After working on other Cartoon Network shows including The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Adventure Time, the network expressed interest in McHale pitching a pilot. McHale first envisioned the show in 2004 and pitched it to the network in 2006. The show was the first miniseries on the network. Over the Garden Wall was broadcast throughout the week of November 3 to November 7, 2014. The Blasting Company composed the soundtrack.

The series' voice cast also includes Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, Bebe Neuwirth, Chris Isaak, Shirley Jones, Thomas Lennon, Jack Jones, Jerron Paxton, John Cleese and Samuel Ramey. Elijah Wood and Collin Dean voice the protagonists Wirt and Greg, and Melanie Lynskey voices Beatrice, a bluebird. The show is based on McHale's animated short film Tome of the Unknown, which was produced as part of Cartoon Network Studios' shorts development program.

The series centers on two half-brothers who travel across a mysterious forest to find their way home, encountering a variety of strange and fantastical things on their journey. And yet another detailed, loving look at how the Chinese fought back enemies dressed in elaborate gear, with advanced mechanics, and using clockwork precision.Over the Garden Wall is an American animated television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network. However, every time the film threatens to veer towards emotion, including between William and Lin, Yimou turns it back to yet another attack from the Tao Teis. Pascal, of The Game of Thrones, tries to inject some levity, even if he continuously addresses everyone as “Amigo”, while Dafoe introduces an element of malice into this otherwise virtuous world. However, they are monsters after all, and it’s difficult to care for a battle with so little invested in it. The Tao Teis are well conceived, especially their method of communication through vibrations, which their Queen sets forth. The term enemies is used loosely here as apparently their only adversaries are monsters called Tao Tei, who invade every 60 years and eat everything dead or alive. The corps jumps off the Great Wall holding spears to slay enemies. The Order fights with gunpowder, cannonballs, arrows that target sound and, beautifully, a bungy-jumping Crane Corps that includes Lin. The film is an excuse to showcase the expertise of ancient China when it comes to warfare, to the “barbarian” West.

The great wall movie synopsis