Twice in a Lifetime

This is a not bad show, produced by Barney Rosensweig. It is a long way away from Cagney and Lacey and The Trials of Rosie O'Neil, his best shows, but it is sweet and has some good guest stars on it. Heaven forbid anyone else employ actors over the age of 35, so it is up to good old reliable Mr. Rosensweig to do this. Some of the shows are really good, like one with Stephanie Zimbalist as a woman who gets to see what her life would have been like if she had stopped smoking. It was very good. Also a riot was the one with Lesley Ann Warren, getting to be the Jewish mother on screen. It is a funny performance, which is not a surprise because although Warren is a great actress, she is an even better comic actress. So if you see this one, check it out; you will be pleasantly surprised.

I've just finished watching what I believe was the last episode of "Twice in a Lifetime". At the end of what seems to be a regular episode (though "regular" may not be the right word, since each episode in this series is different than the other and unique), Judge Othneil's reflection appears in the dark skies. Othneil, played by Albert Waxman, repeats few sentences he had said during the episode: "Why do the good die young? That should have been asked countless times." Another quote from the episode follows immediately: Othneil is told "You were quite a warier" and he answers "I had my days". Then few words appear: "In loving memory ; Al Waxman ; 1935-2001". Well, 66 is considered young nowaday.

I must tell you that I was quite astonished. I ran to the computer and entered IMDB where in Al Waxman's page I found out that he passed away during heart surgery. Now I was totally surprised - The episode was dealing with a person who has heart problems. The question is whether he should or should not pass ("again") a difficult open-heart surgery, when we know that the previous one did not succeed and left him with a permanent brain damage. At the end, during the actual surgery, it is seemed at first that the person who has undergone the operation has died. If it is true that stage actors' eternal wish is to die on stage during a play, this was quite an impressive way to say goodbye to an actor in a TV series, especially in one where he plays God's representative, dealing with life and death issues.

Without Judge Othneil, there can be no "Twice in a Lifetime", so this is clearly the end of the show (even though the writers managed to switch Mr. Jones with Mr. Smith between the first and the second season, so they can always bring in another figure instead, using any lame excuse, the way they did it in two episodes in the first season). While writing, it was now reminded to me that this was the only episode when a person on the "second-life" believes Smith is actually an angel, and at the end, Mr. Smith almost admits he is (when we, the audience, know that becoming an angel is actually his true wish since episode 1 and Othinel has been telling Smith few times in the last episodes that he is improving). I guess things get new meanings in perspective.

Now I have a question and if someone can answer it I would be really grateful: How could the screenwriters create such a great final episode? Had they first shoot one episode and then, when Waxman died, re-edited it? The editing of the repeating last sentences by Othneil was great, but for taking these two parts from the episode, they should have filmed him saying them at first; Have the producers planned to finish the show then, knowing that he may die soon?

One last thing: this whole issue reminds me the way the Drama teacher from "Fame" left that series during the eighties. Since the actor knew he was going to die, it was arranged in one of the episodes that the class would say good-bye to their teacher who had retired. At the last scene, when all the students hugged him, they cried. The actors have said later on, that these were real tears, knowing their partners condition.

Liron Dorfman, ISRAEL

Living as close as I do to the Canadian border, I would get a lot of Canadian television, but traveling to Toronto or Hamilton was always a treat because for sure I would see an episode of Twice in a Lifetime.

Our neighbors north of the border do some quality television and this was a favorite of mine. People die and they're brought before Judge Othniel of the Heavenly Tribunal and are given a second chance at living their lives again. If they take the deal, and they always do, they're brought back to a point in their lives where they can influence their younger selves on where they went wrong. And Judge Othniel sends an assistant, at first Gordie Brown and second Paul Popowich, to help out.

In season two, Popowich replaced Brown, and I did like him and those episodes better. Popowich was a club kid in real life and in death he's making his afterlife count for more than his actual life did.

But the series abruptly stopped with the death of Al Waxman from open heart surgery. Americans will remember him better from Cagney and Lacey as Lieutenant Samuels. Maybe they could have brought in an another angel, but I guess changing helpers and angels was too much.

Yet the show apparently has great popularity in syndication, six years after the last episode was done. How do you explain the death of an angel though?

My favorite episode is when Popowich is put into the body of a woman to aid a prospective heavenly admittee. That was very funny indeed.

A sad loss this series ended abruptly as it did.

This is one of the better shows of our time, it is a shame that it ended, but it would have been worse if they had just replaced Mr Waxman without a thought. I don't understand why Mr Jones was taken from the story and replaced with Mr Smith, but both seasons were good. If you can catch this series on re-runs, watch it, you won't be disappointed. As well, there are a lot of good guest stars, a new story every episode! I have actually seen every single episode, most only once, though. If you haven't seen this show, you should make a point to check it out, it is up lifting and spiritual, enjoyable, there are a few episodes that are a little deep for children, but it is a really good series for teens.

This is one of the best Canadian shows you will see on TV ! This show has cast one of the most impressive, young & talented kids in Toronto, Danielle Bouffard. Danielle plays the role of Angel Bryson at age 5 in this wonderfully well written TV series. You will love her in this show as much as you all loved her in the role of Mary in the TV series 'Amazon'. You may also remember Danielle as Sophie in the TV series 'Traders' and Katie Miller in the TV series 'Blue Murder'.