'Once and Again' will lighten up

By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY --
PASADENA, Calif. — It looks like ABC's Once and Again may have a brighter future.

The plan for the show's upcoming third season, besides moving to Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, says producer Marshall Herskovitz, is to add a bit more humor and provide a better balance of light and dark stories and episodes. First and foremost, it means that while the show's central couple, Lily and Rick, will still argue, they will no longer question whether they belong together. They're not just married; they're happily married.

"This is a very good marriage, and there's a lot to explore in a good marriage. There can still be conflict between them, but they will face this year together as a team."

As for Billy Campbell, the actor who plays Rick, he is pretty happy these days. He's just back from a two-week vacation on a Norwegian tall ship, which was involved in a race across the North Sea. But Campbell wasn't lounging on a deck chair reading a book. The strapping actor, a devotee of Patrick O'Brian's seafaring novels, worked as part of the crew — climbing the rigging, hoisting sail, and having a great time. So if anyone's thinking of turning O'Brian's books into a movie, give him a call.__USA TODAY (July 25, 2001)