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Once a Thief 

R | | Action, Comedy, Crime | TV Series (1996–1998)
Episode Guide
23 episodes
Once a Thief Poster
The misadventures of a gang of Canadian spies, agents, criminals and mobsters, including three spies, an enigmatic director and two grim-faced assassins.

Creators:

,

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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Episodes

Seasons

Years


1  
1998   1997   1996  
1 win & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Next »
Once a Thief (TV Movie 1996)
Action | Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.4/10 X  

A couple working for the triad boss Tang decides to leave/flee the triad and Hong Kong. They meet again in Vancouver 1.5 years later fighting crime. She now has a fiance. The Tang triad comes to Vancouver to do weapons "business".

Director: John Woo
Stars: Sandrine Holt, Ivan Sergei, Nicholas Lea
Next »
Once a Thief: Brother Against Brother (TV Movie 1997)
Action | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

Trained thieves (Ivan Sergei, Sandrine Holt) investigate a hit man and a power struggle within their former crime family.

Directors: Allan Kroeker, David Wu, and 1 more credit »
Stars: Sandrine Holt, Ivan Sergei, Nicholas Lea
Next »
Once a Thief: Family Business (TV Movie 1998)
Action | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

The Director assigns Mac to uncover why the Janczyk crime family has been venturing into uncharted hoodlum territory. While investigating, he discovers that the family is now being run by ... See full summary »

Director: T.J. Scott
Stars: Sandrine Holt, Ivan Sergei, Nicholas Lea
Next »
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    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Leslie Nielsen parodies the methods and maneuverisms of Peter Graves (as well as his straight face) in this spoof of "Biography". It has such weeks as "Sinister Magnets Weeks" and tells the... See full summary »

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A romantic and action packed story of three best friends, a group of high end art thieves, who come into trouble when a love-triangle forms between them.

Director: John Woo
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Cast

Series cast summary:
...  Mac Ramsey 23 episodes, 1996-1998
...  Li Ann Tsei 23 episodes, 1996-1998
...  Victor Mansfield 23 episodes, 1996-1998
...  The Director 23 episodes, 1996-1998
...  Agent Dobrinsky 15 episodes, 1997-1998
Greg Kramer ...  Murphy 11 episodes, 1997-1998
...  Camier 11 episodes, 1997-1998
See full cast »
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Storyline

Mac, LiAnn, and Vic are recruited by a top-secret government agency, working out of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They have many (mis)adventures together, and soon, they are joined by Jackie Janczyk, a teenage mob boss. Written by Sally <biographies@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

spy | See All (1) »

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Alliance Communications

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

September 1997 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

John Woo's Once a Thief  »

Filming Locations:

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

(22 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The two contract killers from the series, Mr. Murphy and Mr. Camier, were named after two of Samuel Barclay Beckett's novels, one of these novels being titled 'Murphy', and the other being titled 'Mercier et Camier'. See more »

Connections

Followed by Once a Thief: Family Business (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Tango Del Cuore
Performed by Quartetto Gelato
See more »

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User Reviews

Not bad for a knock-off.
25 January 1999 | by – See all my reviews

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.
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