PORTRAYAL

After only two episodes, Wonderland, ABC's hour-long drama set in a fictional psychiatric hospital in New York City, was cancelled, undoubtedly easing the minds of many mental health practitioners.

The story of a psychiatrist treating mentally ill criminals, Wonderland was filled with graphic violence: The Series premiere showed a patient wildly shooting six people in New York's Times Square and later attempting suicide. Critics say the show reinforced extreme and inaccurate stereotypes, glamorizing self-destructive behavior.

"This series exploits the most narrow view of mental illness and perpetuates relentless images of despair," said Bob Carolla of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). NAMI leads "The Mental Health Coalition Against Stigma in Hollywood," a coalition of 15 mental health organizations, which convinced at least one pharmaceutical company to pull their ad off the air to protest Wonderland's content.

In spite of criticism from mental health professionals, most television critics praised the show, and Robert Berger, Ph.D., director of forensic psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City and the show's professional consultant, called NAMI's charges "silly." "Vulnerable people might find solace in watching others who are in worse mental crises than they are," he said. Berger, who also consulted on Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of Cape Fear, believes that entertainment is just that. "People aren't interested in watching someone with a minor illness go to a self-help group. Just look at ER--they only show the most extreme cases as well."

Was it the criticism of mental health professionals that prompted ABC to yank Wonderland?. Probably not. Most likely, the network was responding to the steep decline in viewers--from 13.2 million for the first episode to 7.5 million for the second.

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