Les vies rêvées d'Erica Strange

After having been fired from her job, dumped by her boyfriend and collapsing from anaphylactic shock after consuming a nut-laced coffee all in the same day, 30-something Erica Strange wakes up in hospital and meets a mysterious man known only as 'Dr. Tom'.

Erica learns that he is a therapist and she has been chosen to be one of his patients -- what she doesn't know is that Dr. Tom has the ability to travel time and his 'therapy' involves sending Erica back in time to various, regretful, moments in her life to allow her the chance to gain a new perspective and learn.

Initially reluctant, Erica refuses Dr. Tom's help, but after being shamed into feeling like a big loser who can't get her life together by her family she writes a list of her life's biggest regrets and so begins her journey into what 'being Erica' really means.

I watched a handful of episodes of 'Being Erica' a few years ago and it instantly grabbed my attention with it's quirky 'Sex and the City' meets 'Quantum Leap' concept. Unfortunately, as it aired in the mornings here the UK and my schedule wasn't always consistent I didn't see it all the way through to the end, despite being hooked.

I put 'Being Erica' on my list of movies and TV shows I wanted to revisit, and now, thanks to the gift of Youtube I've spent the last week of 2018 and the first week of 2019 binge watching the entire series from beginning to end -- and let me tell you, what an ending it was! (Spoiler alert: I cried)

The promo for this show really doesn't do it justice; though incredibly quirky and comedic at times, the promo really underplays the philosophical aspect of the series and how thought-provoking and emotionally engaging it was.

A thoroughly underrated show that I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in time-travel, philosophy or metaphyics... or just anyone who has ever experienced the pain of regret.

"Being Erica" is one of those shows clearly targeted at the "Sex and the City" audience: female-friendly, hip, nice to look at. Ho hum. But before you can click on the remote, you catch a glimpse of Erin Karpluk in the role of Erica Strange, and you're hooked. She is so natural, so lovable - she inhabits the character effortlessly. She can be wistful without being whiny, insecure but not needy. She is also a virtual chameleon who can morph into whatever situation the show's time travel premise requires.

The writing is so fresh and witty. Other Canadian shows have a tendency to be too real and mundane, utterly humourless. Being Erica is funny without trying too hard; the humour seems to flow out of normal situations and conversations, as it does in real life.

The entire premise of the show is that the audience gets behind Erica and roots for her little victories in a harsh world. And we do.

This is a hidden gem of a show that needs an audience. Someone should send a tape of the bat mitzvah episode to Ellen or Oprah. If either of them saw it, the show would surely have a champion who could help ensure its survival.

What can I say, form the beginning to the end, the show hits the nerve of all feeling, sometimes struggling 30+ women and men. There are few shows enough, that hit right where they have to do, like "lie to me", "firefly" or "in treatment". So what is more humanly than people, who do make a lot of comprehensible and sometimes live changing choices, but still are able to forgive and so been forgiven?! Ever changing, self critical, life affirmatively and heart warming souls like Erica Strange - clearly benefiting from Erin Karpluk - are the ones, which make life just worth living. If I wouldn't new, that this is a TV show and the characters are mastermind views of manifold daily story's, I'd just be overwhelmed and hopelessly falling in love with Erica/Erin. And by not being gay, saying, even the guys are well painted, I'm looking forward to see a lot more of this. Canada/Canadians, another 10 points to love YOU.

When I saw the commercials for Being Erica I thought it would be just another stupid low budget Canadian show but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! The premise of the show is about Erica, a woman in her thirties, who has many regrets. She collides with this therapist who is very unconventional. He makes her go back in time and correct her "regrets"; each episode she corrects one. I watched it the first time because I was bored but have looked forward to each new episode ever since. I like it because it's very different. You learn so much more about the characters because you get to see them in different times. It is also funny, and I find the characters easy to relate to. The time travel stuff isn't too heavy; don't let that turn you off. I definitely say give it a try!

I can imagine a young woman watching this show and saying to herself: "I'm 30-something, like Erica. I'm plain, but cute in the right light, like Erica. Why isn't MY biggest problem in life deciding which of the numerous male models that are constantly throwing themselves at me should I date?"

That issue aside, I did enjoy this show for the most part. Some of the story lines were silly, bordering on stupid. And yes, some acting and scenes were so awkwardly bad as to be cringe-worthy and difficult to get through.

But I did enjoy it, and wished there had been more seasons.