When Heather Conkie and Alexandra Clarke, a mother-daughter duo of showrunners, embarked on the journey of creating “The Way Home” alongside creator Marly Reed, they didn’t initially have “Alice in Wonderland” on their radar. However, the parallels between their show and the beloved novel emerged organically.
“As we started looking at this show and the concept, it became so much clearer to us how oddly echoing it all was to the book, and we sort of thought well, if it’s there, let’s use it. It’s a story about a girl that literally falls down the rabbit hole into a whole other world and is trying to make sense of what she’s seeing and of her adventures there,” Alexandra tells Variety. With these seamless comparisons, they began integrating physical similarities and thematic elements from the 1865 novel into Season 1.
“Once we had gone down that rabbit hole ourselves, we were in a discount book store and the first books that were right there right in front of us were ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking Glass,’ right next to each other,” Heather recalls. “We thought, ‘OK, that’s a sign.'”
While the Hallmark drama features nods to various well-known stories such as “Peter Pan,” “Narnia,” and even “Not Another Teen Movie,” it’s the “Alice” comparison that resonates with viewers, who frequently discuss it on social media. The second season further embraced this theme, drawing closer to the adventures depicted in the sequel, “Through the Looking Glass.”
For the upcoming third season, the showrunners intend to continue exploring themes from both “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass,” albeit with a different approach.
“They’re clearly a very important part of the family,” Alexandra explains. “I think the thing we’re going to kind of try and do this season is looking at the two books as a whole as a set and what to sort of glean from the two of them and who owns them. And the themes of them will still be a huge part of our show.”
Despite the absence of a third “Alice in Wonderland” book by Lewis Carroll, the influence of the existing works will persist in the next season. Planning for Season 3 has already commenced, with the production team diving into brainstorming immediately after wrapping up Season 2.
“Even when we were developing out Season 1, Season 3 was sort of the light at the end of the tunnel,” Alexandra notes. “So even back then, we kind of knew what this season would look like. Now it’s just a matter of… actually sitting down and getting to the nitty-gritty of that. It’s a fun challenge.”
One of the significant challenges of the series lies in managing the multitude of characters and timelines. While the future of the show remains open-ended, Heather and Alexandra are committed to maintaining its quality and complexity.
“It’s a complicated show,” Alexandra admits. “I’m so grateful we’re doing it together as mother and daughter but also as co-showrunners. It is a show that needs two people. It probably, arguably, needs three or four or five.”
Furthermore, they’ve contemplated potential spin-offs, recognizing the richness of their show’s universe and the diverse wonderlands it explores.
“One of the things about our show that’s unique, because of the time travel aspect of it is, again, very similar to ‘Wonderland’ itself, is you’re there for a good time, not a long time, and every trip is unique,” Alexandra adds. “Every trip, something’s different, and in our world, you can’t linger in one timeline too long.”
As viewers eagerly anticipate the Season 2 finale of “The Way Home,” the creative team continues to navigate the intricate narratives and imaginative realms that define their captivating series.
