Realistic TV: Sobering series makes viewers uneasy

By Candace Havens --
It's late in the evening, and Lily Manning (Sela Ward) stands at the bathroom sink washing away the remains of a difficult day. She raises her head and sees her daughter Grace (Julia Whelan) in the mirror: Grace feels the need to make a confession to her mother about her part in the day's events.

The words tumble out, and the teen tells her mother that she knew what was going on but didn't want to cause trouble by telling anyone. Lily, who feels equally guilty, begins rubbing lotion into Grace's hands and offers some soothing words. As the conversation comes to a close, Grace turns to walk out the door. She stops and turns back to her mother.

Grace: One more thing.
Lily: What's that?
Grace: You're a good sister, Mom. I just think you should know that. Before you go to sleep.

As the impact ot Grace's words hits Lily, the rush of emotions plays across her face. The viewer knows in that instant exactly what she is feeling. That her own daughter is offering words of comfort makes her joyful and sad at the same time.

The poignant scene is from the insightful and critically acclaimed drama, "Once and Again," which airs Wednesdays on ABC. It is an intimate moment between a daughter and her mother that on any given night could have been played out in millions of homes across America. It's honest, heart-wrenching and realistic.

And for some viewers that's the problem. The show hits too close to home. TV audiences don't seem to mind watching doctors or police officers in gritty dramas, but they don't want the cameras turned on their own lives.

("snipped" familiar background info and join Herskovitz in conversation:) "When people are saying the show is too real, what they are really saying is that it evokes painful experiences from their own life," Herskovitz says. "It is our intention to ask the audience to confront these difficult issues in all of our lives. We want to show how diffucult it is to relate to another person. It isn't easy being married or being a part of a family. But what we try to do is leaven these painful issues with love, concern, and growth."__The Charlotte Observer (March 4, 2001)