'Once and again' explores complexities of love

In a society where divorce touches half of all couples who marry for the first time, love is definitely more complicated the second time around.

One of the best written shows in the fall TV season explores what happens when two divorced parents, played by Sela Ward (Lily Manning) and Billy Campbell (Rick Sammler) suddenly find themselves in love "Once and Again."

Theirs is a courtship that entwines the challenges of parenting children, dealing with ex-spouses and learning to grow as a couple again. The issues they face are funny, heart-warming, painful and poignant.

"The show is a result of a 25-year conversation between my partner (Marshall Herskovitz) and I," said Edward Zwick, executive producer of "Once and Again."

"We are best friends and collaborators, and much of what we've done is the legacy of our investment in each other's world, in our families and friends. We talk a lot about relationships; lives that might not have turned out as planned."

Emmy-winning executive producers Zwick and Herskovitz are the creators of the critically-acclaimed dramas "My So-Called Life," "thirtysomething" and "Relativity." "Once and Again," scheduled to debut Tuesday, Sept. 21 (10 p.m. Eastern) on ABC, promises to be equally thoughtful fare.

Zwick, married for 17 years, has two children. His parents divorced when he was 17. Herskovitz, divorced six years, also has two children. Zwick says over the past 10 years, 50 percent of his friends have gone through a divorce. So there's lots of fodder for "Once and Again."

"When you've gone through the disappointment of the dream that marriage is in the beginning, you go through a de-idealization," Zwick said. "You come to see the other and yourself as you really are, and that' s painful.

"After a divorce, if you have children, it's one thing to put yourself on the line and become intimate with someone again. But the stakes are higher because of your children. If you're of an age where you' re able to have more children, that's another factor."

With so many dramas centered around teen-age angst and twentysomethings, it's a relief to watch a show that tackles issues relevant to a broader audience. The parents on "Once and Again" are believable human beings with imperfect, interesting personalities. Occasionally, Lily or Rick take a moment in the spotlight, sharing the kind of thoughts with viewers that most usually keep secret from significant others.

"I've found that when I write, the more personal the thought, the more universal it is," said Zwick. "You think of yourself as talking to one person in the dark, and hope that experience is mirrored several million times in your audience."

Zwick's foray into the entertainment industry began at age 15 when he directed his first play and worked in summer stock. After graduating college, he studied abroad with several theater companies, then worked for Woody Allen in Paris on the film "Love and Death."

In addition to numerous television credits, Zwick directed the Civil War epic "Glory," "Legends of the Fall," and received his first Academy Award as one of the producers for this year's Best Picture "Shakespeare in Love."

What made him choose TV and filmmaking as a career?

"Expression," said Zwick. "It's some combination of wanting to hold a mirror to the world and making a joyous noise. We have a responsibility for the images that we promulgate. We have a mandate to entertain and delight, but also to instruct."

The lack of minority characters on air, particularly noticeable in previews of fall shows, triggered protests by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a coalition of Latino groups. TV critics focused coverage on the "whitewashing" of shows, and programmers scrambled to address the concerns.

"We cast appropriately, not because we're trying to redress some societal ill or take a public relations position," said Zwick, who said two or three recurring roles in "Once and Again" were slated to be played by black actors before the NAACP protest.

While the focus on greater diversity in casting may seem excessive to some, many people of color do not see themselves mirrored in media -- whether the medium is entertainment or news coverage. To ignore this creates a distorted view of the world, and segregation by default.

If we are truly invested in the lives of those we love, we cannot ignore the concerns of those we do not know. For sooner or later, one will impact on the other.

"You walk in the mountains and see a river running through it," Zwick said. "Water cuts through rock. It doesn't happen overnight, but you see how change takes place. When change takes place quickly, it can be overwhelming."

Falling in love again, deeply and suddenly, is the kind of overwhelming experience many people wish for with all their hearts. It would be wonderful if racial understanding and diversity held the same importance.

But if Lily and Rick can struggle through the problems of life, knowing that love will sustain them, there's hope for us all.__Gannett News Service (August 11, 1999)