malmborgimplano-92-599820
I'm a fan of the live-action HH series and recently invested in an all-region DVD player so I could treat myself to all the shows by the HH team that aren't currently available in the U.S. (i.e., everything except the first three series of HH.) It occurred to me while watching "Yonderland" the first time through that it succeeds in being what "Doctor Who" fans nostalgically recall and yearn for it to be again, a really fun, ingenious and smart fantasy show that above all is good all the way through, not just the occasional "Heaven Sent" interspersed with "Kill the Moon"s. Of course I'd think that since "Yonderland" is a mashup of just about every fantasy show you can think of, including DW, with Debbie as a combined companion-Doctor and her kitchen cupboard her Tardis.What "Yonderland" has now that Steven Moffat's DW doesn't (and is rare outside of comedy sketch shows) is the consistency that comes with being made by a coordinated creative team that writes and performs its own material. It's also relieved of the exhausting obligation of trying to thrill us with amazing scenarios of heart-stopping action and adventure, since that's what the series is sending up in the first place.
arapp-218-908998
I bought the DVD series of Yonderland for my kids as they are avid Horrible History fans (as am I), and I have to say I have enjoyed it even more than HH. Very Monty Pythonesque in the humor, and much of it very much aimed (very subtly) at an adult audience. The cast of six play many different parts in the fantasy world of Yonderland, and the fun is in seeing the actors play around with silly voices and comic characters. The use of real puppets rather than CGI is also refreshing and really works with the style of the piece. Its a testament to the puppet makers and performers that after a while you forget they are puppets and accept them as real characters in the show. The whole family has now watched the series a number of times and we hope it is a great success and goes on for many more series. Brilliant!
funkykitten_007
Unfortunately I've been very disappointed by Yonderland. I really enjoyed the cast in Horrible Histories but they just don't seem to have the same spark now it's their own material. For a comedy it only gets a few chuckles from me each week rather than proper laughs (the 'councellor who wants to get naked' joke is wearing really thin), and the few songs are nowhere near as clever as they were in HH. At times it feels a bit like the Mathew Baynton Show (MB seems to play at least 4 parts each week to everyone else's 1-2), while I also think it's confused over the audience it's aiming at. The first episode seemed child-friendly but others have had some very risqué dialogue for its time slot. As for plot, I'm still waiting for something to actually happen. So far 'Debbie' hasn't done very much that I would consider a significant contribution towards the battle against evil, and she spends each week whingeing and flipping her hair, speaking to all in a undeservedly superior tone.I heard the HH team were planning to do a movie about Shakespeare which I had previously been anticipating, but having seen their efforts in Yonderland I'm sad to say I will probably be giving it a miss. Sorry :(
thewizardofrockandroll
What a treat ,I saw someone comparing it with the Dark Crystal But I feel it's more a dash of Labyrinth thrown into the mix! The characters are funny ,especially the puppets or Muppets! The Council guys look like they watched allot of Monty Python even for some strange reason a Dr. Who attitude. The lead female gives you that Alice in Wonderland goes Shirley Valentine on us ! The sets and props are definitely magical, but I wish they wouldn't roll the credits by so fast. I was trying to see the creative teams behind it all and if I recognized any of them. Great costumes , all in all a great show for kids of all ages! And I just turned 66!