'Once and Again' to die unless you watch

By Jonathan Groves

I can only hope this plea does not fall on deaf on ears.

Please, watch "Once and Again."

By nature, I am not a television addict. But every once in a while, a show comes out that's so captivating, it demands my attention.

"Once and Again" — at 9 p.m. Mondays on ABC — is one of those shows. Well-written and engaging, it is the rare show that creates compelling characters whom I want to spend time with and learn more about. At the end of each week's episode, I inevitably find myself wishing the next episode were minutes away instead of days.

Please, watch "Once and Again."

The reason for my dedicated, somewhat frantic plea: My favorite show has unfortunately languished in the lower third of the ratings, an area that targets a show for the broadcast graveyard.

Television pundits for weeks have been talking about the show's inevitable demise, the disappearance of another intelligent but unwatched show.

Please, watch "Once and Again."

I was heartened to discover I am not alone.

Dedicated fans (even more devoted than myself) have pooled their money to take out ads in Hollywood Reporter and Variety magazines. They've started an online petition (yes, I added my name to the thousands already there), and there's a site (www.saveoanda.com) devoted to saving the show.

Jim Schuessler, executive vice president and general manager of Springfield's ABC affiliate, KSPR, says his station received 15-20 calls from people wanting to know how to contact the network about saving the show. He says in his 20 years in the business, he's seen about only five or six shows that have sparked such loyalty that pushes viewers to demand a program.

"I think the writing is spectacular," Schuessler says. "It's one of the best written shows to come along in a long, long time."

Despite his acknowledgement of its quality, he remains a realist. "You can't be emotional about your own product," he says. "... It hurts your objectivity."

Though the fan base is loyal, it's not big enough. In its Friday slot in November, "Once and Again" was third in its time slot, behind "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "48 Hours" in the Springfield market, Schuessler said.

Please, watch "Once and Again."

I've wondered why the show hasn't caught on. Maybe it's because the show lacks the frenetic histrionics of "ER" or the blood and action of "Law & Order." Maybe it's because people would rather laugh than cry when they spend an hour watching the tube after a day's work. Maybe it's because people prefer "reality TV" to television that portrays real life.

It's that portrayal that envelops me every week. These are flawed people, people who break and don't always get fixed, people much like ourselves. We see families, struggling with life after divorce, with blended families, with teen issues. Each week, some part hits upon some truth, something real.

Please, watch "Once and Again."

So comes this plea to the Ozarks, to everyone with a television set. Give "Once and Again" a try. Invite Rick, Lily and the rest of the cast into your home each week. See if it touches an emotional nerve.

So much of what comes out of Hollywood is brain-numbing pablum that adds nothing. Let's not let something of quality vanish.

Let us send a message to the networks in a loud collective voice:

Please, save "Once and Again." __ Springfield News-Leader (March 11, 2002)

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