Over the Garden Wall - Pumpkin Spice Adventure Time

[An Ghost]

Over the Garden Wall is a Cartoon Network original mini series that aired over the course of a week in November 2014. Inspired by executive producer's, Patrick McHale, time in New York and his fascination with Halloween stories. The show oozes that fall feel which is appropriate for the season and we didn't have a thread yet.

Spoiler: ep 2 screens

Despite being a mini series the show features a lot of production value with hand painted backgrounds and lots of songs. The show also has an actual voice cast, starring Elijah Wood and Christopher Lloyd and supporting characters voiced by John Cleese, Tim Curry, and Fred Stroller. I actually was lucky enough to talk to McHale about the show and essentially he was amazed it was made at all. During production, he made a comment to the casting director like "i want somebody that sounds like Elijah Wood for the main roll" so she called up Wood and after that all the other stars started agreeing to it too.
There's 10 episodes that are each a horror vignette but there's also an over arching plot for the whole series. a lot of the subtle details like the title cards and show's opening reward rewatching and since each episode is 11 minutes, it has a run time shorter than a lot of movies. Plus there are torrent's out there so check it out. And it makes me feel nostalgic cause I had these scissors.

Spoiler

 

[Agent Nahman Jayden]

I flip-floppin' LOVE OtGW. It's one of those things where I'm trying to get everyone I know to watch it annually but whether or not other people want to, I do. I love the colours, animation, voice work... it's just really well-crafted in my opinion.

 

[MichaelScott]

As a trans-1st season-michael scott i find this show offensive and problematic. You're literally hitler for liking it. Re... I mean the farm should ban more people.

PD: superb show.

 

[An Ghost]

Some other stories from McHale:
He was in the studio when Elijah Wood and Christopher Lloyd met each other for the first time. Fun fact: they were also both in Back to the Future 2. Lloyd asked McHale about the woodsman’s back story and because of that added the gravely quality to his performance. And Cleese’s stuttering as Endicott was improv. Also repeatedly McHale just said “, I can’t believe this got made” and “, people like my work.” He also drew Wirt on my friend’s arm and they got that tattoo’d permanently the next day.

 

[Haramburger]

It didn't hook me when it first aired, I think I got bored on an episode starring frogs? What would you consider the two best episodes, since I actually like watching things out-of-order and then piecing it all back together in rewatching?

 

[RumblyTumbly]

It really surprised me when I saw it. Its one of those "How on Earth did this get made?" type of deals, but I'm glad it did.

Looks great, sounds great, and has a nice and imaginative story.

It is worth a look for sure.

 

[An Ghost]

It didn't hook me when it first aired, I think I got bored on an episode starring frogs? What would you consider the two best episodes, since I actually like watching things out-of-order and then piecing it all back together in rewatching?

Episode 2 for the more fall than horror feel
And 7 for the more horror than fall feel

How on Earth did this get made?

McHale is friends with Pendleton Ward who CN pretty much gave a blank check to

 

[madethistocomment]

OTGW is honestly one of my most favorite shows. There's something about the fall aesthetic, the combination of horror and lightheartedness, the obscure references to old fairytales and bits of American culture and history, and the anarchonism of the setting that all combines in just the right way and ticks all of the boxes of stories that I enjoy. I love to watch it every year right when it starts getting chilly out and the leaves start turning.

(Another thing that I liked was that it didn't overstay its welcome- the show told its story and did it well and ended when it was supposed to. It was refreshing, to say the least.)

 

[RumblyTumbly]

It sort of goes against some of the current trends in animation by making something a little darker and with a little bit more of a classical feel. Everything that comes out now is bright and bouncy and loud to keep the kid's attention, but this is a bit slower, a tad more ponderous, and its colors are a bit darker, it stands out because of it.

Everything about its visuals just scream "Fall" making it perfect to watch around this time, and its got this old time appeal to it that feels like classic fairy tales and some of the fantasy films I watched as a kid. It has kind of a Neverending Story meets Return to Oz kind of feel to it.