I finally bought the DVD of season one of Once & Again, perhaps the most extremely underappreciated television series of my adult life. And last night I was loving it to the tune of 3 episodes in a row. What happened to this cast? Sela Ward (as Lily) is a sensational TV star. Where's her next show? (Don't say the 7th installment of L&O or the 5th spin-off of CSI if you don't want to be strangled by moi.) I also miss Billy Campbell (as Rick) he of the so-cute-it's-impossible-to-believe-he-exists face, voice, body, etc... Marin Hinkle (as Lily's sister Judy) was also great but the only time I've seen her outside of this show was in a bit part in the Pfeiffer/Penn travesty I am Sam where she played an assistant to Michelle's bitch goddess lawyer and spent her limited screen time cowering in fear of La Pfeiff. The only cast member who has really thrived afterwards, not so surprisingly to me --but surprising to many no doubt, afterwards is Evan Rachel Wood who kills as Rick's young daughter.This is one of my favorite television drama series (others being Twin Peaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer,My So Called Life and Six Feet Under--well about half of that one... ) and I hadn't bought it previously because I live in fear that evil ABC will not release the other two seasons (ever) leaving my fandom only 33% complete. Plus if they never release the second and third season the uninitiated will never get the chance to see why Evan Rachel Wood's startling star turn in thirteen wasn't so startling to Once & Again addicts.
In the second or third episode of this show --I watched it in a marathon last night so I'm fuzzy-- Rick and Lily sleep together for the first time. And damn America's revived Puritanism because it felt watching it like "how did this show ever exist?" I simply can't imagine network television even attempting a sex scene this frank, well-acted, lengthy, and dramatically interesting these days (and this show is not that old!). They've basically ceded all adult emotional terrain to the cable stations at this point I guess. sigh
