'Once and Again' is in ratings trouble again

By Kevin D. Thompson, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Edward Zwick sounds like a beaten man.

He should.

As one of the creators and executive producers of Once and Again (10 p.m., WPBF-Channel 25, WPLG-Channel 10), ABC's superb family drama, Zwick knows time is running out on his series.

ABC bumped Once and Again off the schedule for several weeks. It cut back the number of episodes ordered from 22 to 19. Only a puny 6.3 million people each week watch the series, which returns in its new time slot tonight.

ABC is giving Once and Again one last push. Two episodes were mailed out to television critics several weeks ago. The network made it clear both Zwick and co-creator Marshall Herskovitz were available for interviews.

Quite naturally, I wondered if Zwick thought the series would return next fall.

"We're clearly fighting an uphill battle," he said softly. "Unless the numbers are drastically better, I don't think we'll come back."

The numbers won't get better. And Once and Again won't return next fall. Count on it.

Too bad, but this exceptionally nuanced drama never caught on with a sizable audience. Getting kicked around the schedule certainly didn't help.

"ABC tried to do their best by the show," Zwick said diplomatically. "They made some mistakes in scheduling, but they were made with the best of spirits and intentions."

In a sense, Zwick is right. Many television critics -- including this one -- thought Once and Again was a goner last season. If the series wasn't such a critical success, ABC would've dumped it a long time ago. It's tough to justify keeping a show that ranks a lowly 99th in household ratings out of 175 shows.

I don't care, however, how puny the ratings are or where Once and Again ranks in the precious Nielsens. I'm not a network programmer.

I'm an average TV viewer who doesn't want to see the plug pulled on great writing and exceptional acting. And no one on Once and Again has been more exceptional this year than Susanna Thompson, who plays Karen, Rick's (Billy Campbell) emotionally fragile ex-wife. Let's hope Emmy voters are paying as much attention to Thompson as I've been.

When we last saw Karen, she got hit by a car after battling depression, panic attacks and her rebellious son, Eli (Shane West). Karen has been so depressed, her daughter Jessie (the magnificent Evan Rachel Wood) has wondered aloud if her mom was suicidal. In tonight's heart-tugging episode, Karen faces the start of a long and grueling rehabilitation.

When Once and Again debuted, it looked as if the series would only revolve around Rick and Lily (Sela Ward). Just focusing on those characters, however, would've turned stale fast -- I don't care how attractive Campbell and Ward are. By often pushing Rick and Lily in the background and letting the show's periphery stars shine, Once and Again became a superior dramatic ensemble.

It's impossible to forget Judy's (Marin Hinkle) tortured relationship with a married man (Steven Weber). Or Jessie's bout with anorexia. Or Eli's ongoing rift with Rick over his life's direction.

If there's a better drama on television that shows the joys, complexities and harsh realities all families face, please call or e-mail. I really want to know the name of that show.

Ironically, Once and Again's strength is also the show's weakness in the eyes of those who no longer watch it. Once and Again moves at a leisurely, almost novel-like pace. Plots develop over time and aren't always wrapped up in neat 60-minute bows. The show prides itself on showing life's awkward moments -- those achingly long pauses and stolen glances. Unlike on, say, The West Wing, the characters don't talk like Rhodes Scholars and walking sound bites.

There are no gruesome murders to solve or titillating bedroom scenes to drool over. Domesticated life isn't always pretty. Or fun. Once and Again isn't afraid to show that.

Give the writers credit for not sexing up the series more. The one time the writers did up the ante -- the hostage episode in Jake's (Jeffrey Nordling) restaurant -- it failed miserably. That episode felt more like a routine NYPD Blue installment.

The beauty of Once and Again is that it's quiet and understated. It demands your time and that you pay attention.

"We do something that is more challenging and not always reassuring, and maybe that's difficult for a wide audience to accept," Zwick said. "If we were on cable, we'd be a huge hit. We're trying to do something more sophisticated than network audiences are ready for."

I'm ready for it. So are more than 6 million other people. Unfortunately, that's not nearly enough.__ Palm Beach Post (March 4, 2002)

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