Now and Again

Last updated
Now and Again
Now and Again Title Screen.png
Genre
Created by Glenn Gordon Caron
Starring
Opening theme"Gimme a Sign" performed by Ariel Ryder
Composer Douglas J. Cuomo
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producers
Producer Henry Bronchtein
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseSeptember 24, 1999 (1999-09-24) 
May 5, 2000 (2000-05-05)

Now and Again is an American science fiction comedy-drama television series created by Glenn Gordon Caron [1] that aired from September 24, 1999 until May 5, 2000 on CBS. The story revolves around the United States government engineering the perfect human body for use in espionage, but not being able to perfect the brain. In an attempt to get the project up and running, they take the brain of overweight family man Michael Wiseman, who is killed in a train accident.

Contents

Given a new life, Michael is kept in an apartment where he is trained by government experts, led by Dr. Theodore Morris, in the art of espionage. Despite his new life and new abilities, Michael longs to return to his wife Lisa and daughter Heather, who are themselves discovering that not all is as it seems with Michael's death.

Plot

Michael Wiseman (John Goodman in the pilot and flashbacks, and subsequently Eric Close) lives in suburban New York with his wife Lisa (Margaret Colin) and daughter Heather (Heather Matarazzo) and works as an executive at an insurance company. When passed over for a promotion, Michael and his friend and co-worker Roger (Gerrit Graham) go out drinking after work. While standing on the subway platform heading home that night, Michael is accidentally knocked off the platform directly into the path of an oncoming train. When he awakes, he sees Dr. Theodore Morris (Dennis Haysbert), the head of a top secret government project to artificially engineer the perfect human body. Unable to create a brain from scratch, Dr. Morris has rescued Michael's brain from his dead body and implanted it in the engineered body. The process allows Michael Wiseman to continue to live, but also forces him to work as an experiment for Dr. Morris and occasionally help fight terrorists. Because of the top-secret nature of the project, Michael is told he may never have contact again with his wife or daughter, under penalty of his own death and the death of anyone he tells of his existence. Despite the threat, Michael finds ways to contact his family while keeping his true identity a secret.

Over the course of the series, Dr. Morris continues to experiment on Michael, testing the limits of his abilities and strength. Michael is occasionally used to complete secret missions or foil criminal activity. Lisa and Heather find themselves running out of money because the insurance company refuses to pay on Michael's policy, leading Lisa to become a realtor.

Characters

Main

Recurring

Notable guest stars

In addition, beginning with episode 10, Charles Durning was heard reading a brief narration at the beginning of each episode summarizing the show's backstory.

