Les vies rêvées d'Erica Strange

"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.

Often you begin watching a show with an expectation that it will be interesting or entertaining, especially when it's categorized as a comedy as this is, but 'Being Erica' caught me off guard. Going in, I thought I was getting a lighthearted comedy, and to categorize this as such is a mistake, what this little treasure delivers is so much more. The main characters of Erica and Dr Tom are superbly written and perfectly acted, and the supporting cast are delightful as well. This show is so well-written and so well done, so clever in its delivery of profound insights and life lessons that they come to you first subtly and then with a resounding deep impact that leaves you better having seen it.

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!

"Being Erica" is:

* fresh

* fun

* positively female identified (I watch out for that)

and every week's episode contains a life-affirming message that helps both Erica and potentially the audience.

The acting is superb and I wish the show was on more than once a week. Luckily CBC posts in online so you can watch repeats whenever - bless them!

Finally, "Being Erica" showcases the hard-working Canadian book publishing industry, which can only help with self-sustainability efforts.

The show gets me and I dig it, through and through!