# Joan of Arcadia (2003)

> A teenager in a new town is handed cryptic errands by strangers who claim to be God, and she must decide whether to follow them.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1499

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 45
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, science fiction, mystery
- Created by: Barbara Hall
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Amber Tamblyn, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Ritter, Michael Welch, Christopher Rodriguez Marquette, Becky Wahlstrom, Tara Lynne Barr
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367345/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, sincere, gently wistful, contemplative, hopeful

## What critics say

Viewers found the show a warm, thoughtful take on faith and everyday life, though its premise and tone proved divisive and it was short-lived.

## Synopsis

Joan of Arcadia (2003-2005) is an American network drama created by Barbara Hall for CBS, blending family drama with a light supernatural mystery. Amber Tamblyn plays Joan Girardi, a gawky teenager who has just moved with her parents, Will and Helen Girardi (Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen), to Arcadia, Maryland. Strangers keep appearing before her, claiming to be God in human form, and handing her incomprehensible tasks that seem to ripple outward into good deeds. Joan must decide whether she is delusional, the victim of an elaborate prank, or genuinely chosen, all while keeping up with school, friends and her wary siblings, Kevin and Luke (Jason Ritter and Michael Welch). The series runs across two seasons and forty-five episodes, built as a mostly episodic format in which each errand becomes its own small moral puzzle within a continuing family story. Its tone is warm, sincere and gently wistful, with a humanist curiosity about faith that avoids any single religious tradition. Fans of Touched by an Angel, Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies will find a similar blend of the miraculous and the mundane, though this show's mood is quieter and more contemplative than its peers.

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