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New step for 'Masterpiece Theater' isn't entirely freshBYLINE: Eric Deggans --
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Critics accuse it of yuppie pandering, but this week's sophomore season debut of Once and Again, airing at 10 p.m. Tuesday on WFTS-Ch. 28, proves why this may be the most underrated drama on network television.
Creators Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick probe the heart of divorce's aftermath, offering Billy Campbell and Emmy-winner Sela Ward as Rick Sammler and Lily Manning, two parents who find love together after previous marriages have tanked.
Tuesday's episode picks up months after the pair brought their four children together for an awkward dinner - further exploring each child's reaction to this newly developing union.
It's a smart move: One of this show's best assets is its young actors, who look like real kids but have the acting chops to hold a scene with the grown-ups.
In the season debut, Rick and Lily realize they can't keep sneaking around their children - a scene where Lily's family stumbles on the two after they've fallen asleep on the couch together is priceless - forcing more friction between the kids as the families intersect more often.
This show has always been a get-it-or-you-don't proposition: To those who don't appreciate its charms, the characters' constant internal conflicts may seem like whiny indulgence. But their riffs on parenting, sibling rivalries, marital strife and romance feel spot-on to this married father of three.
Tune in Tuesday and decide for yourself.__St. Petersburg Times (October 22, 2000)
