posted
I'm a sucker for do-overs. One of my favorite books in the world is Ken Grimwood's Replay. I loved Groundhog Day and 12:01 and Peggie Sue Got Married and every do-over episode of Xena and Buffy and the rest. I was psyched when they premiered two do-over shows in a single season a few years back. One actually called Do Over (duh), and the other was called That Was Then. Both shows tanked pretty quickly.
Now CBC is doing a show called Being Erica. And I'm hoping against hope that it lasts, because I just watched the first episode, and it was great. Basically, it's about a 32 year old woman named Erica, whose life has gone terribly off track because of a lot of bad decisions. She's able (forced, actually) to go back in time and relive the situations where she made the bad decisions so that she can change things.
You know, there's a lot of TV in Canada and the UK that makes US TV just seem really pathetic by comparison. I just watched the first episode of Jekyll, for example, and I couldn't help comparing it to My Own Worst Enemy, which, while I enjoyed it (while it lasted), was totally outclassed by the British show.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Have you seen "Day Break"? It's a do-over action series. It isn't long (only one season with 13 episodes I think), but I really enjoyed it.
Posts: 4519 | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Seriously. I wish I had British television. There's like a million singing competitions that I'd really love to hear instead of forage for them on youtube.
Posts: 1604 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Best do-over of all time in my opinion was Stargate SG-1's episode. Especially when it got to the point when the two of them sort of just gave up.
I also enjoyed Tru Calling.
I too miss Do Over, that was a hilarious sit-com. I remember laughing hysterically when he started playing that Green Day song in the cafeteria.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Stargate's, The X-Files', Star Trek: TNG, all had great do-over episodes.
The Journey to the West had an amazing do-over segment, although I may easily be the only person that has watched it here.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Lisa, if you aren't already familiar with it you might check out the movieLola Rennt. It's a good movie, and it sounds like it'd be right up your alley.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I kinda wondered about an idea for a TV show that was basically Groundhog Day, except with more emphasis on figuring out what was causing the temporal anomaly and trying to fix it rather than just becoming a better person and then it magically ends.
Each episode would be a repeat of the day. The first few episodes would mostly just be funny, and then gradually build up the mystery as the main character figures out the rules and eventually meets other people who are are "in on" the time loop. (About halfway through the first season there might be an episode from the POV of a completely different character that you had met once before but who hadn't really connected with the protagonist yet).
Posts: 4136 | Registered: Aug 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Raymond Arnold: I kinda wondered about an idea for a TV show that was basically Groundhog Day, except with more emphasis on figuring out what was causing the temporal anomaly and trying to fix it rather than just becoming a better person and then it magically ends.
Each episode would be a repeat of the day. The first few episodes would mostly just be funny, and then gradually build up the mystery as the main character figures out the rules and eventually meets other people who are are "in on" the time loop. (About halfway through the first season there might be an episode from the POV of a completely different character that you had met once before but who hadn't really connected with the protagonist yet).
Ever read Replay by Ken Grimwood?
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Nope. Pretty much the same thing? (Although I'll note that the idea was already stolen from Groundhog day, so my only real innovation was structuring it as a TV show, which a book would not be. Though I guess if each chapter was a repeat it might be closer to the episodic idea than G-Day was).
Posts: 4136 | Registered: Aug 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yeah, except he repeats his life many times, but he meets others going through the same thing along the way.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
You should read it. And it came out before Groundhog Day, btw. The main character is probably based on himself. Same vowels in the same places.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Apparently, CBC has asked the writers to begin writing scripts, though the show isn't greenlit yet. And apparently they've booked Erin Karpluk to shoot in April and May this year. So there's still a chance.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Lisa: Apparently, CBC has asked the writers to begin writing scripts, though the show isn't greenlit yet. And apparently they've booked Erin Karpluk to shoot in April and May this year. So there's still a chance.
That would be great!
It would definitely need a new twist though, like the Kai character in the second season. Her being the doctor would work, but I would miss Tom. Her character seems so resolved in her life now.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote: "Season two left Erica with no boyfriend, no job and a personal life in shambles. In season three, we find a newly single, more confident Erica on the path to forging a new identity for herself as she becomes the person she’s always wanted to be. Popular returning characters include Dr. Tom (Michael Riley), Erica’s ex-boss and new business partner Julianne (Reagan Pasternak), mother Barbara (Kathleen Laskey), father Gary (John Boylan) and sister Samantha (Joanne Douglas).”
Back on the CBC this fall.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Was that last episode a major let down, or what?
I mean it would have been great had it been half way through the season, but after the cliff hanger from the prior episode, it is not what I was expecting.
I had the impression it was aired out of order to make that Christmas episode closer to Christmas.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
I see no reason for it. It is one thing to lose an accent and go with Harvey Keitel a la Life on Mars, but a Canadian series could have just easily aired here anyways (I think it did on Soap).
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Totally stupid idea. They should have aired it here. Yes, there've been successful US versions of shows from the UK (All in the Family and The Office come to mind), but most of the time, it's dreck (Coupling and Lost on Mars come to mind).
@Stephan, that's my guess as well.
I want a fourth season of the real show. Not some dumb knockoff (of course, I'm going to have to watch it anyway, just like I did with Life on Mars, simply on the off chance that there's something worthwhile, but if they finish the season with a reveal that they were all in sleep pods and that Dr. Tom is really Erica's father, I'm going to throw a brick at the TV).
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
