Customer Reviews

Once and Again - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(132)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Once and Again" was a wonderful, brilliantly acted series, that ABC thoughtlessly cancelled earlier this year, presumably to make room for quality shows like "The Bachelor" (a joke) -

Sela Ward, Billy Campbell and especially the younger actors continually amazed me with their work on the show.

As a fan of the late, great "My So-Called Life", I found this show just as effective in showing what its like to be human.

About the only storyline on the show that bored me, just a little, was the one that featured "thirtysomething" hold-over, "Miles Drentell", but even then, actor David Clennon managed to show us the humanity behind his character's weasel exterior.

Shane West, and Julia Whelan (who resembles Claire Danes) both were stunning as the older children, and Meredith Deane, and especially Evan Rachel Wood, as the younger ones, were brilliant.

Wood was robbed of an Emmy nomination for her work on the show's third season, where she heart-breakingly portrayed her character's confusion over her burgeoning sexuality.

Finally, Susanna Thompson kicked out the jams during the "accident" storyline, and she, too, was robbed of an Emmy nomination.

A great series, that deserved another chance.

"And so my course is clear: to go through life pretending to have done and seen things that have hardened me -- made me aloof and unreachable. Which works, until I need to ask a stock boy where they keep their corn meal. Then the facade crumbles, and it's clear that I'm not a weathered loner who's seen too much; just a pasty Midwesterner who can't find the flour aisle."
- Mike Nelson, 'Movie Megacheese'

'Once and Again' is about people like this, people who live in America's fly-over country, have never been homeless, are not famous, don't fight crime or work in hospitals, don't shop in SoHo or Beverly Hills. In real life, they vastly outnumber the homicide detectives, criminals, trauma surgeons, and island castaways who comprise such a disproportionate percentage of the central characters on television dramas. Why? Two reasons: (1) Most TV writers think they're boring and lack the insight and skills to write about them in ways that viewers will find interesting. (2) When a show that deals with this kind of material makes it on the air, it depends on large numbers of viewers in order to remain in production. Most television viewers gravitate to sex, violence, and suspense (and combinations thereof), and they are addicted to heightened reality. They do not have the patience for character studies, and that's why 'Once and Again' lasted only three seasons. One imagines that it was able to go that long because small but loyal numbers of viewers are actually bored by explosions, artificial suspense, and mindless exhibitionism.

Now we have 'Once and Again' on DVD. I doubt there's ever been more genuine gratitude among fans of a TV show regarding its release on video. Sure, there are a lot of great shows on DVD, but they're usually high-rated products that stand to do a lot of volume on DVD and are no-brainers from a marketing perspective. (A lot of lousy ones make it to DVD, too, but does anyone really care about those?) We spent a long time wondering if 'O&A' would ever meet polycarbonate, then, later, believing that Season One would remain alone there. That would have been a shame.

As good as the first season is as a stand-alone, it improves dramatically on subsequent viewings after seeing the second and third seasons. In the opening scene of the series, Lily Manning wakes her daughters in a middle-class home in a Chicago suburb. Beautiful morning sunlight streams through the windows. It's probably easy to dismiss it and think, "Okay, so what?" When you watch it after, say, "Won't Someone Please Help George Bailey Tonight?" from Season Two, you'll be prepared to understand. In Episode 5, "There Be Dragons," Jessie slips out of a movie outing with friends to take a walk by herself. She wanders around a mall looking at things, watching people, thinking. There's a wealth of suggestions on what's going through her mind, given the context of events in the episode. Watch it again after seeing "The Sex Show" from Season Three, and you'll find yourself filling in things that could not be suggested on network television in the earlier episode.

What holds it all together and makes it so compelling is that 'Once and Again' isn't afraid to let all the main characters be smart, decent people. There are no moments of convenient stupidity that are allowed only because suspense must be maintained. People sometimes behave questionably or lash out angrily at one another, but it's seldom a surprise, because it usually happens under circumstances under which you'd expect it from the character. It's never a cop-out, either, because not a single main character in the series is one-notish. The strength of the actors is critical, because they are required to render subtle shadings and quick revelations that are necessary to make many scenes work but cannot be written into dialog.

