"Once and Again" (1999)TV series 1999-2002

Creators:

Marshall Herskovitz
Edward Zwick

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

21 September 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance

Plot:

A divorced father and a soon-to-be divorced mother meet and begin a romantic courtship which is always complicated by their respective children and their own life problems.

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Single Mother | Interracial Relationship | Bisexual | Dating

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 28 nominations

Cast

Sela Ward	...	Lily Manning (63 episodes, 1999-2002)
Bill Campbell	...	Rick Sammler (63 episodes, 1999-2002)
Julia Whelan	...	Grace Manning (59 episodes, 1999-2002)
Meredith Deane	...	Zoe Manning (59 episodes, 1999-2002)
Marin Hinkle	...	Judy Brooks (57 episodes, 1999-2002)
Shane West	...	Eli Sammler (52 episodes, 1999-2002)
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Jessie Sammler (52 episodes, 1999-2002)
Susanna Thompson	...	Karen Sammler (48 episodes, 1999-2002)
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Jake Manning (47 episodes, 1999-2002)
Todd Field	...	David Cassilli (27 episodes, 1999-2001)

Runtime:

60 min (63 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bedford Falls Productions

Trivia:

The character 'Rick Sammler' was ranked #36 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (20 June 2004 issue).

Quotes:

Judy Brooks: Men need to lie, you can't take it personally. Any woman asking anything of them is automatically their mother, which means they're terrified, which means they lie just to keep a part of themselves out of your evil clutches.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Marshall Herskovitz (2007) (V)

Brilliant High Quality Television!

Once and Again has struck me unlike any other show ever! I never expected to accept a new show so quickly, but once I saw it I quickly caught up with the rest of the first season.

When I saw the names of Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick in the show I knew I was about to watch a high quality TV show! They produced both Thirtysomething and My So-Called Life. These previous shows were unlike anything I've ever seen before on television and Once and Again broke new barriers.

This show takes us in a tremendous psychological journey through the lives and minds of members of two different families in ways so natural and simple that the characters displayed almost seem real.

The actors and actresses that portray these unforgettable characters are by all means the finest in the business. However, no actor or actress has amazed me as much as Evan Rachel Wood. Not only she portrays an amazingly normal character like Jessie, but has managed to show us a character with this eating disorder so sincerely in a way no other young actor/actress could ever have done it. She's with no doubt the finest young actress of her generation.

My favorite episode was the one Rick and Karen take Jessie to see a therapist played by Edward Zwick himself who also wrote and directed this episode. I'm a huge fan of this producer and I was amazed by his role interacting with a character he created himself along with Marshall Herskovitz who also co-wrote the episode. The dynamic and level of emotion displayed in the episode was unparalled in any family show. Even Party of Five's highest dramatic moments could never match such a quiet yet intense moment such as Jessie admitting she's disgusted by eating.

Sela Ward herself deserved her emmy, but there are supporting cast members in the show such as Marin Hinkle. But the finest actress I've had the privilege to watch was Susanna Thompson. The actress who played the Borg Queen on Star Trek: Voyager landed in her finest role ever as Rick's ex wife Karen. Her character strikes the screen as a real person conflicted with her demands and worries. Jeffrey Nordling who plays Lily's ex husband Jake has recently shown how good an actor he is during the hostage situation in the restaurant.

I also love to watch Rick working under the scrutiny of Miles Drentell. David Clennon is a reasonably good actor and can deliver some mind bogging lines. I wonder what the future holds for the Atlantor project.

Edward Zwick is the most talented producer I've ever seen. From producing high budget movies with the intensity of The Siege and Courage Under Fire to high quality simple TV dramas like My So-Called Life and Once and Again. He deserved to take the academy award for producing Steven Soderbergh's Traffic.

I hope Once and Again stays around for a while longer delivering fresh quality scripts every week into our sets. In contrast to the constant garbage we watch on TV designed to boost meaningless ratings, Once and Again strives for quality rather than ratings. In a world so plagued by commercial and low quality programming designed to attract dumb viewers, Once and Again strikes as a mental heaven for those who wish to settle for peace and quiet. This show deserves a 10 out of 10!