Twice in a Lifetime (TV series)

Template:Short description Template:Infobox television Twice in a Lifetime is a Canadian mystery drama television series that originally aired from 1999 to 2001. Created by Steve Sohmer, the series aired on CTV in Canada and PAX in the United States.

Plot

The series follows an aspiring angel who for some reason, will not enter heaven, but is assigned to guide someone who has died prematurely. The prematurely deceased, played by the episode guest stars, may choose from the afterlife to correct something that went wrong earlier in their life. The key concept to the series was that each episode featured a different guest star in the leading role, while the series regulars played a supporting role.

Episodes are centered on an individual who had reached the end of their life in one timeline, and due to circumstances seen by their advocate and judge, is then given 3 days to travel into their past, and without revealing their true identity, convince their younger self to make a different choice at a pivotal point to effect a different outcome for example, by quitting smoking, or choosing a different job and in changing this learn a key lesson to make them become a better person. This way, the series was an anthology of many different arenas and characters.

Season One featured Gordie Brown as advocate Mr. Jones, and Paul Popowich played the role of advocate Mr. Smith in Season Two. Al Waxman played Judge Othniel in 40 of the 44 episodes. In Season One he appeared as Judge Jephtah in two episodes and Polly Bergen played Judge Deborah in two episodes. Waxman died in heart surgery on January 18, 2001, while the second season was airing.

Cast

Main

• Al Waxman: Judge Othniel/Judge Jepthah
• Gordie Brown: Mr. Jones (season 1)
• Paul Popowich: Mr. Smith (season 2)

Recurring

• Polly Bergen: Judge Deborah (season 1)
• Diahann Carroll: Jael, a lawyer (season 1)

Production

Crew

Ten episodes were directed by sci-fi veteran David Winning; including "The Trouble with Harry" (Jere Burns, Brent Carver), "Moonshine Over Harlem" (Earle Hyman) and "It's a Hard Knock Life" (Markie Post). Veteran television producer Barney Rosenzweig (Charlie's Angels, Cagney & Lacey) oversaw the first season of the series.

Writing

• The scenario of this series always takes place in four stages: the accidental death of a person, their judgment, their second chance in the past and the happy ending.
• In the premiere episode of season 2, Mr. Jones is replaced by Mr. Smith, a mystery man with no ID pulled out of a burning church by a firefighter. He dies in the firefighter's arms. His death seems to make him lose his memory. Jones is as much an expert as Smith is a clumsy beginner. Note that in the second season, the passage to the afterlife is different from season 1. Also Mr Smith seems to be trying to remember who he is and complete his job as a guide/defense attorney and helper to the souls he picks up so he can either get his life back or become an angel. It's never made clear and we never find out what his whole story is.
• In two episodes of the first season, we see Judge Deborah, played by Polly Bergen, and Prosecutor Jael, played by Diahann Carroll.

Reception

Awards

Year	Award	Result	Category	Recipient
2000	Chicago International Film Festival	Won	Best Direction, Variety/Entertainment	David Winning (For episode: "Match Made in Heaven")
2003			Special Achievement in Direction	David Winning (For episode: "Then Love Came Along")
2000	Columbus International Film & Video Festival	Won	Entertainment	David Winning (For episode: "The Trouble With Harry")
2002	Directors Guild of Canada	Nominated	Outstanding Achievement in Direction	David Winning (For episode: "Moonshine Over Harlem")
		Won	Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series - Drama	Production crew
2000	Gemini Awards	Nominated	Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series	Brent Carver(For episode: "The Trouble with Harry")
			Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series	Jere Burns(For episode: "The Trouble with Harry")
			Best Dramatic Series	Stephen Brackley, Michael J. Maschio, Michael Prupas, Barney Rosenzweig and Marilyn Stonehouse
2001			Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series	Cloris Leachman
			Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series	Frank Moore
2000	New York Festivals	Won	Television Programming & Promotion - Craft: Program - Best Direction	David Winning (For episode: "The Trouble With Harry")
2003			Television Programming & Promotion - Craft: Program - Best Direction	David Winning (For episode: "Then Love Came Along")
2001	WorldFest Houston	Won	Television and Cable Production - TV Series-Dramatic	David Winning (For episode: "Moonshine Over Harlem")
			Television and Cable Production - TV Series-Dramatic	David Winning (For episode: "Hard Knock Life")
2002			Television and Cable Production - TV Series-Dramatic	David Winning (For episode: "Then Love Came Along")
2001	Young Artist Award	Nominated	Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor	Trevor Blumas
2002			Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor	Corey Sevier
			Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Guest Starring Young Actor	Marc Donato

Syndication

Reruns of Twice in a Lifetime are currently airing on the W Network in Canada and Ebru in the United States.

Home media

Video Service Corp has released two volumes of Twice in a Lifetime on DVD, with each volume featuring two episodes.

In February 2022, Visual Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1.

See also

• Highway to Heaven – loosely similar concept
• List of films about angels

External links

• Template:Trim/ Template:Trim at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
• Twice in a Lifetime at epguides.comTemplate:EditAtWikidata