Fiction differs from reality in that it has had a narrative imposed on it by a writer, thus it is usually better able to illuminate human truths that are missing from an episode of 'Fear Factor' or 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' When you watch a television series in its original broadcast (or under other circumstances in which each episode is new to you), you can't know the full scope of the narrative that is taking shape in the minds of the writers, and they can do only so much to clue you in -- otherwise it just wouldn't be cool. This is no less true of 'Once and Again.' After you've seen every episode, going back and watching them over is synergistic. You can stand outside the constraints of the moment and understand where it really fits in the arc of the story, an omniscient third person. Would that we could do the same with our own lives. The other function of fictional writing is to provide dialog. (Would you want the contestants on 'Survivor' writing the dialog for the movie about your life?) 'Once and Again' is full of zingers, both dramatic and comedic, especially in the first season. Judy, Grace, and Zoe get most of the funniest lines, but the rest of the cast -- and sometimes even walk-ons -- have their share, too. Funny, ironic, and insightful, dialog like this works in several levels, and seeing them all springing to life at the same time is the real charm of 'Once and Again.'

Once and Again was a wonderfully acted, written series and I will regret its cancellation always. There are not words for what this show has meant to a lot of people. If reviews count ..I hope this one helps, I want mine to say please please release all seasons (that's 3) on DVD. Life is just so beautiful, O&A gave me that and it is a lesson that I will never forget. Thank you to all those involved in any way with this series... and I'm so proud of all who are still keeping this show alive in hearts everywhere. Best of luck to all the writers, producers, directors, creators, guest stars and actors on this stunning show in their future projects. I will never forget this show. Never. That is something pretty powerful to say and mean. I watched every episode I could during its entire run and became a fanatically obsessed O&A advocate in its last season... buy the DVD!!! Live the DVD. Smile and be glad at least it happened at all, even if only for a much too short run. Thank you Sela, Billy, Meredith, Evan, Shane, Jeff, Susanna, Marin, Julia and Eric. We love what you are. And love what you do. I will always wonder what would have happened, and it will always hurt not to know with certainty. But it's an okay hurt. I seriously bought a DVD player just to watch THIS DVD!! (and I know I am not alone in this..) so please release all seasons so I have at least some semblance of a DVD collection. lol. Me and others. Remember those wise words, "Just finishing something is not an ending". Hope those in a position to help can see these reviews. Thank you!

Excellent series that had a three year run. Herskovitz and Zwick of famed "thirtysomething", "My So Called Life", and "Relativity" fame brought this to the screen and it was a true gem. It's basic premise was Lily, 40, just about to go through a divorce, with two girls, and the in's and out's of it all including, and mostly what the storyline dealt with dating again and finding love. There were secondary stories with the ex's and sisters and families and the kids. It dealt with everything that was and is now, and echoes most of our lives that we are living out there.

Upon hearing the cancellation of the show, the viewers pulled an all out campaign to save it....to no avail. But with these upcoming editions on DVD Once and Again is sure to live on in our hearts and minds for everyone to watch and learn and dream.

This show was a true work of art and most fans look forward to the next show that the creators put together. When they put the three seasons out on DVD, hopefully with extras for all us true fans that worked hard to keep the show on the air, I would recommend giving this show a chance, it truly is a gem.

When Once and Again first began I dismissed it as a show for just women. But after watching just one episode I found myself hooked. This was unlike any show I had seen before. I actually found myself drawn into the lives of these two families. Once and Again is not just a show about two divorced people who find each other and start to fall in love. It goes much deeper than that. Once and Again follows the lives of two divorced people and the lives of their children as well. But then it goes a step further and it follows the lives of their ex spouses as well. With the first season we see how the relationship begins to develop between Lily (Sela Ward) and Rick (Billy Campbell) and how their ex's still play a factor in their love lives and how their blossoming relationship has an effect on their children. Once and Again was one of the finest dramas on television and if given the respect it deserved could still be growing strong today. Even thought it's time on television was short Once and Again showcased the acting talents of Sela Ward and Billy Campbell and launched the careers of Shane West and Evan Rachel Wood. I am just glad that we are able to enjoy this fine show on DVD and that they have finally decided to release Seasons 2 and 3.