Production and broadcast

The show ran for one season. Airing on Friday nights, the show was frequently preempted and received only fair ratings. The reasons cited by CBS for its cancellation included the unjustifiable expense of the program and the low ratings.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Origins" Glenn Gordon Caron Glenn Gordon CaronSeptember 24, 1999 (1999-09-24)
Michael Wiseman's brain is taken from his dead body to be implanted inside the "perfect man", created by the U.S. Government. Dr. Theodore Morris, his caretaker, instructs him he will never see his family again.
2"On the Town" Christopher Misiano Glenn Gordon CaronOctober 1, 1999 (1999-10-01)
Desperate, Michael breaks free and kidnaps his old business partner, Roger, forcing him to drive to his old house. Roger, however, is unaware of who this young man is.
3"Over Easy" Alan Taylor Glenn Gordon CaronOctober 8, 1999 (1999-10-08)
The city receives a threat from "The Eggman" who claims he will release a poison gas. Dr. Morris takes Michael to try and stop him, unaware that Roger and Lisa – joined by Heather – are following Michael to find out who he is.
4"One For the Money" Susan Seidelman Hans Tobeason October 15, 1999 (1999-10-15)
Michael is given a mission by Dr. Morris but his moral feelings on the issue don't help his relationship with his captor; and Lisa and Heather run into money troubles.
5"The Insurance Man Always Rings Twice" Vincent Misiano René Echevarria October 22, 1999 (1999-10-22)
Michael learns that Lisa is selling his house and pleads with Dr. Morris to find out what is happening, and to save his wife by "convincing" his former boss Craig Spence to pay his insurance policy.
6"Nothing To Fear But Nothing To Fear" Tim Van Patten Michael Angeli November 5, 1999 (1999-11-05)
Michael is stunned when Lisa shows up at his apartment to ask him out, but Dr. Morris forbids his involvement; while a wave of seemingly random acts of dangerous nonchalance sweeps the city.
7"A Girl's Life" Bryan Spicer Marlane Emily Gomard November 12, 1999 (1999-11-12)
When Heather is struck by lightning, a distraught Michael convinces Dr. Morris to let him go to her bedside where she wakes and sees him outside her window, leading her to claim that an angel saved her.
8"Pulp Turkey" Harry Winer Ted Humphrey November 19, 1999 (1999-11-19)
Morris takes Michael to Thanksgiving with his own family, but their car breaks down near Lisa's house, so they stop in to call for a tow truck. But a pair of hired gunmen follow Roger to Lisa's Thanksgiving dinner to steal a Russian medal that he can't insure because of the holiday.
9"By The Light Of The Moon"Vincent MisianoRené EchevarriaNovember 26, 1999 (1999-11-26)
Dr. Morris is replaced by a new doctor, Dr. Taylor (Reiko Aylesworth) who intrigues Michael; while Lisa considers her romantic feelings for her suitor, Gerald Misenbach.
10"I've Grown Accustomed To His Face" David Jones Story by: Marlane Meyer
Teleplay by: René Echevarria
December 17, 1999 (1999-12-17)
On the morning he is supposed to be doing a 'survival' test, Michael wakes to find his front door open and his apartment empty. Unsure if it is a test or the result of some kind of accident, Michael is given the chance to flee into the outside world.
11"Fire And Ice"Vincent MisianoTed HumphreyJanuary 7, 2000 (2000-01-07)
While doing dangerous tests on Michael, Morris approaches him for help in wooing a lady colleague.
12"Disco Inferno" Jace Alexander Marlane MeyerJanuary 14, 2000 (2000-01-14)
Michael investigates a church that is seemingly the nexus of an apparent spontaneous human combustion.
13"I Am The Greatest"Vincent MisianoMichael AngeliJanuary 28, 2000 (2000-01-28)
Lisa starts her daunting new job in real estate; while Michael and Morris track down the first man the government experimented on: the one who got away (Charles Malik Whitfield).
14"Film At Eleven"Ronald L. SchwaryDebbie SarjeantFebruary 11, 2000 (2000-02-11)
While out in the park on Valentine's Day, Dr. Morris is called away to meet with the President. Michael, to save a life at a bank robbery, uses his super-strength, which is caught on film by a security camera.
15"Deep In My Heart Is A Song"Vincent Misiano Thomas Edward Bray February 18, 2000 (2000-02-18)
General Irving (James Rebhorn) visits just as this time Michael slips into an apparent coma. While Dr. Morris desperately attempts to discover what is wrong, we see flashbacks to Michael before he became superhuman and a similar health scare that occurred then.
16"Everybody Who's Anybody"Stephen Cragg Dan E. Fesman & Harry VictorFebruary 25, 2000 (2000-02-25)
Roger invites Lisa to a reception when his wife is unavailable, and General Irving makes a request of Michael which rubs him the wrong way.
17"Boy Wonder"Vincent MisianoTed HumphreyMarch 10, 2000 (2000-03-10)
A mentally-challenged teenager follows Michael home after he sees him using his super-strength; Roger's investment portfolio becomes the subject of Craig Spence's envy.
18"Lizzard's Tale" Bob Balaban Deborah SarjeantMarch 31, 2000 (2000-03-31)
At a medical conference, an old colleague of Morris's – trying now to recruit him into his organ-harvesting business – becomes very interested in Michael.
19"There Are No Words" Aaron Lipstadt Thomas Edward BrayApril 14, 2000 (2000-04-14)
The country slowly devolves into madness after a mysterious virus which removes the words from books begins appearing in places Dr. Morris frequently visits.
20"The Bugmeister: Part 1" Sandy Smolan Michael AngeliApril 21, 2000 (2000-04-21)
Roger is kicked out by his wife and comes to stay with Lisa, soon getting on her nerves; Heather befriends an insect expert with a secret; and Morris takes charge in investigating a plague of mosquitoes who seem very specific in their targets.
21"The Bugmeister: Part 2"Vincent MisianoMichael AngeliApril 28, 2000 (2000-04-28)
Dr. Morris and Michael desperately attempt to thwart a series of attacks by a bug expert.
22"The Eggman Cometh"Ronald L. SchwaryRené EchevarriaMay 5, 2000 (2000-05-05)
For a brief period, Michael is without a tracking device and he is determined now more than ever to flee and take his family with him. The Eggman plots to escape from prison and get revenge on Michael. Lisa discovers more information than she expected on Dr. Morris and Michael and, determined to prove what she believes, decides to confront Dr. Morris.

