productions
      • CBS Productions
      • Sony Pictures Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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    Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Ritter, Amber Tamblyn, and Michael Welch in Joan of Arcadia (2003)
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