Strange Luck

This show was one of the many casualties Fox incurred when they shifted X-FILES to Sundays and tried to fill it's old Friday slot with more quirky shows. This show was great but Fox forgot that X-Files took time to build an audience; they canceled it after less than 10 airings, I believe. DB Sweeney and Francis Fisher were very appealing, but the real star was THE WRITING! Clever plots, centering on luck and coincidence, and good dialog.

I guess Fox didn't think it was a REAL network until they started killing potential late-breakout hits with early cancellation decisions... the one moronic TRUE indicator of a network exec at work!

I miss the series. It was full of incredible coincidences which were continually interesting. The strangeness was the main attraction, other than the appealing cast of characters. I was always impressed by the inventiveness of the writers in weaving tales of intrigue. Something new and fresh which was unapologetic about coincidence. Always entertaining.

A favorite episode contained the opening scene of Harper fishing from a boat when he begins to hear something far off, before we do. Finally a body falls from the sky into the lake and the story begins. This image immediately borough to mind the adventure of DB Cooper, and here is DB Sweeney playing the protagonist who unravels the mystery.

Will whoever owns this series please release it for streaming. I would certainly buy it. It was a one of a kind show and, though it survived for only one season, I have never forgotten this charming, quirky, and exciting series. As Variety noted at the time: "In "Strange Luck," Fox Broad-casting Co. programmers have come up with a nifty lead-in for "The X-Files." Whether it will click with viewers is anyone's guess, but pairing this slickly produced oddball hour with the web's paranormal Friday hit seems a smartbet."

Give us the "Chance" to watch again.

...but I guess the ratings weren't good enough to keep it on the air. If "they" were to put the episodes on a DVD, I would certainly pick up a copy (or two) and share it with those who didn't get the "Chance" to see it.

If it ever comes to some cable channel in reruns, you should try and catch it.

coincidence fascinates all of us. we even have a word for the coincidences that seem meaningful to us: synchronized. whether or not we necessarily believe in a greater power or flow of the universe, it is fun to try to back track from the coincidence and see the actions that bring us to that brink of oddness and wonder.

"Strange Luck" was someone's idea of watching the pathway from the random to the seemingly ordered and predestined moments in peoples lives. Chance Harper(DB Sweeney) had the odd fortune to be riding the wave. DBS is a brilliant actor, understated and a lot of fun to watch even if the material ain't so great(ie, the cutting edge). His development of the character as a guy on the outside watching the oddities around him take place, trying to decide whether he believes in what is happening to him, is outstanding. The writing is great, every character nicely rounded as the show progressed. It is a shame that it was dropped after only one season.

The Best thing about this show was its absolute refusal to make judgments about what was happening to Chance. he appears to be a conduit, but there is nothing great about that, because for every good thing he connects with, something comes along that shatters all perspective. Balance between "good" and "bad" coincidence is maintained. The basis of the series then becomes, 1) his attempts to free himself from this "destiny"(if that is what it is), and 2)the question of affect he may or may not be having on those around him, and 3) would all of this be happening anyway if he weren't around to witness it.

though i doubt the existence of meaningful coincidence, i have, myself, wondered if things would be happening the same way if i weren't around to see them. humans bend the fabric of reality in all sorts of small ways, just by interacting with it, and this show explored the possibility of that. I was disappointed to see it go.

Fox made a mistake, but it wasn't the first mistake made by a television company, and it won't be the last. i would definitely buy the dvds if they were ever released, especially episodes that may not have been aired, even though they were completed.