'Once and Again' producers get that feeling of deja vu

By Gail Shister --
Living on the bubble is nothing new for Marshall Herskovitz.

The co-exec producer of ABC's Once and Again says it's "50-50" whether the acclaimed Sela Ward-Billy Campbell family drama will be renewed for a third season.

This is the fourth time that Herskovitz and his partner, Ed Zwick, have sweated it out while ABC decides the fate of another of their brilliant- but-low-rated dramas.

First there was the late, great thirtysomething (1987- '91). Then came My So-Called Life ('94-'95), starring then- newcomer Claire Danes. Next was Relativity ('96-'97), an overlooked gem.

As for Once and Again, "I figure it will be at least two weeks before we know anything," says Herskovitz, 49, a Lower Merion High alum. "I know ABC loves the show, but they want us to do better."

Up against NBC's powerful Law & Order at 10 p.m. Wednesdays, Once and Again is averaging just 8.5 million overall viewers. That ranks 80th on Nielsen's Hit Parade.

More important, it's delivering only 5.3 million advertiser-friendly 18-to-49- year-olds - for 49th place.

At least one industry expert predicts ABC will stick with Once and Again.

While conceding that the show will never crack the Top 30, mediaweek.com analyst Marc Berman says Once and Again "is too good for ABC to pass up. It gives the network a reputation as a serious player in the quality arena."

Besides, "ABC hasn't planned well enough for the future. There's too much Millionaire. They haven't developed a new sitcom hit in ages. They need the show. NYPD Blue is aging, Gideon's Crossing is on the fence. The Practice is their only bona fide hit drama."

Once and Again's ratings have taken "a huge drop" since its season-high numbers for the "hostage" episode March 7, Herskovitz says.

The segment, in which a disgruntled restaurant employee with a handgun held owner Jake (Jeffrey Nordling) and dozens of patrons hostage, caused an uproar among die-hard fans.

"Our Web site lit up. Serious viewers thought it was exploitative and not what the show is about. There is something almost encouraging about that. We discovered how passionate our viewers are about the show."

FYI: The episode "wasn't what we originally intended. Internal problems forced a lot of reshoots and it ended up being formulaic. All it proves is that we're fallible and imperfect."

Herskovitz-Zwick, who produced the big-screen Traffic, are "very emotionally invested" in Once and Again. They're both on the set every day running the show - something they haven't done since 1990 on thirtysomething.

Herskovitz says he and Zwick "are doing everything in our power to save this show." That includes calls to the highest management levels at ABC owner Disney, though Herskovitz won't name names.

(rest of the article "snipped")___Philadelphia Inquirer (April 30, 2001)