TV's MVPs

The Actors

Julia Whelan and Susanna Thompson/Once and Again It's not easy holding your own with Sela Ward, but Julia Whelan, 16, as Ward's daughter, Grace, and the thirtysomething Susanna Thompson, as Karen, the ex-wife of Ward's boyfriend, have made this show 'their' show, too. "Julia knows viewers think Grace is mean and selfish," says series creator Marshall Herskovitz. "But she's not afraid to be unattractive." Thompson's ability to play the emotions underneath Karen's brittle armor is so dead-on, says Herskovitz, "it's painful."

The Producers

Emotional intensity is also the hallmark of Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, both 49, who, from thirtysomething to ABC's Once and Again, have mined wrenching drama from intimate observations of family life. "They're highly in tune with the connections between people," says Once and Again star Billy Campbell. "Everyone feels that it's their life up on the screen," says W.G. Snuffy Walden, composer of the haunting soundtracks for many of their series. "They're constantly striving. They push you to hit the right chord."__TV Guide (February 10 - 16, 2001)