'Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl in a very wet dress?' the Hatter asks in answer to Alice's suspicions.
If you don't recall this line from the 1865 novel, it's because Alice (AXN Beyond; two consecutive Fridays at 11pm) is Nick Willing's reimagining of Lewis Carroll's classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; the British director's second one, at that - his first, which was released in 1999, was a more faithful adaptation that starred Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley, Gene Wilder and Miranda Richardson and won four Emmy awards.
Willing's 2009 Wonderland, much changed in the 144 years since the original Alice's visit, has been infected by social ills such as addiction, undermined heroism and lack of hope, to name a few. The outlandish city of twisted towers and casinos built out of playing cards and its wooded surroundings are Emerald City-like - which will not surprise those who've seen Willing's Tin Man series, adapted from The Wizard of Oz.
The Queen of Hearts (Kathy Bates; Misery) runs a Matrix-like enterprise that abducts people from the real world and syphons off their emotions. The White Rabbit, a secret organisation that does her dirty work, is headed by an agent who bears a disturbing resemblance to fashion designer Giorgio Armani - not at all cute and fluffy.
After tumbling into this sinister place, Alice Hamilton (Caterina Scorsone; Missing) must unravel the mystery of a royal conspiracy in order to return home. But fear not, dear readers, for this Alice is grown up and a judo sensei, fully capable of defending herself against assassins, Jabberwocks and cheesy come-on lines. Not your grandmother's adventures in Wonderland, this, but our protagonist is a young woman any mother would be proud of.
Funnyman Will Ferrell, who had audiences in stitches with the likes of Saturday Night Live, A Night at the Roxbury, Zoolander and countless scene-stealing cameos, might be stretching it too thin these days. On top of starring in recent semi-flops such as Semi-Pro and Stranger Than Fiction, Ferrell has added the roles of Web content developer (Funny or Die) and television executive producer to his plate. His collaboration with actor-screenwriter Danny McBride (below left) last year has yielded Eastbound & Down (HBO Signature; Saturdays at 8pm), a comedy series that sticks its finger in various places where the sun doesn't shine - then pulls it out and licks it. Needless to say, it is an acquired taste.
