Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005)

Millions of people speak to God. What if God spoke back? Life just got a hell of a lot more confusing for teenage Joan Girardi, who already deals with feeling out of place in her family : ... See full summary »

Creator:

Barbara Hall

Stars:

Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Amber Tamblyn

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Joe Mantegna	...	Will Girardi (45 episodes, 2003-2005)
Mary Steenburgen	...	Helen Girardi (45 episodes, 2003-2005)
Amber Tamblyn	...	Joan Girardi (45 episodes, 2003-2005)
Jason Ritter	...	Kevin Girardi (45 episodes, 2003-2005)
Michael Welch	...	Luke Girardi (45 episodes, 2003-2005)
Becky Wahlstrom	...	Grace Polk (44 episodes, 2003-2005)
Chris Marquette	...	Adam Rove (44 episodes, 2003-2005)
Aaron Himelstein	...	Friedman (33 episodes, 2003-2005)
Mageina Tovah	...	Glynis Figliola (23 episodes, 2003-2005)

Storyline

Millions of people speak to God. What if God spoke back? Life just got a hell of a lot more confusing for teenage Joan Girardi, who already deals with feeling out of place in her family : her police chief father, her somewhat overbearing mother, her geeky younger brother and former football star older brother, now paralyzed. They'd never believe her if she told them that God is talking to her. Does Joan have a higher purpose on earth, or are these strange conversations just in her head?

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Plot Keywords:

assignment | friendship | nerd | depiction of god | brother sister relationship | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

CBS SCI-FI Channel

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die himmlische Joan

Filming Locations:

1816 1/2 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barbara Hall Productions, CBS Productions, Sony Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min 45 min (45 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the first season, scenes involving Joan's part-time job at a local bookstore were filmed at Skylight Books, an independent bookstore in Los Angeles, chosen in part for its "distinct visual personality". Recognizing that continued filming on location at Skylight Books would cause further disruption to the store and its neighborhood, a set was converted into a bookstore for the second season. Design elements were used in the making of the bookstore set that are more commonly found on the East Coast.

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Quotes

Pizza Delivery God: What, no tip? I got it here under thirty minutes.
Joan: Like that's hard for you.
[she closes the door on him]

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Connections

Featured in The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004)

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Soundtracks

"One of Us"
Performed by Joan Osborne
(Title Song)

User Reviews

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!