Joan of Arcadia

TV Series

2003–2005

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

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Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Mystery

Drama

Joan Girardi has begun acting a little strange since her family moved to the city of Arcadia. No one knows that various people keep introducing themselves as God, and then giving the teenager specific directions to do things. Unsure of what God wants, and if she's even sane, Joan tentatively begins to follow God's cryptic directives, all the while trying to retain a "normal" teen-aged existence.

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Episodes45

Top-rated

Fri, 03 Oct, 2003

S1.E2The Fire and the Wood

Joan enrolls in advanced-placement chemistry, after God asks her to stop being an underachiever; Will ruffles feathers during an arson investigation.

6.0/10

Top-rated

Fri, 10 Oct, 2003

S1.E3Touch Move

God encourages Joan to learn how to play chess; Will must work with a psychic on a missing toddler case; Helen hopes a miracle will enable Kevin to walk again.

6.0/10

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Top cast

Joan Girardi

Will Girardi

Helen Girardi

Kevin Girardi

Luke Girardi

Christopher Rodriguez Marquette

Adam Rove

Becky Wahlstrom

Grace Polk

Creators

Barbara Hall

Randy Anderson

Tom Garrigus

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Featured review

Gawky teenager Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn), who has recently moved to Arcadia, Maryland with her family, suddenly starts meeting with strangers who claim to be God in human form, and who give her incomprehensible tasks. Each task seems to have "good ripples" (as Joan puts it) and she is willing to undertake more of them, but mysteries remain. Is Joan delusional? Or the victim of a huge practical joke? If she really is dealing with the deity, why did He pick an unpromising girl to do His bidding, and what are His plans for her? Without committing to any particular religious tradition, the show deals with philosophical issues that few other shows touch. There is also a surprising bit of comedy contrasting Joan's everyday existence with her bewildering visions (After "God" assigns her one task too many, Joan asks "Why don't You assign me to get a boyfriend?") There are strong supporting characters, many with ideals of their own: the unhappy rebel Grace Polk; Joan's science-obsessed brother Luke; her father Chief Girardi, a religious skeptic trying to fight crime and corruption; and the unworldly artist Adam with whom Joan falls in love. Surrounded by such strong-willed, positive people, we are still encouraged to wonder: why Joan?

CharlesTheBold18 Feb, 2017