Home media

In 2014, CBS DVD released Now and Again: The DVD Edition on region 1 DVD in the US. [2] The 5-disc set features all 22 episodes of the series, two featurettes and a nearly two-hour long retrospective documentary. These include interviews and full participation from almost all of the leading cast and crew, bar John Goodman. According to the packaging the "music has been changed for this home entertainment version."

In 2016, an identical set was released on region 4 DVD in Australia by Via Vision Entertainment (VVE), though it was slightly retitled Now and Again: The Complete Series.

Awards

In 2000 Now and Again won three Saturn Awards for:

Now and Again was also nominated for an Emmy in 2000 for Outstanding Main Title Design.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Hibbert</span> Fictional character and singer from The Simpsons franchise

Dr. Julius Michael Hibbert, M.D. is a recurring character on the television animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is Springfield's most prominent medical professional. Although he has a kind and warm persona, he is also often characterized as greedy and lacking in empathy. His signature character trait is his often-inappropriate chuckling, which is generally cued by misfortune rather than something genuinely amusing. The character was voiced from his 1990 debut by Simpsons regular Harry Shearer, and since a recasting of all of the show's non-white characters, by Kevin Michael Richardson from 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Wiggum</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Ralph Wiggum is a recurring character in the animated series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Ralph, the son of Police Chief Wiggum, is a classmate of Lisa Simpson and is characterized by his frequent non-sequiturs and humorous behavior. His lines range from nonsensical and bizarre interpretations of current events to profound statements that go over people's heads. His behavior varies between blissfully unaware, dim-witted, awkwardly spontaneous, and even occasionally straightforward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Colin</span> American actress (born 1958)

Margaret Colin is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Margo Hughes on As the World Turns and as Eleanor Waldorf-Rose on Gossip Girl.

<i>Psi Factor</i> Canadian science fiction drama television series

Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000. In 1996, Christopher Chacon and Peter Aykroyd co-created the show.

"Last Exit to Springfield" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 11, 1993. The plot revolves around Homer Simpson becoming president of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's trade union and leading the workers of the plant in a strike in order to restore their dental plan to avoid the family having to pay out-of-pocket for Lisa's new braces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Haysbert</span> American actor

Dennis Dexter Haysbert is an American actor. He is known for his roles as baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, Secret Service agent Tim Collin in the political thriller film Absolute Power, Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the CBS action drama series The Unit, God on the Netflix show Lucifer, and President David Palmer on the first five seasons of 24. He has also appeared in the films Love Field, Heat, Waiting to Exhale, and Far from Heaven, as well as the science fiction series Incorporated.

"Trilogy of Error" is the eighteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 266th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2001. In the episode, Homer's rush to the hospital to re-attach his severed thumb, Lisa's rush to school to win the science fair, and Bart's run-in with an illegal fireworks scheme are interconnected as each act tells the events of the same day, but from a different point of view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Elizabeth Taylor appeared for the voicing of Maggie's first word.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpson family</span> Family of five fictional characters in animation series The Simpsons

The Simpson family are the fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love Lisa</span> 15th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"I Love Lisa" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 11, 1993. In the episode, Lisa gives Ralph Wiggum a Valentine's Day card when she sees that he has not received any. Ralph misinterprets Lisa's gesture and, much to Lisa's dismay, relentlessly pursues her with affection. Lisa snaps at Ralph and angrily tells him they are not together and that she never liked him. Heartbroken, Ralph channels his feelings into his performance as George Washington in the school's President's Day pageant. After a thunderous applause from the audience, he is able to accept Lisa as just a friend.

