Falling for Once and Again

By Christine Champagne --
I never thought I would feel this way about a TV show again, but I'm in love with Once and Again.

In a television season littered with shows centering on telegenic teens comes a series starring two—you'd better be sitting down for this—adults. Yes, adults. People over the age of 20, past 30 and into their—gasp!—40s.

Sisters' Sela Ward and Billy Campbell headline Once and Again as single parents (she is separated from her husband; he is divorced) who meet and embark on one of the sweetest and most intimate romances seen on television in years.

I'll take this engaging adult duo over Dawson's Creek's Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey (Katie Holmes) anytime.

In the Once and Again pilot (which airs on ABC Sept. 21 from 10 to 11 p.m. ET), Lily (Ward) and Rick (Campbell) spot each other while dropping their kids off at school and later get to talking after Lily's daughter Grace (Julia Whelan) hurts her ankle during a soccer game.

That evening, Rick (Campbell) finally gets up the nerve to ask Lily out and rings her up. Billy is by no means smooth. You'd think he was—oh, maybe Dawson's age—again as he struggles to invite Lily out, stumbling over his words, blushing and nervously tapping his fingers on the wall. The fear of rejection never ends—even when you're a grown man.

Later, we see Lily getting ready for the date as her two daughters observe her. Grace, the teenager, tries to lay a guilt trip on her mom, claiming she has anxiety attacks when she goes out. What single parent can't relate to that?

The date itself has its awkward moments. At one point, Rick tells Lily that his daughter asked if she was over 25. Lily ribs him, asking if that's how old most of his dates are. The conversation then turns to everything from Lily's taste in food to Rick's lingering guilt over his divorce. The conversation seems natural, even stilted at times, as it might be on a first date. These characters talk like regular people do—a rarity on television.

In fact, there are times when you'll feel like you're eavesdropping on a real conversation. That's how genuine this show is.

Certainly, you'll find yourself rooting for these two people to overcome the obstacles—including jealous kids and meddlesome exes—to find happiness together. It's impossible not to. Lily and Rick are undoubtedly the new TV season's most compelling couple.

If you're an adult starved for a television drama you can relate to, commit to Once and Again.__GistTv.com (September 21, 1999)