Born Again

If you could be a superhero instead of an insurance salesman, but you could never see anyone from your old life ever again, what would you do? Michael Wiseman (John Goodman/Eric Close) wants it all, and he�s not going to let the small matter of being dead stop him. Elise Harris examines the body.

Creator Glenn Gordon Caron, first thought of the idea for Now And Again after re-watching Damn Yankees, the 1950s musical in which a middle-aged businessman sells his soul to be a young baseball player.

In the musical, the hero soon regrets losing his old life - in the series Michael Wiseman misses his old life almost immediately.

After a nasty accident (which his employers insist is a suicide) all that�s left of �dinosaur� insurance agent Michael Wiseman is a brain. He can either agree to be part of a secret government experiment or die. It�s not much of a choice, and inevitably he chooses the staying-alive part of the deal.

Michael�s wife Lisa (Margaret Colin) and daughter Heather (Heather Matarazzo from Welcome To The Dollshouse) are always on his mind. Despite Theo�s warnings that they will have to be killed if he ever lets them know what happened, the reborn family-man can�t let go.

Pre-accident Michael looks like John Goodman (probably because he�s played by John Goodman). The experiment gives him the face and body of Eric Close. This new body is created in a laboratory and is very nearly indestructible.

The Dr Frankenstein of the piece is Dr Theodore Morris (Dennis Haysbert). Theo acts as guardian to the new Michael Wiseman - making sure he eats properly, keeping all the elements of his life under strict surveillance and doing his best to prevent Michael from visiting his family. As his creator you would expect Theo to be a little enamoured of his creation - and the way he bursts into a rendition of Close to You the first time the new Michael looks in the mirror confirms that impression.

John Goodman dies before the opening titles, but he�s in it for long enough for you to miss him when he�s gone. He appears briefly just before we first see the new Michael - Quantum Leap-like he doesn�t change to Eric Close until Michael sees his altered reflection in the mirror. After that the �perfect� specimen takes over. You�d have thought they�d have made him a little taller - maybe the experiment was on a tight budget and there was only so much spare flesh hanging about. The look on Michael�s face when he checks out the contents of his shorts would suggest most of the money went there.

If you�re a big John Goodman fan, you can catch him in a flashback sequence in episode 15, Deep In My Heart Is A Song.

The series is amusing and touching but, despite a keen following and critical acclaim, Paramount Studios decided to cancel Now And Again after just one season.

Only 22 episodes were made - fans cried out for more, but their protests were futile. As the song says �You don�t know what you�ve got till it�s gone.'

Origins

In Tokyo a mysterious old man leaves four eggs in a train while a young boy looks on. The old man gets off, leaving four white eggs behind on the seat. The child laughs as the eggs jiggle around. The results are a bit messy.

Meanwhile in New York, insurance agent Michael Wiseman is passed over for promotion. He gets drunk with his best friend. On his way home he is jostled and falls into the path of an oncoming subway train.

Dr Theodore Morris offers what�s left of Michael the chance to live again. He agrees, but he is told he can never see his family again. The Egg Man has travelled to Paris.

On The Town

The new improved SuperMichael escapes to check on his wife and daughter. He recruits his old buddy Roger (Gerrit Graham) to help him. He manages to track down Lisa while she�s on a date with another man.

Although she doesn�t recognise him, Lisa is touched by Michael�s kindness.

Over Easy

Michael has to save society from The Egg Man and his machinations. Lisa, Heather and Roger accidentally get caught up in the mission and have to be rescued.

One For The Money

Michael has to save the world again - this time from a traitor selling wartime secrets. Meanwhile Lisa has money problems and has to return to the workplace.

The Insurance Salesman Always Rings Twice

Michael learns about Lisa�s money problems. He asks Theo for a leave of absence. With Roger�s help he gets a job as Craig Spence�s assistant. He convinces Craig it would be in his best interest to pay up on the life insurance settlement he�s been withholding from Lisa.

Nothing To Fear, But Nothing To Fear

Theo becomes obsessed with finding out why so many people seem to be suddenly behaving with no fear. He discovers a mysterious vaccine is to blame. Lisa pays Michael a visit, but the reunion is interrupted when Theo sends him on a mission to capture the inventor of the vaccine.

A Girl�s Life

Heather sees strange lights in the sky and is struck by lightning. Michael appears to her several times and she is convinced he is an angel.

Pulp Turkey

It�s Thanksgiving and Michael Lisa and Heather are brought together under dangerous circumstances.

By The Light Of The Moon

A beautiful, young expert in physiology is brought in to work with Michael. She tries to help him forget his old life, but she fails.

I�ve Grown Accustomed To His Face

Theo has disappeared. Michael has to save him from his kidnappers.

Fire And Ice

Theo falls in love with a female scientist. Michael helps him to woo to her.

Disco Inferno

Michael and Theo discuss a gruesome case of spontaneous human combustion. Meanwhile Lisa tries to teach Heather how to drive.

I Am The Greatest

Michael discovers he�s not the first of Theo�s creations. The prototype is now a boxing champion.

Film at 11

Someone makes a video of Michael�s superhuman endeavours, putting the project's secret status at risk.

Deep In My Heart Is A Song

The new Michael is found in a state of catatonia. John Goodman appears in flashback as the old Michael.

Boy Wonder

Michael befriends a young man who thinks his new friend is a superhero.

Lizzard�s Tale

An old colleague of Theo�s is involved in the black market trade of organs. He kidnaps Michael and starts to dissect him.

There Are No Word

A virus starts eating all the words from printed material. Is Theo to blame?

Bugmeister Parts I and II

A man who can control insects comes to New York. Things get a bit icky when the bugs start killing top businessmen.

The Egg Man

Lisa starts to probe into Michael�s death. Michael must intervene to save her life. The Egg Man escapes from prison.

Now And Again is on Sci-Fi, Tuesdays at 9pm

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