I just found out about this online petition:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/oa1902/petition.html

Please go and sign it if you're a true fan of the series, like I am. ^_^

I gasped with excitement when I discovered that Once and Again would be given new life on DVD. I cannot express in words how disappointed I am that I no longer have this beautiful show to move me, inspire me, thrill me and uplift me. The powers that be at ABC have to be concerned with running a business and somehow, I understand that, but what I do not understand is how a network so bereft of creativity could have let this gem go because it wasn't getting the boffo numbers they would have liked. This show was no metaphor for real life, it was, instead, indicative of what real life is like for many of us. What performances on television or film could match those of this cast: the talented and gorgeous Sela Ward, the incredibly moving Susanna Thompson, the dynamic Evan Rachel Wood, Marin Hickle, Billy Campbell, a perfect Julia Whelan, Shane West, Meredith Deane, Jeffrey Nordling, Ever Carradine and Patrick Dempsey...this is a roll-call of excellence. Let's just hope we can get the 2nd and 3rd seasons on DVD as well. It is the perfect goodbye for a family that was forced to leave us way, way, way too soon. By the way, did I mention how beautiful and talented Sela Ward is? Oh, I did...well, it doesn't hurt to mention it twice, now does it?

There are very few shows in my lifetime that I have been fiercely loyal to, but the now defunct `Once and Again' without question, topped that short list.

I will admit that my lifelong crush on actress Sela Ward was my main interest in this series, originally. Single, with no kids, and in my late 20s during O&A's debut, I was far out of ABC's target demographic for this show. I didn't expect to like the show very much, but I got sucked in not because of Sela, but because the show was nothing less than fantastic.

Superbly acted and superbly written, ABC never gave this show a chance to find its audience, and it bounced around from time slot to time slot until it's all too early demise. Even the best shows need to be pitched correctly to viewing audiences to have a chance. The premise of the story is of Rick Samler and Lily Manning, two fortysomething single parents who re-enter the adult dating scene after their divorces. They fall head over heels for one another, and find that life and love in the (then) late 1990s is far different than what they remember. Adding children, careers, parents, and ex-spouses to the mix just adds different layers of complications and challenges for Rick and Lily.

Most shows `jump the shark' at some point during their lifetimes. While some could argue that the hostage episode in S2 was that point for O&A, I disagree. Once and Again always presented two kinds of television : good, and better. The stories and characters could fill you with hope, heartbreak, or both every week almost without fail. And best of all - everything about this show was real. Very little, if any, suspension of disbelief was required.

Perhaps the best thing I can say about O&A is that it is the only show that I was so passionate about saving, that I sat down and wrote a letter to ABC, asking them to reconsider their canceling of it (as part of an organized campaign with other fans). While the campaign wasn't successful, the release (finally) of the series on DVD will allow those who loved this show then to enjoy it forever, as well as allow those who didn't get to view O&A during its run to discover it, and they too, might find out why we who followed this show from the beginning understood that this was just a beautiful story.

Although hyperbole comes naturally to some of us Amazon reviewers ("the best ever!"), I have to say this is truly one of the best television dramas ever. What sets it apart is the wonderful heartfelt acting by a stellar ensemble cast and the intelligent, astute writing. The characters are fully brought to life and made real.

The writing and acting have such depth and nuance that you'll laugh with recognition and nod your head as every true note is hit.

Sela Ward deservedly received her share of awards from her role, but Billy Campbell -- who is just as exceptional -- unfortunately did not. But again, this is an ensemble cast, and every one shines.

When DVDs first came out, I did not expect to be buying television shows in the format. But "Once and Again" shows why the format is so perfect for this medium: You get to see the whole arc of a show's season at your own pace, and the quality of the image is perfect. If only there were some extras -- but then, "Once and Again" stands on its own.

Season 2 came out on DVD long after this set, and season 3 has yet to be released. Hopefully, it will eventually appear.

This is one of the best shows ever and definitely the finest drama of all time. It had the most talented, honest cast from beautiful star Sela Ward(Lily) to the adorable Meredith Deane(Zoe). Susanna Thompson was also fascinating as the troubled Karen. I was able to relate to some aspect of every single character. This is a program that should have had a long run on a worthy network(ABC you are dead to me). I will never forget this exceptional program or its wonderful actors. Here's hoping they release the next two seasons on dvd as well. It would be a nice gift to the actors and to the fans both of whom gained so much from this series.