"Lisa's Sax" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19, 1997, to overwhelmingly positive reviews. In the series' sixth flashback episode, it is explained how Lisa got her saxophone. The episode was executive produced by Al Jean and Mike Reiss and was the first episode Jean wrote by himself, as all of his previous writing credits had been shared with Reiss. It was directed by Dominic Polcino and guest starred Fyvush Finkel, who appeared as himself portraying Krusty in a film.

"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 17, 1992. In this episode, Homer suffers a heart attack due to his very poor health and diet. Dr. Hibbert tells Homer that he needs a triple bypass, but the Simpson family resorts to discount surgeon Dr. Nick after learning how expensive the operation would be in a regular hospital.

<i>Good Morning, Miss Bliss</i> American teen sitcom television series

Good Morning, Miss Bliss, also retroactively known as Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years, is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on the Disney Channel from 30 November 1988 until 18 March 1989. Starring Hayley Mills as a teacher, the series takes place at the John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. After one season on the air on the Disney Channel, the show was retooled as Saved by the Bell, which aired on NBC.

Origins (<i>Judge Dredd</i> story)

"Origins" is one of the longest Judge Dredd storylines to run in the pages of British comic 2000 AD. Making extensive use of flashbacks, it tells the story of how the Judges of Mega-City One rose to power. It was written by John Wagner and illustrated by Carlos Ezquerra, who between them created Judge Dredd in 1977. The story ran to 23 episodes and was published from 2006 to 2007 to mark thirty years of the Judge Dredd strip. It is set in 2129, Dredd's debut story having been set in 2099.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Eggman</span> Video game character

Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ohshima chose to use his previous egg-shaped character to create the antagonist of the 1991 video game Sonic the Hedgehog, making him the arch-nemesis of the series' eponymous main character.

"Buried Secrets" is the eighth episode of the first season of the American medical drama Body of Proof. It was originally broadcast in the United States on ABC on May 10, 2011. The episode was directed by David Platt and written by Sunil Nayar and series creator Christopher Murphey.

<i>Sonic Boom</i> (TV series) American-French CGI-animated television series

Sonic Boom is a computer-animated television series produced by Sega of America, Inc. and Technicolor Animation Productions in collaboration with Lagardère Thématiques and Jeunesse TV, respectively for Cartoon Network, Canal J and Gulli. Loosely based on the video game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog created by Sega, the series is the fifth animated television series based on the franchise and the first to be produced in computer-generated imagery animation and in high-definition.

<i>Slasher</i> (TV series) Canadian-American anthology horror television series

Slasher is an anthology horror television series created by Aaron Martin. It premiered on Chiller on March 4, 2016, and on Super Channel on April 1, 2016. The licensing rights for the second season were acquired by Netflix in January 2017. The second season was released on October 17, 2017. On August 8, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on May 23, 2019. An eight-episode fourth season was ordered for Shudder, premiering on August 12, 2021. On February 10, 2022, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on April 6, 2023.

"Nixon vs. Kennedy" is the twelfth episode of the first season of American television series Mad Men. The episode was originally broadcast on AMC on October 11, 2007, in the United States. In the show, Sterling Cooper employees party after hours, promotions occur, and the audience gains more insight into Don Draper's past.

References

  1. Tomashoff, Craig (December 12, 1999). "COVER STORY; Just a Regular Guy, Who Can Outrun a Car". The New York Times .
  2. "Finalized Date, Bonus Material for DVDs of the Late-'90s Sci-Fi Thriller!". Tvshowsondvd.com. 2014-05-27. Archived from the original on 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2017-05-19.