Now and Again: The DVD Edition

Arrived early and in awesome condition. Great brilliant but canceled series! Part sci-fi and fantasy finds a man who died and put into the perfect body to become the perfect soldier.

Loved this show when it aired for a single season (1999-2000) and still love it now. So glad it's finally on DVD! It's got great, sharp writing by Glenn Gordon Caron--not a surprise, since he also created and wrote almost all the episodes for "Moonlighting" in the '80s. Here, in telling us about an ordinary man whose brain gets secretly transplanted into a man-body following an unfortunate meeting with a subway car, he mixes together sci-fi, comedy, drama and action-adventure in perfect, entertaining measures. (The DVD picture quality is fine, the packaging ensures the discs will arrive unscratched, and the inside of the case insert contains a listing and description of every episode.)And what a cast! Eric Close ("Dark Skies," "The Magnificent Seven" series, "Without a Trace") perfectly, uh, embodies said everyday guy, Michael Wiseman, who marvels at his new abilities but misses his family, which he's forbidden to contact. Margaret Colin is sexy and smart as Wiseman's wife, doing her best in the wake of her husband's "death." Gerrit Graham is wonderful as Wiseman's best friend, confused as heck as to why Close starts hanging around. And last, but most certainly not least, the incomparable Dennis Haysbert, playing with both a light touch and steel menace the scientist who created Close's super-body, a man whimsical one minute, deadly serious the next. It's a role completely unlike the POTUS he later played on "24" and his military man on "The Unit."The theme song is also a plus. So, all in all, a terrific show. Too bad it only lasted the one season. It cost too much per episode to make, apparently, and just didn't pull in the ratings. That, unfortunately, is life in the big broadcast-network game.

I have been waiting the better of fourteen years to see this great, short-lived show released on either DVD or even VHS (I wouldn't have minded!). Finally it is here and overall I am more than satisfied with the finished project. Every episode is included here in their entirety. In addition there are special features that include recent interviews with several cast members including Eric Close and series creator Glenn Gordon Caron that give a little more insight into the show's creation as well as perhaps the reasons why it was not renewed. Sadly I have to mark this release down a star for two reasons although if I could perhaps half a star would suffice. One great memory was the series' opening to the strains of AC/DC's "Hells Bells". Obviously due to royalty reasons this has been replaced on this release by some other generic heavy song. While I understand it was still disappointing to put in the first disc and not hear that tune. Also the show was filmed in 4:3 ratio originally and is "stretched" for this release. While it is a simple matter of changing the aspect ration on the TV to suit I would've preferred it shown with black bars to the sides. Just my preference perhaps. In any case much like the recent release of another great short-lived series "Journeyman", I am rapt to finally have this show in my collection.

Really, I think CBS should have given us a movie special by now. I remember when I first saw the promo, I thought it looked pretty lame. I watched the first episode anyway, with AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" as the intro music, and I was hooked for the entire (far too short) 22 episode run. I had planned to never watch "CSI", since that show initially had the "Now and Again" time slot. That didn't go as planned though. Seems like now all we have are the same shows over and over, Now and Again was in a class all its own. Even the shows I enjoy now pale in comparison to this show. Also, to the reviewer who was missing an episode, unfortunately the powers that be at good ole CBS decided that when Dennis Haysbert uttered the words "Find them... Hunt them down, find them..." one of the greatest shows of all time had run its course. I think its time they are found, in some form or other. Its far to late for an SOS campaign, but how bout a "Revive Our Shows" campaign? More Now and Again, more Now and Again, more Now and Again!!! And FINALLY, before this month is out I will own the DVD collection. I lost my original over-the-air VHS copies years ago. Someone is going to have a marathon viewing over Labor Day Weekend! I still want a Movie special though. Revive Our Show, Revive Our Show, Revive Our Show!

A whole lotta decent entertainment at amazing price for all episodes plus bonus features of this American TV series that should have continued but wasn't scheduled right for ratings, and maybe too wholesome with loving family and no vile language nor nudity (and only one hint of salaciousness at the end by one supporting character). So this doesn't have a tidy wrap-up; but that didn't diminish the hours of enjoyment I bought for more of Eric Close after his "Legal Action"; but I might have bought it too for the female lead if I'd known it's delightful TV sitcom Margaret Colin. She and the other very good supporting actor Dennis Haysbert are almost same birthdate as Eric Close; so they and we enjoy their light, natural chemistry together, along with likeable goofy Gerrit Graham. I just wish someone else was cast as the teen daughter; and a better DVD cover than this cold dark menacing chilling with the blues would draw a bigger & more suited audience to this original, personable, intelligent, intriguing, challengingly thought-provoking, suspenseful, dramatic, amusing entertainment interwoven with warmly human interest layers of romance, ethics, philosophy, science, and charm I hope you too enjoy :)

I was so glad when this series became available on DVD. It was one of my favourites - quite an interesting mix of sci-fi/fantasy and drama. There really hasn't been another series like it. Unfortunately it ends with a cliffhanger. I haven't checked out the special features on the DVD yet; hopefully they discuss the season 2 plans they had. The only criticism I would have of the DVD is that the music is not the original music. As a result it is sometimes jarring and noticeable. But I guess they couldn't get the rights to the music that had been used. Still given the choice of never getting to see the series again and seeing it with different music, I definitely would choose the latter.

I was excited to see this show arrive on DVD 15 years after its run on CBS. The video transfer is great and the extra features are a treat. I was disappointed with the amount of music replacement. For example, the opening scene of the first episode should begin with AC/DC's Hells Bells (as it did when it aired on TV) but it has been replaced with generic filler music on the DVD set. Likewise, Janet Jackson's Don't Know What You've Got which is supposed to be sampled multiple times throughout the first episode is also replaced with a generic track. I get that music licenses for TV need to be re-licensed for other media but I had hoped that some of the more iconic scene-setting tracks would have been licensed for the DVD set.

Loved this show but it was cancelled too early. It was a great story line.

I’m amazed at how gripping this is, even 15 years after it was made. I remember watching this when I was young and being very disappointed when it got cancelled. Now, after watching the entire series again and seeing cast and crew interviews, I’m deeply saddened that this got cancelled. Creatively ambitious, flawless execution, this is entertainment that will move you, scare you and make you laugh. Plus, it invites you into a world you will never forget. How do we get this series back on air?

SPOILER ALERT - This is truly one of the best TV series ever written. So upsetting that we will never find out how it all ended for Mr Wiseman.Special Features that come with this collection is also great to see what the actors and crew felt could of been the outcome to the ending.