Bid final farewell to 'Once and Again'

BY MIKE DUFFY

4/4 stars

Hey, cheer up "Once and Again" fans.

You fought the good fight. You tried to save one of the best shows on television. You're not happy about ABC's decision to pull the plug on this exceptional portrait of American family life set against the backdrop of divorce.

But this is no time to mope. This is the time to celebrate the authentic greatness of "Once and Again" as the show bids a bittersweet farewell with a memorable finale.

Besides, the people responsible for "Once and Again" are immensely grateful for the three years they had and for the special bond with the show's passionately devoted fans.

"It has been the most gratifying aspect of doing this show," says executive producer Marshall Herskovitz. "To feel this reverberation coming back from the audience, well, it's like a drug. It feels great to be able to touch people in that way."

Herskovitz and his longtime creative partner and fellow executive producer, Ed Zwick, faced a special challenge in putting together this series finale. They had to film the episode before ABC decided the show's fate.

So they accelerated a few story lines, including a wedding and a new romance. And at the center, we have architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) and his wife and talk radio host Lily (Sela Ward) grappling with difficult, life-altering decisions.

"It would have a nice sense of closure if we could jump-start some of these stories," says Herskovitz. "If it's not like the end, it's at least a respectful good-bye."

The goal, he says, was "a sense of feeling that you know where these characters are headed."

Mission accomplished. And then some.

What gives the series finale an extra booster shot of communal bliss is the coda that immediately follows the episode. Filmed in the signature black-and-white style of the show's distinctive, confessional interview segments, cast members and producers share touching, funny and tearful feelings about the series.

"It was easy because actors don't mind being emotional," notes Herskovitz wryly. "But for all of us, this was a very emotional episode all the way through."

Herskovitz and Zwick have developed a niche for their sophisticated, subtle relationship dramas on ABC.

The closest thing they had to a major hit was "thirtysomething" (1987-91), which also never reached mass success. Then came the one-year run of the astonishing drama of adolescence, "My So-Called Life" (1994-95).

Why stick with ABC, where the producers still have a deal to develop new series? Easy.

"The main gift they give us is freedom," Herskovitz says. "They let us do what we want to do. They don't change things or interfere."

But, yes, with "Once and Again" there are a few regrets. Seven to be exact.

"We were moved more than any other show in history," says Herskovitz. "Seven time slots in three years, I think, is a record."

And it was ABC's disastrous decision to move "Once and Again" to Friday nights last fall -- before restoring it to Mondays in March -- that sealed the show's eventual cancellation fate.

Oops, there we go getting crabby.

For three years, "Once and Again" has been an oasis of satisfying, well-done television. That's worth celebrating one final time. Just keep the tissues close by.__ Detroit Free Press (April 15, 2002)

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