"Once a Thief" (1997) TV series 1997-1998

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Directors:

Steve DiMarco
Peter D. Marshall

Writers:

Steven Barwin (writer)
Phil Bedard (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

Mac, LiAnn, and Vic are recruited by a top-secret government agency, working out of Vancouver, British Columbia...

Plot Keywords:

Spy

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Ivan Sergei	...	Mac Ramsey (22 episodes, 1996-1998)
Sandrine Holt	...	Li Ann Tsei (22 episodes, 1996-1998)
Nicholas Lea	...	Victor Mansfield (22 episodes, 1996-1998)
Jennifer Dale	...	The Director (22 episodes, 1996-1998)
Howard Dell	...	Agent Dobrinsky (14 episodes, 1997-1998)
Victoria Pratt	...	Jackie Janczyk / ... (13 episodes, 1997-1998)
Greg Kramer	...	Murphy (11 episodes, 1997-1998)
Julian Richings	...	Camier (10 episodes, 1997-1998)

Also Known As:

"John Woo's Once a Thief" (Canada: English title) (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong violence.

Runtime:

Germany:97 min | 60 min (22 episodes)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Communications Corporation

Movie Connections:

Follows Once a Thief (1996) (TV)

Not bad for a knock-off.

This series didn't have even three original episodes. Everything was taken from something else, which explains in part why it failed so badly. Putting John Woo's name on the show didn't help -- especially when anyone who knew his style could tell he had nothing to do with it.

Canadian series' are typically low-budget, low-viewership dives, but "John Woo's Once a Thief" had potential. The two starring cast members, Ivan Sergei and Sandrine Holt, are both semi-talented individuals with a history of stealing the screen. Unfortunately, the non-existent plots and ridiculous story lines and dialogue helped kill this series pretty early. Supporting actors Nicholas Lea and Jennifer Dale both deserved better than filler time, and supporting cast member Vicky Pratt certainly deserved a spot in the opening credits, since her character was not only more interesting than BOTH the stars, she, unlike Lea and Dale, was given a storyline.

Anyone thinking of starting a series in Canada should take note of OAT's ending. This show was so low-rated, it barely finished the year intact. Only a few fervent Nicholas Lea fans (which is precisely why they hired him for the show), who followed him from FOX's soap "The X Files", managed to keep this show on the air long enough to finish the season.