love on TV

BYLINE: Mike Hughes --
Here is a chance to nudge all the characters into one room. And here is an imposing expectation:

"You're supposed to be happy," says Marshall Herskovitz, who created and produces " Once and Again" with Ed Zwick. But in the shows they've created for television, as in real life, happiness is tenuous -- especially during the holidays. "You always know that something is going to happen," Herskovitz says.

That's been true since the first Thanksgiving in "thirtysomething" (which the duo also created). In that episode, a turkey remained frozen and was dropped on the floor. "A turkey goes 'plop,' " one flu-stricken character muttered. "That sounded like Sky Lab." Zwick-Herskovitz shows mix humor and pain.

"Once and Again," follows a romance between Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) and Lily Manning (Sela Ward). That's just the start.

He's divorced; she's divorcing. Each has two kids. And each must also contend with their former mates.

"They deal with tough material without getting sentimental," says Jeffrey Nordling, who plays Lilly's soon-to-be-ex-husband, Jake. "They never get precious."

Last Thanksgiving Jake was a semi-welcome Thanksgiving guest. This year's show (10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, on ABC) has the children's grandmothers providing complications.

Peg Sammler (Barbara Barrie) tries to convince her son, Rick, that his children aren't as well adjusted as he thinks. Barbara Brooks (Bonnie Bartlett) visits her daughter, Lily, and tries to patch things up with her son, Aaron (Patrick Dempsey).

The creators view this from different perspectives.

Herskovitz is a divorced dad.

"We all, as parents, want to shield our kids from every problem," he says. "We just can't always do it."

Zwick remains married.

"I am the child of divorce," he says, "and that brings a very different ...view to the experience."

Both however, say they aren't writing from their own lives.

"The most profound (things) never turn out to be personal," Zwick says. "They, in fact, always become universal."

"We are infused by the actors," Herskovitz says. "We have fallen in love with the actors and that makes the characters grow."

Before "Once and Again," Campbell was known for lighter roles, including a failed Zwick- Herskovitz pilot the previous year.

"I had trepidation about him reading for this," Herskovitz says. "I didn't want to be in the position of rejecting him. But ... I was astounded at his emotional range."

Ward arrived as an Emmy winner (for "Sisters") with heavy-duty credentials.

"She's also maybe the nicest actor I've ever worked with," Herskovitz says. "At the end of a 15-hour day, she's still unfailingly polite."

Ward won an Emmy this year for her role in the show. And in its first season "Once and Again" received raves, respect and honors; in its second it has a steady time slot.

The stars aren't the only ones who have prospered. Even the people playing their former spouses have seen their duties grow.

"Both Jeffrey Nordling and Susanna Thompson have taken this so much further," Herskovitz says.

Nordling was originally up for the lead role. Like Campbell, he was going for a change-of-pace. He sometimes plays strong, silent types in TV movies. In "Apollo 11" he walked on the moon as Neil Armstrong; in "Personally Yours" one character described him as a Gary Cooper-type.

"Once and Again," by comparison, toyed with Jake.

"First his marriage dissolves," Nordling says. "Then his business goes sour."

This season Jake's restaurant is thriving; his life isn't. In real life Nordling is married with children

The most recent holiday (Halloween) was spent watching their twin daughters trick-or-treat.

"They don't ever dress alike," Nordling says, "but this time they both had to be Minnie Mouse."

It was a holiday when everyone seemed happy.

Things don't always turn out that way -- especially during Thanksgiving on TV.__The Tulsa World (November 19, 2000)