Fall TV preview: 'Once and Again'

By Phil Rosenthal, Television Critic -- Easy on the eyes and hard on the heart.

If there's a problem watching the blossoming romance between enviably photogenic, newly single, fortysomething parents Lily Manning and Rick Sammler, it's that their sometimes awkward missteps too often mirror our own.

And therein lies the contradiction of ABC's "Once and Again": You can't help but care about these people, and you sometimes wish you didn't.

Each week, Lily and Rick (Emmy winner Sela Ward and Billy Campbell) must negotiate the modern-day obstacle course of courtship, from cell-phone static to custody schedules.

They sometimes stumble, fall, dust themselves off and go back to it, bruised but unbowed, often leaving us as frustrated and disappointed as they are.

This is familiar territory for series creators Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, whose "thirtysomething" and "My So-Called Life" so perfectly captured how even those who seem to be most comfortable in their lives are not always comfortable in their own skins.

Things are not as simple here as they seem, and how often can you say that about a television show? But then, this is a show for and about adults, an unusual enough distinction.

Yes, there are Lily and Rick's hyper-aware kids, caught in the crossfire of their parents' failed marriages at a time in their lives that would be difficult even under ideal circumstances. But the kids' stories are told in the context of the grown-ups', giving both generations an emotional depth few TV characters can match.

At first glance, "Once and Again" might seem like pure soap opera, with beautiful people living beautiful lives in the affluent northern suburbs of Chicago. To watch for an episode or two, however, is to notice how its complexity and attention to messy details elevate it, make it richer and deeper.

Most shows, for example, would demonize Lily's soon-to-be-ex (Jeffrey Nordling) as the jerk he often seems to be or the mercurial client Miles Drentell (David Clennon, literally transplanted from "thirtysomething") for pushing and prodding Rick without letup.

Zwick and Herskovitz see to it that they have their redeeming qualities, just as their heroes have imperfections and blind spots--and the heroes and villains, such as they are, help define one another.

Nothing is simple or predictable in "Once and Again," although when Lily and Rick do manage to fall into each other's arms, there is usually something that feels good and correct about it.

Right up until something maddening happens to pull them apart, as it always seems to do.

"Once and Again" makes you desperately want things to work out for Lily and Rick and the kids. It keeps us glued to the set each week because we're not quite sure how things can possibly end happily ever after for them, and it makes us want to look away for fear that they just might not.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

THE MANNINGS

Lily Manning (Sela Ward)
Soon-to-be-divorced mother of two whos become romantically involved with Rick Sammler and reentered the working world.

Grace Manning (Julia Whelan)
Ultrasensitive 15-year-old daughter, struggling with the breakup of her family and insecurities about her own place in the world.

Zoe Manning (Meredith Deane)
10-year-old daughter who is confused about the upheaval in her home but jazzed about possibly getting a sister in trade.

Jake Manning (Jeffrey Nordling)
Screw-up soon-to-be-ex that Lily needs to move away from but not totally alienate because hes her childrens father--and hes running her late fathers restaurant.

THE SAMMLERS

Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell)
Sweet, well-meaning guy who, divorced for a few years, fell for Lily in the dropoff lane at school.

Eli Sammler (Shane West)
Cool 17-year-old on campus whos having trouble with his studies.

Jesse Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)
13-year-old girl whos still reeling from the divorce and now must add the difficulties of becoming a teenager.

Karen Sammler (Susanna Thompson)
Ex-wife who, despite criticisms for Rick and concerns about Lily entering the lives of her kids, is not entirely unsympathetic.__Chicago Sun-Times (September 26, 2000